Quan Fa Mookata @ Jurong East - A Farm To Table Mookata Concept By Local & Regional Farmers

Mookata made healthy by Quan Fa Organic - right at Quan Fa Mookata located deep inside a neighborhood coffee shop at Jurong East. An initiative by Quan Fa Organic, this farm to table concept is an collaboration with our local and regional farmers, serving you only chilled meats, not frozen ones, organic vegetables, kampong eggs and homemade dipping sauces. You will see no store-bought processed foods on your table.

Set for 2

Our Set for 2 ($38) includes choice of 2 chilled marinated meat (small) from the selection of chicken, pork, beef and lamb, 2 prawns and frog legs, fish paste and a basket of seasonal vegetables. You can also choose to add on extra meat, vegetables and rice.

When our tray of meats was being served, for a moment, I felt I was having a Japanese hotpot in an upmarket restaurant - such exquisite plating for a Mookata in a coffeeshop! The Chicken Thigh is marinated with chili & tamarind, Pork Collar with basil and lemongrass and the Frog Legs are also marinated beforehand with Huadiao Jiu and wolfberries. These chilled meats are supplied by Toh Thye San Farm, Fresh Fish Paste from Ha Li Fa (Bobo Fishball) and frog legs from Jurong Frog Farm.

Fish Paste, Meats

Commercial fish paste or fishballs to me are like mock meats, made with lots of flour and flavour masked by seasonings. However this Fish Paste is clean tasting using fresh fish flesh and natural seasoning from herbs and spices, including dills! As for the chicken and pork, even though the meats were being cut a tad too small, they tasted pretty good in terms of flavour and texture. The shredded cabbage underneath the meats, they are salvaged from the unused exterior layer and are natural sweetener for your broth. So do throw them all into your broth once the meats are gone!

One thing to highlight is that greasing your skillet is not your usual lard chunks, but a premium imported A2 milk Desi Ghee, which many may not know has medicinal properties as per ayurveda. Its high smoking point makes it even more apt for barbeque.

The stars on the table, I feel are the broth and the basket of fresh greens. Both leafy and root vegetables simmered together with 2 whole freshly chicken daily, resulting in a very light but flavourful broth. The sweet corns were bursting with sweetness even after being in the boiling broth for a while. The egg is from Uncle William’s Lian Wah Hang Quail & Poultry Farm which is so fresh that you can have it raw too or as an egg dip like that of sukiyaki.

Beware of this harmless looking bowl of homemade Suki sauce, it whets appetite really well. Concocted with a blend of fresh organic birdseye chilli, garlic, Thai miso paste and apple cider, it lifts the flavour of the meat with a bright acidity, along with just a bit of fiery kick.

Heartier options for meat would be Smoky & Spicy Beef Striploin and Cumin & Rosemary Lamb (each $12 for 130g) which you can sear them to the degree of doneness desired. Though they are quality meats, I find them too overly seasoned, especially for the beef.

Farm to table experiences in Singapore are more often than not glorified and sit in the Lifestyle category. To find one in heartland is indeed rare and more so when Quan Fa Mookata is in the most western region! To be honest, the portions are too dainty for Mookata but what I appreciate is the kampong spirit embedded in the concept. This kampong spirit if not preserved and passed on in various ways, will soon be lost in our little island as more and more farms are being bulldozed for the name of developments.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Quan Fa Mookata
PDSS 318 FOOD CAFETERIA
Blk 318 Jurong East Street 31
Singapore 600318
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Chinese Garden (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun: 6pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Tue)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Chinese Garden MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to traffic junction of Boon Lay Way and Jurong East Street 31. Cross the road. Walk down Jurong East Street 31. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Chui Huay Lim Teochew Restaurant @ Chui Huay Lim Club - Celebrates 7th Anniversary with Seven Exclusive Chef Recommendations

If not for the recent visit to Chui Huay Lim Teochew Restaurant, I do not even know the existence of the historical 170-year-old Chui Huay Lim Club at Keng Lee Road. If the club or road name sound foreign to you, they are to be too. I have to google map the location and realised it is near Newton Circle.

Before starting our dinner, we have a little introduction to the art of drinking tea. We started with washing the tea leaves and utensils, pouring the tea, holding the tea cup and appreciating the tea.

Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine Classic Platter 4/5

Our dinner started with the Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine Classic Platter ($58 for 6 pax / $98 for 10pax). The platter consists of Teochew Braised Duck, Deep Fried Ngoh Hiang, Deep Fried Traditional Liver Rolls and Teochew Pig Trotter Terrine.

Two items on the platter stood out for me. The deep fried liver rolls which is made with minced pig and chicken liver, yam and water chestnut wrapped in beancurd skin. It is crispy on the outside and substantial inside. Best to have together with the sweet sauce. The other is the pig trotter terrine which is hardly served on the dining table nowadays due to the meticulous preparation extracting the gelatin from the pig skin and freezing it.

Wok Fried Kway Teow with Diced Kai Lan and Preserved Radish 4/5

A dish that is packed with wok hei is the Wok Fried Kway Teow with Diced Kai Lan and Preserved Radish ($18/$27/$36). The addition of the diced kai lan and preserved radish provided the extra crunch to the finishing.

Suckling Pig 4.2/5

We are kind of surprise when the whole Suckling Pig weighting around 3.5kg to 4kg was brought into our dining room as it was originally not on our menu. The specific weight of the piglet was chosen for its thinner skin, to get that desired crispiness. No short cut is taken here, like pre-bathing the piglet to speedup the cooking. The whole piglet is roasted from raw.

Teochew Oyster Omelette Gooey Style 4.5/5

A specialty at Chui Huay Lim Teochew Restaurant has to be their Teochew Oyster Omelette Gooey Style ($22). The restaurant even has a delegated chef to just cook the dish. It will be freshly cook upon order which takes about 20 minutes of waiting time. What so good about the orh luak here is the consistency, where each mouthful gets you the gooey and crispy texture. This is best paired with the slightly sourish chilli sauce.

In celebration of its 7th anniversary. the restaurant has created a limited edition menu that features 7 a la carte dishes between 3 September to 30 November 2018. These delicacies include time-honoured dishes as well as unique takes on popular favourites. Among the 7 dishes specially created for the 7th anniversary, we tried the Homemade Fish Balls and Fish Cake Braised with Tianjin Cabbage in Superior Broth ($22/$33/$44) and Crispy Fried Pork Belly and Water Chestnut Rolls Tossed in Sweet & Sour Sauce ($18/$27/$36).

Homemade Fish Balls and Fish Cake Braised with Tianjin Cabbage in Superior Broth 4.2/5

Simmer for hours in chicken and pork bones is the Homemade Fish Balls and Fish Cake Braised with Tianjin Cabbage in Superior Broth. The bouncy fish balls and fish cake are made from yellow eel, which is prized for their sweet flesh. The tianjin cabbage was also cooked to a delectable softness that emits a comforting sweetness to the superior broth. What lights up my taste buds is actually the hint of sourness amidst the sweetness from the salted vegetable.

Crispy Fried Pork Belly and Water Chestnut Rolls Tossed in Sweet & Sour Sauce 4/5

The Crispy Fried Pork Belly and Water Chestnut Rolls Tossed in Sweet & Sour Sauce is a heritage dish that has marinated pork belly and crunchy water chestnut wrapped with pig's caul fat. A traditional way of preparing it. It is steamed, deep fried and then glazed in a sweet and sour sauce. It is similar to sweet and sour pork but the roll itself is more meaty, almost like a ngoh hiang. You tiao is also added for that extra layer of texture.

Teochew Tau Suan 4.5/5, Yam Paste with Pumpkin 4.5/5

I would definitely recommend you to save some space for dessert. The Teochew Tau Suan with Gingko Nuts ($5.20) here are really special. The restaurant added orange peel in the dessert, which elevates the traditional dessert for a unique enjoyment. As for the Yam Paste with Pumpkin and Gingko Nuts ($5.20) the distinct fragrant from the pork lard brought a smile to my face. I have eaten too many yam pastes that do not use pork lard anymore which I thought it lacked that final punch to win my palate over.


Chui Huay Lim Teochew Restaurant
Chui Huay Lim Club
190 Keng Lee Road
#01-02
Singapore 308409
Tel: +65 67323637
Website
Nearest MRT: Newton (DT Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm
Fri-Sun, PH: 1130am - 3pm, 530pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Newton MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Newton MRT station (Stop ID 40181). Take bus number 5, 54, 143, 162 or 167. Alight at next stop. Cross the road. Take the path between Newton 18 and Newton Life Church to Keng Lee Road. Turn left on Keng Lee Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Newton MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Newton Circle and make your way to Keng Lee Road. Walk to destination. Journey time around 15 minutes. [Map]