[SG] Two Chefs Eating Place
Monday, December 24, 2012
This place reminds me of Two Blur Guys, with the way its name has been derived from. A rather known place for tzechar, I was quite surprised that this name kept popping up whenever I speak of tzechar cravings.
For the not-so-Singaporeans, Tzechar is typically in a coffee shop setting, with most dishes involving frying - hence the name of 煮炒 in Chinese. As most coffee shops would have a tzechar stall, it was pretty rare to hear of any special outstanding one, except perhaps the popular XO Beehoon or the Hong Kong Street ones.
Hidden in quite an inaccessible area away from the train station, it was quite surprising to see the place packed with people even at about 8pm.
For the not-so-Singaporeans, Tzechar is typically in a coffee shop setting, with most dishes involving frying - hence the name of 煮炒 in Chinese. As most coffee shops would have a tzechar stall, it was pretty rare to hear of any special outstanding one, except perhaps the popular XO Beehoon or the Hong Kong Street ones.
Hidden in quite an inaccessible area away from the train station, it was quite surprising to see the place packed with people even at about 8pm.
Cold Cockles
Drizzled with lots of garlic, and dipped in a sauce with a tinge of chilli padi, this was quite a refreshing appetiser to start off our meal. It was an interesting flavour, with a pretty sharp taste given the amount of garlic and ending with a spicy aftertaste. Also, I hadn't expected it to be a cold dish coming from a tzechar stall. The cockles were very fresh, rid of the 'fishy' taste and were clean from the usual sandy texture, making it alot easier for us to eat. I found it a little too sharp for my liking, perhaps an acquired taste. It was one of the recommended dishes by their staff, so probably great for cockle lovers!
Nom Factor: 7.0/10
Spinach with Three Coloured Eggs
This was made up of century egg, salted egg and the regular egg, cooked with spinach. I've never been a vegetable person, so this didn't exactly appeal to me. The salted egg stood out the most, and made the dish taste a tad like molten mooncake to me. It wasn't an impressive dish, failing to bring out the flavours of the spinach and century egg.
Butter Pork Ribs
The highlight of any meals there, this is the signature dish that brought Two Chefs to fame. Plain looking, with the lack of colours, it didn't exactly look very appetising, much less the signature dish. I was pretty skeptical at the sight of this, but the first bite absolutely changed my opinion.
Extremely tender pork that has a slight crisp on the outside, coated with a strong buttery flavour - this just won me over. The butter powder was just too addictive, and it reminded me of the cereal condiments alongside cereal prawns, also a typical dish of tzechar. It was slightly sweet and creamy when the butter powder melts in your mouth, yet it doesn't leave the jelat feel. A perfect complement to the otherwise ordinary pork ribs. A dish that will bring me back to Two Chefs for sure!
Nom Factor: 9.0/10
Prawn Roll
This is almost a staple for me for every tzechar meal, made of minced meat, prawns, some with water chestnut to give that extra crunch, and deep fried in beancurd skin. I found the fillings of this a little too loose, but the crispy skin quite made up for it, with fresh prawns used in the making as well. It managed to stay crispy up till the last piece, making me a pretty satisfied customer.
Nom Factor: 7.5/10
I felt that this was a pretty overrated place, with only the butter pork ribs that managed to really impress me. That said, perhaps it was the selection of our dishes as well, and I would probably go back for more, aside from the addictive butter pork ribs!
Overall Nom Factor: 7.5/10
Blk 116 Commonwealth Crescent, #01-129
Singapore 140116
Hopping over next block after a pretty filling dinner, we decided to try out the durian penyet over at Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre since it was just around the corner. Located at the second level of the food centre, it used to be one of the featured stalls under the television programme, Buzzing Cashier, where celebrity chefs go around helping struggling stalls with their businesses through improving the recipes.
As an avid durian lover, I couldn't give this a miss for sure. Durian penyet is basically a nyonya dish with fresh durian puree, coconut milk and gula melaka. Sounds pretty much like a potent combination!
Durian Penyet
After waiting eagerly for it to be prepared, it didn't seem exactly 'wow' to me. I was hoping that it would be just like the butter pork ribs, with unassuming looks packed with an oomph! Unfortunately, it was quite a disappointment from the very first mouthful. The durian puree was overly creamy, and didn't taste of fresh durians that went into the mixing. The gula melaka that went over it was a tad too bland and got overwhelmed by the flavour of the durian. It felt like two distinct dishes instead of durian penyet. The ice below was also too much and made it too diluted. With quite low expectations set already, it was still a disappointing attempt.
Nom Factor: 5.0/10
Bee Garden
Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre
Level 2
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