The faces were re-rendered in ChatGPT for the sake of privacy requested by those in the picture
New Year Reunion!
Yes, it hasn't been an easy 2025 for many of us, but since we have finally crossed over to 2026 safely, it is time for a celebration!
And what better to celebrate it with family?
I haven't seen my relatives for a good part of 6 month due to so much things happened, partly also because they were stuck overseas for a short while and were finally home, away from the Winter chill, and basking in hot sunny tropical country in South East Asia again!
Aunt's favourite squid condiment vermicelli noodle
If it wasn't for them, I'd probably wouldn't even thought of searching through Michelin short-listed restaurants! To be honest I tried one of those Michelin stared restaurants / Trip-Advisor awarded joints before (some time back) and it was quite a flop due to reduced quality of food stressed by the overwhelming patrons.
However, since my relatives suggested the place, here we went ahead and give it a try since my dad has been dreaming about fish-head noodles for a long time.
You can literally see how soon the 2 seniors dug in the moment the noodles arrived! haha
Fish fillet with broad vermicelli noodles
Good thing that other than the noodle difference, the ingredients were the same as mine and I was able to take a picture and show you what they were digging in. The fish fillet were very fresh, and I am not sure how they did it, there isn't much "fishy smell of the sea" and that truly enhanced the enjoyment for those who are a bit sensitive to seafood aroma.
Deep friend shrimp dumpling
The entrée is very good too, fresh and not very oily; however it has to pair with its sour finely ground chili paste (with calamansi lime) that would get the stomach's engine going, ready for the mains (noodles)
Squid jelly salad with peanut sauce
This was another highly recommended side dish in the menu and we decided to curiously try it out. My cousin used to be a bit sensitive with sesame seed, but thank God she's healed throughout the years otherwise it would have been a bummer for her.
The peanut sauce is very similar to the Malaysian meat-skewer (Satay) sauce, but a lot sweeter, less spicy and with sesame seed oil. Refreshing even as a "desert".
Wait, are all these Michelin short-listed?
Nope
Because the clear broth of the noodles above actually have rice wine incorporated, therefore not everyone likes its taste.
Michelin finalist fish-head noodle with cream soup
The short-listed dish is this one. The portion was so huge we had to share it among a few of us. This milk-based broth was the star of the show. The original fish-head / fillet is deep fried, but we changed it to fish-balls; yet it doesn't differs the taste at all.
Salty with a tad of sweetness, creamy and a tiny bit peppery. Packed with green herbs and fried shallots. Tenderizing fish balls, and it was only close to $5 USD. A very well affordable treat!
Overall, everyone was satisfied!
However! There is a catch!
I have realised that peak-hour is definitely not a good time to go. No doubt the restaurant could take on the pressure and deliver the great food, but the traffic of getting a parking place and queuing for the food can be a nightmare! 😅
Therefore, either go off-peak, or take a Grab / Uber there would be best!
How about you?
Would you prefer a creamy milky broth, or a clear broth infused with fragrant rice-wine?
Until Then
Stay healthy, stay curious and learn new things, and stay happy!
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