Heng Hwa food to me is quite a comfort food especially when you have a lesser appetite. The dishes are usually less oily compared to traditional Chinese cooking therefore being quite popular with both young and old. I have only known the main Heng Hwa restaurants in the mall and also the one at kitchener road. I was at Geyland East Swimming Complex when I chanced upon this outlet called Putian Heng Hwa Kitchen.
The restaurant itself is small and down to earth and there is nothing fanciful at one glance. In fact, there is only a few tables inside the restaurant and more tables outside.
For those sitting inside, do prepare that it could get slightly oily as the kitchen is small and the fumes would circulate within the restaurant itself. Rather than a restaurant, it was more like a cafeteria. As a typical Heng Hwa café, they offered the popular lor mee and fried bee hoon.
Most importantly, they have the hot and spicy chilli which is crazily similar to the one at Putian restaurant. I suspect that the chef or owner used to work at Putian and is somehow related as the dishes down to the chilli is really similar.
The lor mee tasted very good with a much less starchy soup compared to the ones at Putian. The serving was also very decent with some clams and pork meat. This being the more affordable version compared to the one sold at the restaurant, I feel this café is worth visiting.
The owner also recommended us to try the peanut butter noodles which sounds weird to order but it is such a surprise to the palate. Firstly, the noodles come to you served like any dry noodles but the sauce smells strongly of sesame oil and thick peanut fragrance. It was slightly tough to mix the noodles as the sauce is very thick but once thoroughly mixed, the noodles were savoury and sweet at the same time. Once the noodles turn cold, it was quite difficult to eat, so my recommendation is to eat the noodles when it is still warm.
The Fuzhou fish ball soup was huge and springy but I found the taste quite bland and the meat fillings were too little.
Overall, this is a nice neighbourhood café to have lunch or even solve your cravings for Heng Hwa cuisine if you do not wish to spend too much. Some of the dishes are a hit which is quite close to the ones we are used to from the big names but some are also misses where the standards are not quite there yet. However, visit with an open mind since the price here are more wallet friendly.
Address: 115 Aljunied Ave 2, #01-45, Singapore 380115
Address: 11 am to 2 am
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