A local restaurant specialising in seafood produced by a local kelong? I’m totally on it! Actually, I had tried dishes made with Ah Hua Kelong’s produce in some excellent local fusion restaurants and I was really impressed. So when I found out Ah Hua Kelong has its own restaurant, I knew I have to come here to get the full experience of savouring local produce made with local sensibility, presented in local style, topped with modern flair.
Reservation is a must because this place is full house on the day I pop over and quite a number of walk-ins got turned away.
The seafood there is undeniably fresh and sweet. And to topped it off, the excellent preparation makes the seafood tastes even more delectable. And with the dishes presented in Asian, local style guarantees that lots of familiar beloved robust flavours and nostalgia. The modern chic influences infused into the dishes excites the tastebuds, making dining here an unique one.
The place has that nostalgia of kelong due to the traditional hanging kerosene lamp lookalikes, the jalousie windows commonly seen in heritage buildings, cement floor and yes, the light lovely scent of roasting seafood. Service is good, attentive and helpful. This is a great place to enjoy curated local fare with local flair.
Sambal Lala is filled with so many goodies, such as sake sambal belacan, garlic confit and lots of sweet fresh lala, with some toasts dunked in to absorb the incredibly flavourful soup. The resulting broth is ultimate spicy umami. I totally love this. Due to the sheer number of lalas added, it is great for sharing. I do prefer savouring the toast while it is still crunchy and coated with a layer of the delicious broth, over it being soaked soggy with the broth. I suggest to try both ways of eating the toast.
Three Egg Chawamushi is made from Lala broth (yes! Lala broth is the sweetest!), egg and squid ink and topped with century egg and ikura. The creamy, lovely briny sweetness is pronounced, thus delighting the palates. The pickled ginger will make the briny sweetness taste even sweeter!
Fresh Roasted Prawn with Seaweed Butter and Braised Kelp is epitome of unbridled briny sweetness, made even more exciting with the hints of char. This is oh-so good! And amazingly, the firm, bouncy prawns taste even sweeter when lemon juice is splashed over them.
Raspberry Clafoutis is a lovely story of textures. Crunchy ginger snap and fluffy raspberry cake is infused with Southeast Asian influences from the bouncy lime jellies and smooth coconut cream to yield an unique dessert that hit all the check boxes for varied taste profile. I’m pleasantly surprised by how good and interesting the dessert is since I had assumed that dessert was just an add-on in a seafood restaurant.
Recommend to get the white wine here because the food actually tastes better with it.
Thoughts: Exciting Local Seafood Delights
8 Hamilton Road
Nearest MRT: Bendemeer
