The Mouth Restaurant at Safra Toa Payoh is one such restaurant that chooses to surprise and delight its customers with its reinvention of traditional Cantonese fare. PT, JT, FT and I made an unexpected detour there for lunch. We had originally planned to try the famous chicken rice balls at Toa Payoh Lorong 1, but the soaring temperatures sent us scuttling for a cooler spot instead.
DBS is currently having a one-for-one set menu promotion at Mouth. At $49.80 and with the quality and range of dishes provided, it comes highly recommended as a great value for money meal. The set meal began with a bowl of thick and tasty chicken soup which was full of chicken, black fungus and mushrooms. It came with a side of crunchy crackers that added an addictive texture when added to the soup. Surprisingly, JT took to the soup immediately, polishing off two bowls.
The dimsum appetizers comprised the usual siew mai, ha kao and spring roll. But take the first bite and you find out quickly enough that this is no ordinary coffee shop fare. FT finished both the siew mais even before I noticed it.
PT's favourite dish, the Cui Pi Ji, was next to arrive ($13 for half a chicken). This was an additional item we ordered and a must have for PT. Not too bad, but I found the chicken a tad too dry. The best I've tried so far is the one at Hua Ting at Ochard Hotel.
We were pleasantly surprised with the Fish in Cream Sauce. Served over a bowl of dry ice, the rich cream sauce was a perfect balance to the lightly salted fish.
PT was just wondering if the set came with any rice or noodles when the next dish arrived. It was called Chicken with Pasta and to our surprise, we realised that it was carrot cake generously covered with a savoury mushrooms and chicken pasta sauce. The melt-in-your-mouth carrot cake with its fried, crunchy outer skin was such a innovative substitute to the usual carbo fillers.
By this time, we were stuffed, but the last dish and desserts have yet to arrive. The final main dish was the Duck Wrap. It was just too heavy for me, espcially with the thick sauce that coated the inside of each wrap.
Dessert was Yam Ice-cream with Gula Melaka Sauce. Wonderful! The gula melaka gave a delightful kick to the lemak ice-cream. Despite commenting repeatedly how full he was, PT still went for his dessert with gusto.
I couldn't resist ordering the Durian Glutinous Rice Balls ($4). And was I glad I did! The soft skin yielded a rich filling of cold, rich-tasting durian. Fantastic!
A highly satisfying lunch! Reservations are highly recommended. By 1230, the restaurant was packed with diners.
Mouth Restaurant
Safra Toa Payoh
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