Tong Shui Cafe June 2, 2008

Alright! My first post. And it’s a recount of the lunch treat I gave to my family a few days back at this nondescript Hong Kong cafe along Upper Thomson Road. Firstly, I have to say that the menu was quite impressive, with a wide array of choices ranging from burgers to dimsum and desserts. I almost couldn’t believe that they’d actually customise each dish so specifically to suit different tastes. That aside, one major gripe I had was the service, which left much to be desired. Apart from the fact that the waitress (Filipino? Indonesian?) didn’t speak Mandarin – I mean after all it’s a place serving Chinese-style food – she couldn’t seem to fully comprehend our orders. In fact, she didn’t seem to know the menu very well at all. There was some confusion as well, when food (not one but two dishes) which we hadn’t ordered arrived at our table. Okay maybe I’m making this sound more serious than it actually was because at that point of time (as is usually when I eat out with my family, including my aunts), I was getting quite agitated by the adults’ loud chattering and embarrassing (to my sisters and I at least) behaviour.

Anyway! On to the whole point of this entry.

Iced milk tea: Interesting cup which looked like a honey jar with a handle. Tastewise, I felt it was a tad too sweet and the tea taste wasn’t strong enough. Still can’t beat the likes of Man Jia Le and the one I used to have at the “Hong Kong St” coffeeshop near ncc!

 Red bean pancake ($4.88 ) : Highly anticipated but kind of disappointed. I didn’t like that it was so flaky, to the extent that it was a bit dry. At least the filling tasted alright and was sufficient.

Noodle soup with beef brisket ($8.88 ) : This is what Mummy ordered. I didn’t try the beef (not a fan) but the noodles were pretty good; tasty and springy enough.

Dry noodles with beef brisket ($8.88 ) : Daddy had the dry version. Raved about it. I didn’t try it but it does look quite appetising, huh? Although I thought the noodles looked a little soggy.

Mango prawn rolls ($2.88 ) : I liked this! Although it may have to do with my love for all things mango. Still, I thought there was a right balance between the not-overly-crunchy prawn and tangy mango.

Thick toast with Horlicks & condensed milk ($2.88 ) : I found this quite good, for someone who doesn’t like Horlicks! Not too sweet, and it was toasted until just crisp and crunchy enough. Here’s the side view:

Now that’s what I meant by thick! (;

All in all, it was an okay meal. The total bill came up to $66.96, which is reasonably cheap considering there were 7 of us! Don’t think I’ll be going back anytime soon, though.