Dinner at 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗲𝗵 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴 on Jalan Krian this evening. Owner-chef, Tan Hai Meng, worked for more than two decades in Singapore’s Geylang district where he specialised in claypot frog porridge. Back in Penang, he expanded his repertoire to include Teochew dishes from his culinary heritage.
Our dinner repertoire this evening included:
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Hae choe (pork-crabmeat balls) - these were crisp-fried dumplings of minced pork-prawn-crab meatballs wrapped in soybean yuba skin.
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Claypot soy-braised frog with dried chilis, served with claypot rice porridge - Chef Tan’s claim-to-fame, and a staple amongst late-night eateries in Geylang district back in Singapore.
The version here was perfection in every sense of the word: frog’s legs braised in a thick, unctuous sauce consisting of dark & light soy sauces, ginger, scallions, dried chilis and other “secret” condiments. Served bubbling hot in clay-pots, it’s paired with a thick, Cantonese-style rice porridge - match made in heaven.
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Steamed “lala” clams and squid with lime and garlic - very fresh seafood in a light sourish-garlicky sauce.
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Steamed grouper, Teochew-style - the best rendition of this Teochew classic in Penang! Ultra-fresh fish steamed with preserved mustard stems, tomatoes, ginger and Chinese sour plums. The balance of flavors of this delicate dish must be just right for it to work, and the fish has to be just cooked, else the flesh would be dry.
Chef Tan got it done to perfection here.
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Crisp-fried halfbeak - these were sardine-like small fishes, deep-fried till the crisped bones can also be eaten.
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Stir-fried eggs with bitter gourd - thin slivers of bitter gourd stir-fried with beaten eggs. Very well-executed here.
Dessert
7) Orh nee (sweetened taro paste - perhaps the best-known Teochew dessert, and done very, very well here - taro is steamed then mashed with sugar-syrup and pork lard. It’s served with gingko nuts and cashews here.
Certainly one of the best Chinese dining options in George Town, and the best for Teochew cuisine.
Address
Sing Geh Lang Restaurant
22 B, 8 Row, Jalan Krian, 10400 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +6016-444 0886
Operating hours: 12 noon to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm, Mon-Tue, Thu-Sun. Closed on Wednesdays.
