Ding Tele – Is the Beef Curry Soup Unique, or Bizarre?

Shanghainese cuisine is not something we’re unfamiliar with, for there are many Chinese eateries in Singapore that specialise in Shanghainese cuisine. Ding Tele, a restaurant located along Upper Serangoon Road, is well versed in Shanghainese cuisine, and is known for their xiao long baos and sheng jian baos. 

The Signature Pan-fried Crispy Pork Soup Buns ($4.80/4 pieces), aka sheng jian baos, have a thick skin which sports a nice char. Take a bite of the bao, and flavourful and hearty soup will ooze out.

Similar to the sheng jian bao, the Signature Steamed Pork & Soup Bun ($4.80/5 pieces) has a generous filling. This steamed dumpling boasts a thinner, and silkier skin as compared to its pan-fried counterpart.

The Shanghainese Noodles with Soy & Scallion Oil ($5.50) came topped with charred scallions and deep fried small shrimp, which were more tough than crispy. I felt that my bowl of noodles needed some black vinegar to help elevate the taste of the otherwise one-dimensional noodles.

To go with the noodles, we had a bowl of Oriental Wonton with Black Vinegar & Chilli Oil ($6.80), which was sprinkled with crushed peanuts. The wonton skin was bland and tasteless, but after being coated in the tart and spicy chilli, the wantons could pass off as almost flavourful. 

The highlight of the meal was the Beef Curry Soup ($5.80). When the staff served us the soup, we were all puzzled. The beef curry soup was clear, not like any type of curry we know. After seeing our confused faces, the waiter explained to us that the Shanghainese version of ‘curry soup’ was just beef stock with curry powder. 

We were not very big fans of this peculiar style of curry soup. The taste of curry powder was too strong and there wasn’t any sweetness or savouriness to complement it. Furthermore, the beef slices were extremely tough even though they were thin. 

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.