Ga Hock Seafood – Old School Zi Char Along Upper Bukit Timah Road

I remember it was a very busy day for us. We spent a full day at Jewel Changi Airport and rushed all the way to the west for dinner with our friends at Ga Hock Seafood. I was very tempted to “fly aeroplane” but our friends have been talking about the food and atmosphere for weeks, so I knew I just had to be there.

The long day of photoshoot made me really tired. But as we drove into the carpark beside Ga Hock Seafood, I started getting excited. We got a table in the open space at the back of the old school coffee shop.

Fish Head Curry is one of Ga Hock’s signature dishes. It’s similar to assam curry fish head — the flavours were well balanced, and it had a slight sourness and a hint of fruitiness. The sauce had a nice thickness and it definitely paired well with my plate of white rice.

The Nan Ru Pork Belly may not be labelled as a must-try, but it was still pretty good. The aroma of garlic was distinct, and the thick slices of golden brown pork belly may have you and your pals fighting over the final piece. This plate of goodness is infused with flavours of fermented beancurd. I thought I was already full but I felt otherwise after this arrived. We also had the Shark Head in Black Bean Sauce and Qing Long Vegetables.

The salt-baked crabs is another signature here at Ga Hock. I have heard so much about it even before our dinner, so my expectations were high. It was the last dish to arrive and we were all waiting in anticipation. Huge chunky crabs were crusted in salt and baked in the oven. With such a simple dish, the quality of crabs plays an even more important role, as it is even more prominent. Just like when we eat Teochew steamed fish, the freshness of the fish is very important. Unfortunately, the crabs fell short of expectations that night.

Opening up a crab claw to find it empty is indescribably disappointing. Not to mention, it’s a waste of a good crab. Our friend, Benny, who used to sell crabs, explained that crabs that are low on meat may have recently moulted their shell and have not had a chance to fill their body with flesh. And on our day of visit, the crab didn’t have much flavour. It was a pity considering that we paid close to $200 for the crabs.

I love the environment here at Ga Hock because it feels like I am somewhere in Malaysia. I will probably come back again for other dishes. Not too sure if I will order the crabs again though. Not in my photos was a plate of satay which was very tasty. With a good proportion of fats to meat ratio, the satay was so juicy and each stick had a slightly charred aroma.

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

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