Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant is a no-frills and utterly unpretentious steamboat restaurant along Joo Chiat Road that stands out against all other places not just for the affordability of its food, but also the authenticity and marvellous quality of the Teochew fare. They stick to the tried-and-proven methods of keeping things simple, with a myriad of dishes suitable for casual dining and gatherings
You know that this is the real deal you step into the restaurant and see countless photos of celebrities who have dined at the restaurant plastering the wall. The owner has travelled to and worked in various countries to pick up the skills needed to execute each dish perfectly, so as to ensure that only the most authentic and best-grade dishes are brought to the table.
Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant is a clear hit amongst the older generations and it is definitely one that young adults alike should hit up for a wholesome, communal meal.
And you’d love to know that at Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant, the owner promises you something: if the food is not good and fresh, they will refund you. Money back guaranteed is the best guarantee for a good meal, right?
EVERYTHING IS MADE FROM SCRATCH
From their fragrant steamboat broth to the fish paste noodles and bouncy fish balls, the folks behind the restaurant pride themselves on having almost everything handmade, bringing you only the freshest and nothing less.
Even the chilli is a star in its own rights. You have to try every single dip for your steamboat; they are made fresh in-house daily!
STEAMBOAT IS THE WAY TO GO
The star and centrepiece of this restaurant is definitely their steamboat. Every table should order a steamboat for sharing, on top of all the a la carte dishes that you may wish to add on.
Their signature soup base is a best described as a labour of love—the chefs prepare and wash the necessary bones and carcasses before adding them into a giant pot with their speciality ingredient—shark cartillage—then have them all boiled for over 5 hours daily.
The result is a creamy collagen-rich broth that is both savoury and sweet, and highly addictive. Even though we were stuffed by the end of the meal, we couldn’t help but have one last bowl of soup before leaving.
Prices start from just S$10 for 2 to 4 people, with a plethora of ingredients to choose and help yourself to.
FRESH SILVER POMFRET
You can look forward to a variety of seafood dishes to elevate your steamboat experience. The Silver Pomfret (seasonal price), in particular, is set to impress with its freshness. Afterall, what is Teochew cuisine without a good pomfret, right?
Wild-caught from Surabaya—which is known to have the best quality and sweetest Chinese Pomfret around—you can tell how fresh it is right from the moment your teeth sink into the white flesh that is soft yet firm at the same time.
We are telling you that quantities are limited so if you’re in luck, you have to go for it because it is worthy of the splurge.
DRUNKEN PRAWNS
The Drunken Prawns (S$8/100g) is something you cannot miss out on. Fresh prawns are intoxicated with Chinese wine and herbs, allowing the wine’s flavour to permeate throughout the body, intensifying the natural sweetness of every single prawn.
As mentioned, do not forget to flash this advertorial upon sitting down for steamboat during dinner hours. From Mondays to Fridays, every table with a steamboat order will enjoy free-flow drunken prawns. You are in for a real treat, guys.
HOME-MADE FISH PASTE AND FISH BALLS
Handmade from scratch, the fish balls are a must to order—everything from the mixing of ingredients to the shaping of the fish balls are prepared by hand without taking the easy way out.
You can literally taste the difference when you bite into these bouncy delights and it is amazing how they managed to conceal the fishy odour without compromising on the taste.
Another dish you must make sure to order up would be Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant’s signature squid paste fillet—made using 99% fish paste and 1% vegetables and chestnuts without the use of flour at all, you know that what you get here is undoubtedly the real deal.
VARIETY OF PREMIUM MEATS
No steamboat is ever complete without meats. Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant offers an array of high-quality meats that are imported from USA and Brazil—while it did not particularly blow our minds, these meats are definitely not something that we would decline.
Here you can choose from meat including USA Prime Beef (S$12 per portion), Pork Belly (S$9 per portion) and Fresh Chicken (S$8 per portion).
CLASSIC A LA CARTE TEOCHEW DISHES
Steamboat just ain’t enough when dining at Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant. We suggest you save some space for some of Jinji’s equally delectable array of Teochew a la carte dishes.
The a la carte items do not come packaged with fancy accessories nor over-the-top creations but the simplicity of it is precisely why we love their Teochew fare. Here are some of the sumptuous dishes you can expect at Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant.
PORK KNUCKLE
Should you be looking for something more indulgent, the Pork Knuckle (S$30) will go highly recommended. Boy, this dish checks all the boxes for what a good pork knuckle should taste like.
Upon your first bite, be prepared to be impressed by the crisp texture of the crackling skin before digging into tender and succulent pork meat.
TRADITIONAL SALTED CHICKEN
The Traditional Salted Chicken (S$18) may be light in seasoning but that itself is enough to leave us satisfied. There is nothing fancy going on in this dish but every piece of chicken is extremely flavourful, making this a simple but hearty dish that we’d return for.
GOLDEN PRAWNS
Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant isn’t afraid to boast the variety of cooking methods that they have which can transform a seemingly simple seafood into a myriad of dishes.
The Golden Prawns (S$30) is one of the many prawn dishes that they offer. Despite being heavily coated in a crisp and golden layer of flour, it was surprisingly light in flavour and that only served to accentuate the flavour of the prawns.
JADE KAI LAN
Who would have thought that a vegetable dish would excite the entire table of diners? Well, the Jade Kai Lan (S$12) was one that we wiped out within minutes.
We thought that kai lan is best enjoyed when stir-fried, but this dish proved us wrong. Stir-fried kai lan is hidden below a stack of deep-fried pieces of the same vegetable, bringing you a textural variety that is nothing short of impressive. The latter reminds us of crispy kale!
BRINJAL WITH PORK FLOSS
The Brinjal with Pork Floss (S$12) may be a fairly straightforward item on the menu but it is still a remarkable one at that.
Deep-fried brinjal pieces are covered with a generous amount of pork floss, curry leaves and chilli; this dish is a winner. The different textures made it a delightful side dish to munch on and it will forever change your impression of brinjal.
GOLDEN PUMPKIN
The Golden Pumpkin is essentially deep-fried pumpkin slices doused in a rich and piquant salted egg sauce that will have salted egg yolk fans swooning in no time.
Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant
176-178 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427447
Tel: +65 6348 8924
Tue to Sun: 12pm – 2.30pm
Mon to Sun: 5pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar
This post is brought to you by Teochew Traditional Steamboat Restaurant.