Choon Hoy Parlour: Vintage-themed eatery with value set lunches serving reimagined Singaporean dishes & Jelebu dry laksa
I regret missing the opportunity to try Jelebu Dry Laksa at VivoCity before it permanently closed down in Feb 2024. So when word had gotten out that the chef of The Masses, Dylan Ong, had roped in the chef Renee Tang of Jelebu Dry Laksa and another colleague to create a new concept called Choon Hoy Parlour, I wasted no time visiting.
Located opposite Midtown House along Beach Road, the new restaurant takes over the old grounds of The Masses. I haven’t dined at The Masses before, but from what I overheard from the next table, the eatery has retained the old decor with minimal changes.
The restaurant has an 80s look, with vintage posters plastered on the glass panels, and Chinese songs from that era playing through the air waves.
What I tried at Choon Hoy Parlour
I spotted the CHP X Jelebu Signature Dry Laksa V2.0 (S$18.90), but it was ideal for 3 pax. Thankfully, I spotted the 2 set lunch options: S$18.90++ and S$24.90++. Both sets allow you to select your carbs (laksa included), appetisers and mains. Hurrah! I felt as though a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
The food arrived on an old-fashioned serving tray, making us feel as if lunch was served in bed.
The S$18.90++ menu comes with standard dishes like the Soup Of The Day and Wok Fried Hispi Cabbage. I selected A Lil Lard A Lil Soy A Lil Love Rice, CHP Signature Hainanese Kampong Chicken and CHP Signature Our Rojak, Our Own Way.
The Soup Of The Day was a simple broth containing just a piece of pork rib and vegetables like carrots, onions and pieces of tomato.
The natural sweetness from the carrots and tomatoes made the soup exceptionally palatable. The pork rib was also braised to perfection; tender and toothsome— what a good start!
The CHP Signature Our Rojak, Our Own Way had bits of Japanese cucumber, jambu, jicama, century egg, starfruit, pineapple, youtiao and ground peanuts.
The different varieties of fruits and vegetables injected a multitude of textures and varying levels of sweetness, while the peanuts and youtiao added elements of crunch.
The usual dark brown drizzle of rojak sauce was replaced by a scoop of ice cream. I spooned it over every bite to make it ice-cold. There was an underlying dominant tone of hei ko (fermented prawn paste) with a range of other complex flavours— it retained the flavour of rojak, but with a twist.
This dish stayed true to its name. Who would have thought that this Asian-style salad could be presented this way? Genius!
The A Lil Lard A Lil Soy A Lil Love Rice was a simple bowl of pearl rice doused with soya sauce and pork lard. The crispy morsels of pork fat injected creamy umami-ness into every spoonful of rice with savoury notes of soy. Perhaps the only complaint would be a few slightly undercooked rice grains.
The CHP Signature Hainanese Kampong Chicken was doused in a fragrant sesame oil-soy gravy below and topped with aromatic scallion and ginger. This dish mimics the samsui chicken style which I love, but I wish the meat was moister.
The Wok Fried Hispi Cabbage with dried shrimp and fa cai reminded me of Nyonya chap cai. There was also a mild spicy hit that caught me off guard from the dried chilli.
I then moved on to the S$24.90++ set, which always comes with the CHP Signature White Pepper Pig Stomach Collagen Soup and CHP Signature Braised Dua Cai. I chose the Fu Zhou Oyster Cake Stuffed In Pani Puri, the Masala Lamb and topped up S$3 for the Jelebu Dry Laksa V2.0.
My late Teochew grandmother would regularly serve pig’s stomach soup at the dinner table, so it conjured many memories when I started with the CHP Signature White Pepper Pig Stomach Collagen Soup.
The yellowish broth had the characteristics of a typical chicken collagen broth; slightly thick and creamy but with a mild peppery punch that kicked in slowly. It also had a gentle alcoholic kick, due to a shot of 12-year-old Sing Sing Whisky being added.
There was a solo piece of pig’s stomach which was soft and didn’t possess any unpleasant tastes. The crimson beads of wolfberries injected little bursts of sweetness in-between bites.
The soup also contained pillowy pieces of winter melon, chicken chunks and tau kee.
Behold! The reason why I rushed down was because of this dish— the Jelebu Dry Laksa V2.0. A combination of thin bee hoon and laksa bee hoon is stir-fried with fishcake, tau pok and topped with cockles.
Upon my first spoonful, I was greeted by a decent wok hei. I could discern the citrusy notes of the daun kesum despite bestowing some sour calamansi essence onto it.
I would say that the combination was unique and its taste differs slightly from a typical laksa goreng— now, I’m curious about how version 1 tasted!
The cockles were also fresh and boasted a plump and juicy texture.
The Fu Zhou Oyster Cake Stuffed In Pani Puri had minced meat, peanuts, ikan bilis and a mini oyster, all shoved snugly in a pani puri shell. It felt like kueh pie tee had a baby with an oyster cake— delicious!
The CHP Signature Braised Dua Cai was a yummy Chinese-style stew with luscious pieces of pork belly, mushrooms, sea cucumber, dried scallops and dried shrimp. Despite its simplicity, I was blown away by its rich flavour.
The lamb masala was fork-tender and succulent. If you had served this dish to an Indian grandmother, it would surely put a smile on her face— it was that good!
Final thoughts
If you’re seeking modern Singaporean dishes, Choon Hoy Parlour is definitely a cool place to visit. The dishes may be presented in refreshing new ways, but the flavours have certainly retained their authenticity; nothing gimmicky at all.
I’ll definitely be back!
Expected damage: S$20 – S$30 per pax
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