A taste of Singapore at S Maison

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SIGNATURE Chilli Crab

MALA Fish Skin

PRAWNS in Black Truffle

Firecracker Chicken

TUNG LOK Seafood, practically a Singapore institution, opened its Manila branch on Feb. 11.

Another sibling, Tung Lok Signatures, opened its doors in Manila in City of Dreams. Tung Lok Seafood, with a more seafood-forward menu (obviously) is at S Maison at the seaside Conrad Manila.

Tung Lok was founded in 1984 by Andrew Tijoe, a scion of the Tijoe family behind Charming Garden. Tung Lok means “happy together” in Cantonese. The restaurant has 40 branches over Asia, including in its homebase Singapore, Indonesia, China, Japan, and Vietnam.

During a media tasting early in March, guests were treated to a veritable spread, including Mala Fish Skin (“mala” referring to the numbing sensation brought by Sichuan peppercorns), which was a crispy welcome.

Our personal favorite was the Sauteed Prawns with Black Truffle (subtly luxurious). Few would touch the Signature Chili Crab, one of Singapore’s more famous exports, despite its rewarding taste, because of the work of cracking the crabs by hand. Once you’ve gotten over your squeamishness and have been assured of your clothes’ safety (through gloves, bibs, and shell crackers), it really is quite a treat, especially with the fried mantou (buns) that one can dip in the spicy sauce.

Another favorite was the Firecracker chicken: bite-sized chicken pieces with dried chili and Sichuan peppercorns (among other spices). Guests at our table kept picking through the chicken, trying to find out what the other spices were. We also liked the slow-cooked Beef Brisket with Beancurd, which was oddly comforting; while the Seven Spice Grilled Lamb Shank had an exotic, robust flavor.

The restaurant is a bit pricy: a quick glance at the menu saw half a Hainanese Chicken going for P1,000. Still, we wouldn’t pass on this restaurant for a special occasion: there’s just something festive about it.

The restaurant was brought here by Mango Tree Philippines, because according to President and CEO Eric Teng, this was his favorite restaurant in Singapore. This follows the pattern from Mango Tree’s other restaurants, which include Mango Tree, Sen-ryo, and Genki Sushi —  which are the favorite restaurants of other members of his family.

Tung Lok Seafood is at the first level of S Maison at Conrad Manila. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. For reservations, call 0917-121-0082.  — Joseph L. Garcia