Saturday 21 September 2013

French Road Thai Chinese - Hui Wei Cze Char

It is uncommon for a cze char stall to have a following on FB. Hui Wei Thai Chinese Restaurant does.

So is it French, Thai or Chinese? Located at Block 802 French Road, the kopitiam is hidden beneath a block of HDB block just behind the Jalan Besar Stadium. The nearest MRT Station would be Lavendar. What one will get is Thai-Chinese inspired cooking.
HuiWei Shop photo HuiWeiShop_zpsb1d485d6.jpg

The stall opens 7 days a week and also on Chinese New Year - so this is my favorite joint for da-bao, saving me the need to cook during CNY. Typically, I order the fish head, fried brinjal, honey chicken and stewed pork trotters. First up was the deep fried brinjal with dried fish. A sweet tangy sauce gives this dish a lift. The brinjal is fried crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. The dried fish (Teochews call it tee po) adds a special crispiness to the dish.
HuiWei Fried Brinjal with Dried Fish photo HuiWeiFriedBrinjalWithDriedFish_zps0b474b8d.jpg

This time around I ordered the fried squid. Well battered and fried to perfection - crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. Paired with the sweet and hot chili dip, the dish is another winner!
HuiWei Deep Fried Squid photo HuiWeiDeepFriedSquid_zps47f478ae.jpg

For vegetable, I had to order the baby kailan which is my son's favorite vegetable dish at any cze char stall. Blanched in water prior to stir frying, the dish was not as oily as what we have eaten at other stalls. The fired shallots added a nice crunch to the dish.
HuiWei Kailan photo HuiWeiFriedKailan_zps631acebb.jpg

Then come the signature fish head. Steamed and then slathered with a vegetable based sauce, this dish is a must-try.
HuiWei Signature Fish Head photo HuiWeiFishHead01_zps70b9b9d8.jpg

They use a red snapper fish head - meaty and full of collagen especially around the facial parts. The greenish sauce tastes of coriander, celery and probably a few other secret ingredients. So good is the sauce that I finished by bowl of rice. The fish head is as fresh as one expects. No taste of fishy smell whatsoever. And the kopi lady told us that this is their most ordered dish - every table orders the fish head confirming our choice.
HuiWei Signature Fish Head photo HuiWeiFishHead02_zps3f4ba79d.jpg

And my family finished all we ordered. Here's the proof...
Empty Plates photo HuiWeiTableEmpty_zps3c502d76.jpg

Not only was the lunch good, it was cheap. 4 dishes with rice - all for under $45 dollars! There really is such thing called cheap and good. Also try the stewed pork trotters, honey chicken and the fried hokkien mee. Take a look at their website

Hui Wei Thai Chinese Restaurant

Block 802 French Road (behind Jalan Besar Stadium)

Opens daily

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