Review: Restaurant HOME @ The Rail Mall, Upper Bukit Timah
Headlining the news a couple of weeks ago is Chef Tan Yong Hua, with culinary experience aplenty, and his team emerging champion from a cooking challenge against the iron chef of Thailand’s Chinese cuisine – Chef Peter Lai. Having helmed in kitchens from The Raffles Hotel, Marina Mandarin and the Tunk Lok Group Singapore, Chef Tan’s latest brainchild, Restaurant HOME @ The Rail Mall, offers a homely Chinese dining cuisine like no other.
The highlight of his menu is his signature Peking Duck Barbecued with Lychee Wood ($38 for half a duck, $68 for a whole). Unlike other fatty variants of this dish, HOME’s is much less fattier with an equally compelling flavour to it. The lychee wood lends an aromatic undertone to the skin, and roasts the skin to a nice crisp.
Another signature dish from Chef Tan’s expertise is the Baked Marble Goby in Claypot ($9 per 100g). A reminiscence of his childhood days, Chef Tan recreates this dish with nostalgia of his grandmother’s love of using clay pots. The fish is undoubtedly fresh, and topped with a dash of lemongrass and spring onions that adds texture and spices up this simple dish.
We also had the Black Pepper Beef ($22), which was nothing short of ordinary. Don’t get me wrong, the beef was as tender and juicy as it should be; but after having my feet swept off twice, I was eagerly anticipating for my palate to take another flight. Nevertheless, the beef was a safe order.
One of Chef Tan’s memorable dishes was the Braised Duo Rice Vermicelli with Pork Knuckles ($20). This noodles dish was served in Oba leaf, which I thought served more of an aesthetic purpose. That being said, the rice vermicelli soaks up the rich broth from the pork knuckles, and bursts with richness.
Some of our fondest childhood memories revolve around the dinner table, and many pledge mom’s cooking to be the best. Well at HOME, Chef Tan cooks up delectable Chinese cuisine with an air of nostalgia. It’s true what they say – there’s no place like home.
Restaurant HOME The Rail Mall 392 Upper Bukit TImah Road Singapore 678046
Tel: +65 6465 1698
Opening Hours: Lunch: 12pm – 3pm Dinner: 6pm – 11pm