Somehow, claypot food and local zhi char favourites hold a special place in our hearts (and bellies). So when the group of us learnt that a local home-grown restaurant Wok Master has opened at City Square Mall, we were SO looking forward to the meal.
And the food didn’t disappoint at all.
Though Wok Master is still considered under-the-radar, the dinner crowd was healthy when we visited. I also learnt that several customers have already made return visits.
While this is a NEW restaurant, the team is not unfamiliar to the F&B industry, set up by the people behind local coffee chain Coffee Hive – known for their coffee, toast and local delights.
This is THE place to bring daddies and mummies (colleagues and friends), for affordable, actually delicious comfort fare.
Most of the food items are value-for-money in the $8 – $12 range, considering this is a sit-down, air-conditioned restaurant with service.
Signature claypot dishes include the Wok Master’s Premium Claypot ($28 or $38), Claypot Curry Chicken ($8), Claypot Crayfish Laksa ($10), Claypot Seafood Horfun ($8), Claypot XO Crayfish Tanghoon ($14, $28), and Claypot Tofu ($12, $18).
Some of the other local favourites include Golden Salted Egg Pork Ribs ($12, $18), Coffee Spare Ribs ($12, $18), Boxing Chicken ($8, $12), Braised Superior Chicken ($8, $12), Sambal Kang Kong ($8, $12) to more east-west dishes such as Baked Miso Cod Fish with Champagne ($8, $12).
Oh yah, I HEARD that the Har Cheong Wings ($8) was very NICE!!! (with 3 exclamation marks, according to @PinkyPiggu)… I won’t know because the plate was swept clean before I came. LOL.
Braised Superior Chicken ($8, $12)
One of our table’s favourite dish. Farm fresh chicken braised in a herbal superior stock with fish maw, black fungus and shitake mushrooms and tofu.
The chicken was so tender, flavoursome as the meal soaked up the herbal stock which should contain fragrant Chinese wine (not-China-wine).
This reminded me of one of grandma’s dishes, that she so lovingly cooked because it was nutritious and good for the body.
Wok Master’s Premium Claypot ($28, $38)
This one, we also like. Superior claypot with fresh prawns, scallops, clams, fish slices, fish maw and broccoli, braised in a special stock.
My advice is, don’t spend too long on the photos, eat this while the stock is still bubbling in heat.
Loads of wholesome, fresh seafood ingredients, with zup-zup sauce that you would pour all over your bowl of rice.
Boxing Chicken ($8, $12)
As several of the chefs from Wok Master are from Malaysia, they also brought in this delectable dish commonly found at dinner banquets in Malaysia.
Boxing Chicken is so named because chicken meat is pushed to one end to look like a boxing glove or hand. So all the meat is concentrated on the side.
Glazed in sweet and savoury sesame sauce, this starter should be a favourite among children.
Golden Salted Egg Pumpkin ($8, $12)
Slices of pumpkin coated with salted egg yolk paste and fried with curry leaves and chilli. The pumpkin was soft, and outer layer crisp. Good stuff.
Wok Master Special Beancurd ($12, $18)
Homemade tofu with mayonnaise and topped with special crispy pork floss.
Miso Cod with Champagne Sauce ($38)
Snow cod marinated with miso and baked till golden brown, served with greens and root vegetables.
For some of the Instagram effect, sparkling champagne sauce is poured over after serving.
While some of the rest on the table thought that the dish could be fleshier and more moist, I liked the slight tinge of saltiness from the miso balanced with bitter-sweetness from the champagne.
Prawns Fruit Mayo ($8, $12)
Deep fried prawns in crispy batter and cooked in a fruit mayonnaise.
Signature Claypot Crayfish Laksa ($10)
Thick rice vermicelli simmered in a claypot with spicy coconut broth with sliced fish cakes, fried bean curd and whole crayfish.
I am more indifferent to this dish, wished that the gravy had more of that coconuty-oomph.
Sizzling Chilli Crayfish ($25, $35)
Whole crayfish fried and simmered with a sweet and spicy sauce, served in a sizzling hotplate.
Pine Nut Squirrel Fish ($28)
The Squirrel Fish, otherwise known as Song Shu Yu, is a well-known Jiangsu dish which resembles the fluffy tail of a squirrel.
Wok Master’s version is a whole seabass lightly battered and deep fried till golden brown, topped with pine nuts and a spicy-sweet-tangy sauce.
This is popular among diners, not only because the fish is de-boned (which makes it really easier to eat), but because the meat was fresh and sweet beneath the crisp outer layer.
Royal Three Eggs Spinach ($10, $15)
Spinach braised with three types of eggs – salted egg, century egg and egg whites in a light herbal sauce. Not bad, I generally liked the sauce base here.
Mango Pomelo Sago ($5.50)
Diced mango and fresh pomelo in a chilled mango soup for desserts.
Wok Master has quite an extensive menu. While it won’t be right to say every item was delicious, we concluded that about 80% of what we had tasted above average with a few stand-outs.
Plus, given that it is a zhi-char restaurant, surprisingly several dishes didn’t overwhelm in terms of salt level. Would certainly make a return trip. Now, who should I jio?
Wok Master
City Square Mall #02-51, 180 Kitchener Road Singapore 208539
Tel: +65 6835 9096
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm
* This post is brought to you in partnership with Wok Master.
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