Taiwanese Porridge restaurant Goldleaf is celebrating its 47th anniversary with the launch of its first ever A La Carte Buffet, featuring 8 of its beloved classics with UNLIMITED servings.
Many also do not know that the restaurant known for its old-school, familial Taiwanese cuisine, is now situated at Katong.
Being the first Singapore restaurant to offer Taiwanese Porridge since 1971 (that is older than many of us), Goldleaf Restaurant had relocated several times, from Oxley Road at Orchard area in the 70s, to its current location at Katong Square – right next to i12 Katong.
During the early days in the Orchard area, Goldleaf Restaurant was the go-to places for many local and overseas celebrities such as Zoe Tay and Li Nanxing for their comfort food.
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While most of us are familiar with Teochew Porridge, the main difference between a Teochew Porridge and Taiwanese Porridge is the addition of sweet potatoes and the classic accompanying dishes in the latter.
The Goldleaf signature dishes include Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables aka ”Mei Cai Kou Rou”, Steamed Pork Patty with Salted Fish, Omelette with Chye Poh, Sambal Kang Kung, and Cold Japanese Beancurd with Pork Floss – which are all regulars’ favourites.
All the items are cooked ala minute upon order, and thus you will be assured of freshness and piping hot dishes.
An advocate of healthy eating, Goldleaf does not use any added MSG in its dishes. Also, the sauces that accompanies the dishes are all made in-house, including the sambal sauce, original chilli sauce, Thai chilli sauce and XO sauce.
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Other than free-flow Taiwanese porridge, the following 8 dishes come in unlimited servings. Here are what you can expect:
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1. Kaohsiung Chili Chicken
Kaohsiung is one of the most under-rated food places in Taiwan, and Goldleaf is bringing this street-food inspired dish to diners.
The Kaohsiung Chili Chicken is one of the 2 new dishes introduced into the menu to celebrate its 47th anniversary, cooked by stir-frying with wok-hei before tossing into a blend of 8 different spices.
The dish is on the spicy side, considered ”shiok” and adding a level of fiery kick. Thankfully, complementing the plainer-tasting porridge rather well.
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2. Goldleaf Double Beancurd Platter
Another one of the new items is a fusion dish with chilled Japanese Beancurd.
It may look similar, but there are loads of ingredients on that same plate – century egg imported directly from Taiwan, Singapore styled pork floss, Taiwanese style bonito flakes, and a touch of thickened soy sauce cooked from a guarded recipe.
Enjoy that comforting moment when chilled, smooth Japanese beancurd meets the piping hot Taiwanese porridge in your mouth.
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3. Omelette with Chye Por
One of my favourites. Huge omelette deep-fried till golden, when cut apart would reveal that steamy quality and soft fluffiness.
There was also that enticing eggy aroma.
My grandma used to cook ”Chye Por Neng” with (egg with salted preserved radish) very often, and this gave a warm, comforting feeling of nostalgia.
The Chye Por used here is marinated in-house, adding a certain crunch to the combination.
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4. Seafood Beancurd
A dish of Japanese beancurd with a combination of squid paste, abalone sauce and fresh prawns.
The star…the beancurd was first steamed before deep frying to provide that golden-brown crispy exterior, contrasting with soft, wobbly interior.
There were two components that enhanced the overall dish in terms of flavour – the distinctive seafood taste which came mainly from the squid paste, coupled with homemade chili sauce.
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5. Steamed Pork Patty with Salted Fish
Tip: Make it a point to order this first, as the Steamed Pork Patty with Salted Fish is served in limited quantities daily.
That is because making the dish is labour-intensive, requiring a manual method of “throwing” the patties, without any use of tenderizer, resulting in meat pieces with that springy quality.
Topped with quality salted fish, the Pork Patty was a juicy, savoury favourite.
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6. Meicai Kourou (Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables)
The sauce used for this dish uses a decade old recipe which includes a special blend of herbal ingredients imported directly from Taiwan
The “Mei Cai” (preserved vegetables) added is also stewed in-house.
My only main suggestion would be to use a thicker cut, for a better and more substantial bite.
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7. Ah Ma’s Tri-Platter
If you have been a regular of Goldleaf during the good old days, you might have seen this dish long, long ago.
After 20 years, this platter is making a comeback.
It contains a trio of beancurd sticks, peanuts and fried minced pork.
Both the peanuts and beancurd sticks are soaked in a bean marinade for 5 to 6 hours for them to absorb the flavours, whereas the fried minced pork with olives adds a salty punch.
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8. Tainan Olive Taiwanese Lettuce
Taiwanese lettuce, stirred fried with olives and topped with goji berries for a sweet sensation.
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The Goldleaf Restaurant A La Carte Buffet is available for Lunch (Adult $19.80++/ Child $12.80++) from Monday to Friday; and Dinner (Adult $25.80++/ Child $18.80++) from Monday to Thursday.
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For dinners who prefer to order Ala Carte, there are also other selections, including a number of new ones.
The items to look forward to include the popular Taiwanese street food of Oyster Vermicelli ($8.80), cooked in a special recipe for a velvety consistency.
There are also Deep-fried White Pomfret with Black Bean Sauce, Pork Ribs with Homemade Plum Sauce, Prawn Rolls, Fresh Cockles ($11.80) and Miaoli Black and White Muah Chee ($3.80), all best paired with Goldleaf’s hearty bowl of porridge.
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47 years of legacy, memories of a few generations, couple of relocations and Goldleaf Restaurant manage to stand the test of time and adapt to the changing food trends.
Perhaps it is time to enjoy some good-old Taiwanese porridge with our parents and grandparents to relieve their past memories and get some family bonding.
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Goldleaf Restaurant
Katong Square, 86 East Coast Road, #01-02, Singapore 428788
Opening Hours: Lunch 11am – 2.30pm, Dinner 6pm – 10pm (Mon-Sun)
A La Carte Buffet available Lunch (Mon – Fri); Dinner (Mon – Thurs)
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* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape. This post is brought to you in partnership with Goldleaf Restaurant.
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