When we decided we'd bus up to Sembawang Hills to try out a restaurant for the very first time, we thought it better if we had a backup restaurant- just in case the place wasn't open or just in case the food wasn't sufficient.
It wasn't that bad- as it turned out- and I'll write about it at another time- but the minimalist, nature-inspired cafe didn't have that particular food we wanted, and even though the burger was good, me and my friend still felt like we could eat more after.
At first we thought okay maybe we'll try the hawker center- it's quite famous- but apparently theirs is a daytime place, and except for a few stalls open here and there, the rest were closed.
This side of Sembawang Hills didn't seem to appeal much to us (for some reason), so we crossed over to the other side.
There're two eating houses this side of Upper Thomson Road known for their seafood, and their zichar.
The first one- at the corner- has its own group of fans and its own set of charms, but they didn't have a table small enough for two.
So we went to the other one.
You know what, I'm glad I did.
Because whilst Chui Xiang kitchen also has its own group of fans and its own distinctive charm, there's a strong small town vibe to it that I don't always find elsewhere.
People living upcountry who have such restaurants in abundance might not really comprehend why, but ask any local who has dwelt in this little island for more than two decades (at least) and they'll be able to tell you why.
I wish I was able to describe it in better terms.
But I can't.
I don't know how to describe it.
Maybe it's the way the tables are set up and arranged. (We were seated on red plastic stools)
Maybe it's the way they've done the decor on the walls, nothing but a couple of banners and a couple of posters.
Maybe it's the lighting, bright, fluorescent, and white.
I like to think of it as the large dining hall of someone's home.
I also like to think of it as some coffee shop/ restaurant that- located in the most unexpected of routes/roads/spaces- opens late in the morning but stays lit throughout the night.
The one thing I really appreciated about the staff here at Chui Xiang was their speed. (I was hungry).
Almost immediately when we sat down the menu was brought to us, and since we already more or less knew what it was we wanted, all we needed was to take a quick glance- and order.
Our beef fried rice arrived quick.
Our oyster omelet, a little longer.
But I didn't mind.
Both were really good.
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The beef fried rice was super tasty.
Smooth, oily, with lots of tender beef slices and the rich flavor of beef stock wrapped inside.
And the oyster omelet.
Which, even though it was $12 (hawker stalls are mostly like $6, $8?), the eggy part of the egg was really thick, there was a lot of the the veggies- parsley, coriander, something- and there were so many big, juicy oysters tossed on top of the thick, bouncy, also very oily egg.
One thing though.
Zichar is not the kind of meal to have if you need to eat healthy all the time.
I don't know if there are even any healthy versions of zichars in the coffee shops and the eating houses, but when you hit upon a gem like this one- in the form of a eating house called Chui Xiang at the entrance of both the Upper Peirce and Lower Peirce Reservoirs, throw that diet away and let your meal for the day be simply shiok, shiok, shiok, and nothing more