A friend recommended me Makko Teck Neo swearing that it serves the best nyonya food. Another friend said their pineapple tarts were irresistible. After my first, and possibly last visit, I found both claims to be far from true.
On approaching the cafe, we were impressed with the lunch crowd. All but 2 tables were occupied and this definitely raised my hopes. We found our own way to a vacant table and the menu was unceremoniously placed on the table without any words of welcome. There were at least 4 or 5 waiting staff but none seem too bothered about ensuring the customers' comfort or showed any interest in catering to the customers' needs.
Finally, having caught the attention of a waitress, we placed our order of pork rib curry, ngoh hiang, stir-fried mixed vegetable and bubur cha cha. I was surprised that popular vegetable dishes like chap chye and sayur lodeh were not on the menu. What was even more shocking came after the dishes arrived. We requested for sambal belacan and the waiter nonchalantly told us that they did not have any. Sambal belacan, to me, is synonymous with peranakan food. So how authentic can this cafe be?
The first dish to arrive was the pork rib curry. The pork was tender and the meat fell off the bone effortlessly. The potatoes were firm and, fortunately, not over-cooked. The gravy was thick but lacked the fragrance of the usual herbs and spices that make a good curry. Also, the after taste of ready mix curry powder was overpoweringly strong. To me, this was a miss.
Next came the ngoh hiang, and this was the only savory dish that was worth the cafe's reputation. The skin was crispy and light without having any bad after taste of residual grease. We could taste the sweetness of the chopped prawns and minced pork blended with some bits of vegetables. There was also definitely a heavier than normal dose of coriander. We love herbs so this dish went down well with us but still it wasn't good enough to make us want to come back for more.
The only vegetable dish on the menu was stir-fried mixed vegetable. Besides this, there were pineapple salad and acar but I won't really consider these as vegetable dishes. For want of a better choice, we ordered the mixed vegetable - a decision that we grossly regretted. The vegetables were sorely under-cooked. While I prefer my greens to be well cooked and soft, Teck Neo's version was hard, crunchy and practically tasteless! In fact, the cabbage appeared rather green and raw.
The meal's saving grace was the bubur cha cha. The santan was thick and full of flavour with enough sweetness - the way a good dessert should be. The sweet potato and yam were cut to tiny bite sizes ensuring that they were properly cooked right through. And, what pleases me most, were the colourful starch pieces floating elegantly amongst the root vegetables. If ever I should return to Makko Teck Neo, it would be for their bubur cha cha.
As for the very popular and so-called "irresistible" pineapple tarts which I was told customers would queue for hours during the festive seasons, I found them to be over-rated. It did not meet my expectations.
What the cafe misses out in food quality, it also failed to make up in customer service. Throughout our meal, we noticed the waiting staff going about their work as if they were working at a hawker stall. There was no friendly greeting nor smile to put customers at ease or feel welcome. And this is my first experience in a cafe where no serviettes, plain water or toothpicks are provided.
Our afternoon's journey to Telok Blangah was saved by the bell when we chanced upon a most delightful cafe just a stone's throw from Makko Teck Neo on the other side of the wet market. I shall write about this place in a later post.
Makko Teck Neo
Blk 35 Teloh Blangah Rise
#01-303 Singapore 090035
Ambiance: 8/10
Service: 4/10
Food: 4.5/10
Price: $$
Recommendation: Nyonya ngoh hiang; bubur cha cha
On approaching the cafe, we were impressed with the lunch crowd. All but 2 tables were occupied and this definitely raised my hopes. We found our own way to a vacant table and the menu was unceremoniously placed on the table without any words of welcome. There were at least 4 or 5 waiting staff but none seem too bothered about ensuring the customers' comfort or showed any interest in catering to the customers' needs.
Finally, having caught the attention of a waitress, we placed our order of pork rib curry, ngoh hiang, stir-fried mixed vegetable and bubur cha cha. I was surprised that popular vegetable dishes like chap chye and sayur lodeh were not on the menu. What was even more shocking came after the dishes arrived. We requested for sambal belacan and the waiter nonchalantly told us that they did not have any. Sambal belacan, to me, is synonymous with peranakan food. So how authentic can this cafe be?
The first dish to arrive was the pork rib curry. The pork was tender and the meat fell off the bone effortlessly. The potatoes were firm and, fortunately, not over-cooked. The gravy was thick but lacked the fragrance of the usual herbs and spices that make a good curry. Also, the after taste of ready mix curry powder was overpoweringly strong. To me, this was a miss.
Next came the ngoh hiang, and this was the only savory dish that was worth the cafe's reputation. The skin was crispy and light without having any bad after taste of residual grease. We could taste the sweetness of the chopped prawns and minced pork blended with some bits of vegetables. There was also definitely a heavier than normal dose of coriander. We love herbs so this dish went down well with us but still it wasn't good enough to make us want to come back for more.
The only vegetable dish on the menu was stir-fried mixed vegetable. Besides this, there were pineapple salad and acar but I won't really consider these as vegetable dishes. For want of a better choice, we ordered the mixed vegetable - a decision that we grossly regretted. The vegetables were sorely under-cooked. While I prefer my greens to be well cooked and soft, Teck Neo's version was hard, crunchy and practically tasteless! In fact, the cabbage appeared rather green and raw.
The meal's saving grace was the bubur cha cha. The santan was thick and full of flavour with enough sweetness - the way a good dessert should be. The sweet potato and yam were cut to tiny bite sizes ensuring that they were properly cooked right through. And, what pleases me most, were the colourful starch pieces floating elegantly amongst the root vegetables. If ever I should return to Makko Teck Neo, it would be for their bubur cha cha.
As for the very popular and so-called "irresistible" pineapple tarts which I was told customers would queue for hours during the festive seasons, I found them to be over-rated. It did not meet my expectations.
What the cafe misses out in food quality, it also failed to make up in customer service. Throughout our meal, we noticed the waiting staff going about their work as if they were working at a hawker stall. There was no friendly greeting nor smile to put customers at ease or feel welcome. And this is my first experience in a cafe where no serviettes, plain water or toothpicks are provided.
Our afternoon's journey to Telok Blangah was saved by the bell when we chanced upon a most delightful cafe just a stone's throw from Makko Teck Neo on the other side of the wet market. I shall write about this place in a later post.
Makko Teck Neo
Blk 35 Teloh Blangah Rise
#01-303 Singapore 090035
Ambiance: 8/10
Service: 4/10
Food: 4.5/10
Price: $$
Recommendation: Nyonya ngoh hiang; bubur cha cha
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