Wan He Lou is the brainchild of Vincent Cheong - IT Specialist turned restauranteur. At the age of 35, after spending 10 years in IT, Vincent decided to make a daring foray into the culinary arena even though he had no prior experience in the food business. It was his passion for food that led him to this decision. Wan He Lou opened its doors to customers earlier this year.
Housed in a beautifully restored 2-storey traditional town house, the interior of the restaurant has been kept basic and simple. No fuzziness, and there was little by way of decoration to distract you from the food.
He started on the right footing by appointing multiple award-winning Malaysian chef, Lau Siaw Dee, to helm the kitchen. Chef Lau emerged Champion in the Open Category of the 2005 Creative Cooking Competition. He uses both Oriental and European techniques in creating interesting dishes which are a harmonious marriage of ingredients from various parts of the world. Vincent has a personal preference for Japanese cuisine hence the Japanese influence in some of their signature dishes.
One of Wan He Lou's signature dishes is the Lobster Porridge. There is a review of this dish in my posting about their Christmas Set Meal Menu.
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| Lobster Porridge |
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| Lobster Porridge |
Another of Wan He Lou's signature dish is the Pan-fried Kurobuta Pork Belly in Tangy Sauce. The pork of the black pig is specially flown in from Japan. As soon as it arrives in the kitchen, Chef Lau slices the meat and marinates it before freezing them for use later. This ensures that the flavours are infused into the meat. The kurobuta has a very fine texture and is extremely tender while the tangy sauce created by Chef Lau is heavy and robust. Notwithstanding this, I still like the dish.
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| Pan-fried Kurobuta Pork Belly in Tangy Sauce |
The crispy lotus root in salted egg yolk is another house specialty which is popular with the restaurant's repeat customers. The salted egg yolk takes over the entire dish leaving little variation in taste. I noticed a sprinkling of curry leaves but this didn't make any difference. When it comes to food, I enjoy some mystery where I get to guess the secret ingredients that go into its creation. Sadly, this dish leaves little to the imagination.
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| Crispy Lotus Roots in Salted Egg Yolk |
The last of the Chef's recommendations that I tried was the Green Ginger Steamed Cod. The cod was fresh (important consideration for a steamed fish dish) and the broth was a unique blend of ginger and spring onion. Everything about it was good except that I found it a tad too salty.
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| Green Ginger Steamed Cod |
However, owner Vincent was quick to point out to me that the signature dishes go well with a bowl of piping hot rice. The simplicity of the rice complements the robustness of these dishes. Overall, it is a good balance.
Wan He Lou
65 Maude Road
Singapore 208347
https://www.facebook.com/WanHeLou
Ambience: 6
Service: 7
Food: 7 for its signature dishes
Price: $$$
Recommendation: Lobster Porridge; Pan-fried Kurobuta Pork Belly in Tangy Sauce; Green Ginger Steamed Cod
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