I recently discovered a new restaurant in Jurong East that specialises in Northeastern Chinese cuisine. A Kitchen 友间厨坊 is located in Vision Exchange, a small commercial building about 10 minutes away from Jurong East MRT station. I visited with a girlfriend on a Thursday evening and the restaurant was buzzing with activity. Business is so good that they have taken over the shop space next door and the alfresco area outside the restaurant were filled with table after table.
There are over 160 items on the menu with prices ranging from S$1 – S$38.80. Northeastern Chinese cuisine is well-known for their generous portion size.
A Kitchen 友间厨坊 – The Food
These small crawfish is hugely popular in China but its popularity did not seem to catch on in Singapore. I have been wanting to try it to see why so many Chinese love it so much. A Kitchen does it in two ways, Mala Crawfish 麻辣小龙虾 [S$38] or Garlic Powder Crawfish 蒜蓉小龙虾 [S$38]. Since I can’t really eat spicy food, I ordered the garlic version.
These baby crawfish becomes bright red when cooked and they are tossed with a copious amount of minced garlic. The sauce is so heavenly that we ate it with rice. There isn’t much meat in each, but they go really well with a little beer.
Sheet Jelly Salad 东北大拉皮 [S$8] is a classic Northeastern Chinese cold dish that is enjoyed during summer. The semi-opaque ‘sheet jelly’ is made from mung bean starch. The mung bean stripes are then tossed with shredded carrot, egg, cucumber, black fungus and lean pork. Sesame, soy sauce, vinegar, minced garlic, sesame oil and cooking wine gives the dish a variety of flavours.
Stir Fried Egg and Tomato 番茄炒蛋 [S$8] is another classic Northeastern Chinese dish. It’s a simple stir-fried dish of just eggs and tomato. It is such a comforting dish that most Chinese families know how to make on their own.
A meal at a Northeastern Chinese restaurant is not complete without some skewers. Lamb Kebab 羊肉串 [S$1 per stick] is my must-order, I like that they interlaced cubes of lamb fat in between the cubes of meat which really brings out the juiciness. Grilled Enoki Mushroom 烤金针菇 [S$6] turned out a little dry.
Conclusion
A Kitchen 友间厨坊 is the perfect place to catch up with friends over some delicious Northeastern Chinese dishes in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. Another Northeastern Chinese restaurant to check out in western Singapore is Xiao Yao Ge 逍遥阁 at Chinese Garden.
A Kitchen 友间厨坊
Address: 2 Venture Drive, Vision Exchange #01-37/38, Singapore 608526
Telephone: 87162018
Opening Hours: Daily 11am – 11pm