Lunch at Tonny Restaurant @ Geylang Lorong 3

8 - 10 Geylang Lorong 3, Singapore 388862

Tel: 6748 6618

Website: http://tonnyrestaurant.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonnychanrestaurant

Tonny Restaurant is owned and helmed by Chef Tonny Chan, who hailed from Hong Kong and has over 30 years of culinary experience, especially centered around authentic, traditional Cantonese dishes. One can expect to find quality and innovative Cantonese dishes at the restaurant, some done with a modern twist.

The restaurant is located at Geylang Lorong 3, but not the seedier avenues so don't be intimidated by the address - it is just a stone's throw away from Kallang MRT station. Tonny Restaurant  has a welcoming exterior and prettily-decorated interior spread out across 2 units; guests can also request for private dining rooms (minimum spending of SGD$500 on regular basis) so that they can dine in private comfort.  Service crew is friendly and hospitable, going beyond the call of duty to ensure that patrons enjoy their meals happily.

We started with Spanish Iberico Salad (SGD$18.00) for our Lohei (usually done with traditional fish or abalone Yu Sheng). The usual ingredients of radish and carrot strips etc were present, except that truffle Iberico pork pieces were used here in place of fish. Don't worry - there are fish skin pieces in the dish too, in case you are worried you don't get your "Nian Nian You Yu" (abundance blessings). Verdict? We liked it very much - the truffle-infused Iberico pork was delicious, with a chewy-but-crunchy texture that reminded me of beef jerky. We were glad we tried this special Yu Sheng out.

Next, Crispy Yam with Truffle Oil (SGD$16.00) - a heaping mountain of deep-fried yam slivers so fine, they looked to me like American Ginseng Fibers (洋参须). Truffle aroma and taste was prominent in a subtle way, not overpowering; the thin slivers of fried yam were very crispy and tasty, we surmised that we could probably eat one plate on our own each, especially when paired with beers.

Following that, Braised Homemade Beancurd with Dried Scallops (SGD$20.00), silken tofu stuffed with conpoy, easy to eat and utterly scrumptious. The Beancurd pieces sat in a pool of flavorful sauce and served with cooked cabbage.

Then we had the Claypot Chicken with Chinese Wine (SGD$38.00), a whole tender chicken redolent of Chinese wine's depth, highly recommended. The broth was so good that we ordered a bowl of rice just so we could pour the broth over it to eat.

After that, we tried the Crocodile Palm with Quail's Eggs (SGD$52.00). I did not know what to expect, since crocodile meat has always been known to be tough. The Crocodile Palm had a thick gelatinous layer on the exterior, almost jelly-like; the flesh within had the taste and texture of chicken and duck meat, extremely succulent. It was a very tasty exotic dish, served with Xiao Bai Cai and lightly battered quail eggs.

Last but not least, Braised Ee-fu Noodles with Lobster (SGD$68.00). The Ee-fu noodles was different from our expectations (i.e. the light brown that has a springy texture) - this one was ivory in color, smoother and softer in texture, more like homemade noodle style. Lobster flesh was generous but the overall dish was kind of bland in flavour, lacking the sweetness usually found in lobster dishes.

Finally, Pan-fried New Year Cake (SGD$8.00) aka "nian gao", an interesting Chinese New Year specials retaining the cake's sticky-chewy texture but tasting of "wok hey" (wok's breath). One of our friends described it as the "sweet version of "cai tao kuey".

Overall, dining experience at this hidden find was good and we enjoyed the creative Cantonese cuisine very much.