It was a surprise that this restaurant which I have been patronising since young opened for business even on lunar day. Most of the restaurants were closed but man, let me tell you, Por Kee was fully booked for that 2.5 hours of lunch hour. We were lucky to have had arrived first, else we would need to wait for some time for the chef to cook our food with the number of tables waiting. 
Por Kee came up with a new menu specially for the Chinese lunar new year. Even the menu was wholly red. So much for contributing to the festive mood!
We opted for the 5-6 set menu. All the dishes were named symbolically. Another plus point, all GST and tea were inclusive of the price stated. 
Naturally, the first dish served was 'yu sheng'. A must have during Chinese New Year. 'Yu Sheng', in cantonese, means raw fish. Here, raw fish was added to the mixture of red and white radish, ginger, candied orange skin, coconut shreds etc.
Though the crackers weren't the main character, I think it was the most-sought-after ingredients, especially for children, who eats nothing but this. The crispy bits added crunch to the dish.
Everyone, pick up your chopsticks ! And....here we 'loh'.....The action we performed as we mixed the ingredients is called 'loh hei' ('loh hei' in cantonese means to pick up). So, as we picked up and mixed the ingredients, we said auspicious words and blessings to wish ourselves a better year ahead.
The cold platter which consisted of only 3 kinds. The marinated baby octopus, fried seafood roll and Por Kee's signature dish, champagne ribs. I felt it was a rather unappealing cold platter. Then again, as we only had 6 pax at the table, 3 seemed feasible, considering the number of dishes down the list. 
The Shark Fins. It is not a must for me to have shark fins on New Year. Frankly speaking, I supposed only the Cantonese are more particular on having this at their dinner table at home. I have seldom seen mothers preparing shark fins at home. And I guess it is not easy to prepare shark fins too. Of all the superior delicacies, to name a few, bird nest, abalone, lobster and etc. Shark fins falls at the bottom of my list. I'm not really good at appreciating shark fins. Neither am I a lobbyist of protect the sharks association. 
Next was the steamed talipia. We had the thai style. It was placed on this warmer and as the lemongrass soup base boiled, the chili fragrance was more evident and it was more shiok! Having fish on the new year to symbolize years of abundance. The talipia wasn't an expensive fish. In fact, it was quite cheap. It would have been a waste to use soon hock fish for thai style because the delicate fish meat would have melted sooner than you would have them in your mouth. The thai style steamed fish is also one of Por Kee's signature dish. It is not a surprise to see one on every table if you were to frequent Por Kee.
Gong Xi Fatt Choy. The choy meant vegetables in cantonese. In this dish, the black haired-like moss is called fatt choy. Though it looked disgusting, I think it has a nice texture. Smooth and silky. "Sounds like the hair shampoo advertisement, har?" Sea cucumber was once considered a superior delicacy. However, I think as years passed, it is not as 'chi chi' as it used to be. (chi chi means expensive) Often, we see it on the dining table and not just on festive days. Very affordable. Unlike abalone and shark fins. Draped in oyster sauce, this dish was delicious.
Braised ee-fu noodles. When it was served, the first thought I had was, this is not going to taste good. Indeed, I was proven right when I had my first mouth. The colour wasn't appealing. It was like a plop of overcooked noodles. And...all brown in colour. I thought the chef should have at least added in some greens or cut chilis to garnish to make it more appealing but he didn't.
The prawns was delicious. So big and juicy. Despite the fact that it was reared prawns, it was fresh and finger licking good. Drowned in rice wine, the amount of alcohol content wasn't too much. The prawn was tangy and big.
Last was the dessert, almond pudding and longan. I would say this is the classic dessert. It is so easy to make. What more can I say?
The set costs $298. Frankly speaking, it would be expensive to eat out on festive days. I think it was slightly expensive for the food that was included in this set menu was quite mediocre only. Also, I think Por Kee had a change of chefs, the taste of the food seemed to have changed. I think it was much better last time. Nevertheless, their business is still as brisk as before. Loyal customers, I would say.
See previous entry
Por Kee Eating House 1996
Blk 69 #01-02
Seng Poh Lane
Singapore 160069
Tel: 62210582
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