Restaurant Review: Gu Ma Jia Food Pot
I was invited to Gu Ma Jia Food Pot (姑妈家) by fellow food blogger Derrick of Sgfoodonfoot for a food tasting. Even though i live just a couple of train stops away from Food Pot and it's only a stone's throw away from my work place, i didn't know about this hidden gem in the Potong Pasir area until now! 姑妈家 refers to Auntie's house. The recipe and kitchen is helmed by 姑妈 as she is affectionately called by all her nieces and nephews. The restaurant came about as "Gu Ma Jia" is often the family gathering spot for the entire extended family. It is not wonder the food is all so hearty and full of the warmth of home cooked food.
Gu Ma Jia's signature dish, the Assam Fish Head (S$25). The red snapper fish head is carefully handpicked by the cooks every morning. Freshness guaranteed! The fish head is tender and succulent and sweet because it's so fresh. We all loved the Assam flavoring which is sour, spicy and tangy all in one. If you are not a big fan of spice, you can request for a less spicy version but the chili is so good. I don't care if my tongue is on fire but it's so good! I'm not a fish fan as you guys know but i love this dish. And a huge fish head for only $25? Super worth it. This dish serves 5 perfectly but i think it's good for 2 big eaters too. ;P
Next up, the Crispy Bean-jal (SML S$12, $18, $24). Wondering what exactly it is? I didn't know what it was even after i ate it. The deep fried crispy koropok style battered thingy is actually sliced brinjal! It has the quality of yam after it's been tempura-ed. It is then tossed and stir fried with french beans in a sweet and lightly spiced sauce. Very interesting dish.
Kyoto Pork Ribs (S$20) was absolutely delightful. The meat is so well marinated i could taste the flavor right in the middle of the meat. The meat is also very tender and it separates from the rib quite easily. Some soy, some honey, some sesame and secret ingredients makes this a simple but delicious dish. Doesn't really taste like Kyoto but great dish nonetheless.
Sambal Seabass on Hot Plate (S$25) has the nice salty taste of the fermented beans along with a hint of dried shrimps. The deep fried fish is crunchy and makes a perfect beer snack with the sambal concoction. The sambal isn't very spicy though. I prefer the Assam fish head.
Usually when we order oyster omelette at hawker centers, the oysters are so puny you gotta view them under the microscope. Gu Ma Jia's Oyster Omelette (S$12) has huge, fresh and creamy oysters so big that you would think they have hidden pearls in them. No potato starch at all, the batter is deep fried eggs that is fluffy and tasty. If only i can make omelette like that at home.
One of my favorite dish is the Butter Baked Salted Egg Sri Lanka Crabs (Seasonal Price). I love Sri Lankan crabs because they are huge and meaty! The crab is really well cooked because it was succulent and also juicy inside. I love the butter baked salted egg dry gravy and it goes so well with the creamy crab roe. Sinfully awesomeness. Would love more of that gravy though.
I was amazed at the size of the Prawn Roll [$8 (8pcs) $16 (16pcs)]. I have never been served such huge ones before and it's packed with fresh pork and water chestnut. Love the crunchiness and slight sweetness that the chestnut brings out. Chinese Wu Xiang (5 spices) is used to flavor the meat though it is a little on the bland side).
The Cereal Sotong with Curry Flavour (SML $20, $30, $40) is very unique. I have never tasted fried calamari in curry flavor before. The spice is very subtle and it's hard to tell what it is unless you pay very close attention to it. Very fresh and chewy squid with an slight chewy batter. Goes perfectly with the cereal crunch.
Special Made Tofu with Lingzhi Mushroom (S$12) is simply executed but gratifying nonetheless. The beancurd is made from soy milk and eggs to give it that silky smooth texture. It's like eating tau hway (beancurd dessert) but in a savory form. The dish made us feel a little better for eating so much because it seems healthier?
In comparison, the Thai Style Beancurd (6pcs for S$6) appears to be bland. This dish is better as an appetizer but we had it at the end of our meal because Melissa wanted more food. Haha! This is plain toufu that is purchased from the market and then deep fried and served with the thai sauce. I thought the sauce was too sweet and lacked the supposed punch of the Thai Chili.
To wash everything down, we had the Herbal Chicken Soup (S$8.80 for a small individual pot). Celes and i shared 1 and it was enough for us because we were pretty full anyway. We even donated some of our soup to Melissa (who already finished a pot on her own). That girl's appetite is amazing! Haha.
The soup is full of goodness. Even with my bursting tummy, i couldn't resist by try some of the meat. The chicken meat simply falls off the bone! The herbal taste isn't very strong and it actually enhanced the sweetness of the soup. We also found a few sea clams in the pot. It's like a treasure hunt for us. :)
We finally concluded our meal with Black Glutinous with Ice Cream (S$4) and Ice Jelly with Lime. The Black Glutinous rice isn't very sweet and i thought the texture is quite perfect (not too hard) or too gooey. Instead of coconut milk, a vanilla ice cream was used to lightly sweeten the dish. Healthier version! The ice jelly with lime and little agar agar balls was very refreshing and helped us wash down all that food. Phew.
I really enjoyed the dinner at Gu Ma Jia Food Pot. The food was mouthwatering and scrumptious. I still can't believe we ate 12 dishes (13 if you include the ice jelly)! Would like to thank the boss Ms Gwen and Gu Ma for inviting all of us. I will definitely be back with my family to enjoy the food. There is a function room on the 2nd storey which is available for booking of private functions. There is also a karaoke set! Perfect for huge family gatherings. :)The working crowd in the area would be pleased to know that there is a lunch set promotion for only S$6.50 (Weekdays 11am- 3pm, except PH). Delivery and catering is also available. Check out their website for more details!
Gu Ma Jia Food Pot
45 Tai Thong Crescent, Singapore 347866
Tel: +65 6285 2023
Daily: 11am - 10pm
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8 comments
Good is really good and definitely a hidden gem. Love to go back again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the invite again! :))
DeleteThe food looks wonderful...too bad I live in the U.S...but if I visit Singapore sometime in the future, I will have to try that restaurant.
ReplyDeleteLots of great food in Singapore. Come visit!
Deletei am planning to bring my family there in july! thank god you manage to join us at the last hour, otherwise i will explode having the soup, drink and dessert to myself! LOLz
ReplyDeleteI love eating with foodies! U guys make the eating way more enjoyable and somehow everything tastes better too! :)) And the variety of dishes.. YUuuUUummmm...
DeleteThat Sri Lanka crab looks delicious, although I'd be curious to see if there's much difference in taste between it and an Alaskan king crab. I've never had the opportunity to compare freshwater and seawater crabs before.
ReplyDeleteI believe this Sri Lankan Crab is a seawater crab. I never really enjoyed freshwater crabs, they kinda taste muddy? Plus they are usually smaller in size. Too much work for too little meat. :P
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