Hua Yu Wee 華友園 @ Upper Changi

Hua Yu Wee is a Chinese Zi Char restaurant that occupies a colonial bungalow on Upper East Coast Road, the last original seafood restaurant remaining on the stretch.

The huge white mansion houses not only the restaurant, but also the living quarters for staff.  Masterchef Teo Ah Chye heads up a team of 10 chefs in the Hua Yu Wee kitchen. While the menu isn’t extensive, they produce great tasting classic Chinese Zi Char dishes, all tasty and flavourful.

However, you may get some innovative new dishes that are not on the menu. Just ask when you reserve and place order.

芝麻黑松露冰草 ice grass salad with sesame truffle dressing

 

Something unique, one seldom gets ice grass in Singapore, although this plant is often featured in China dining tables these days. Dressed with a sesame and truffle oil, the salad is nice and not something you will see everyday.

東坡排骨 Dongpo-style stewed pork rib

Dongpo-style stewed pork is a classic Chinese dish. They have used the same technique for a pork rib and it’s fantastic! Again not on the menu, order before you arrive.

一蝦兩吃 Prawn in oatmeal and salted-egg

Prawns are battered and deep-fried, and then tossed into two different flavour – crispy oatmeal and salted egg with laksa leave. Quite a standard Tzechar dish.

鹽焗紅斑 Salt-baked red snapper

When I was reserving the table, they emphasised that it takes a hour to prepare this dish. The fish is flavourful and moist. Marinated with local spices, it is different from the usual Western salt-baked fish.

風砂雞 Crispy fried chicken

It is not what I expected – the HK version has crispy garlic on the chicken. Here, it’s get crispy chicken with garlic taste.

芋圈干貝 Scallop in yam ring

I thought it was a dessert. Then it turned out to be a savoury dish with a full scallop wrapped in the yam ring topped with a tangy mayo sauce.  Surprising good dish.

黑胡椒斯里蘭卡螃蟹 Black pepper Sri Lankan crab

The black pepper crab is one of their signature dish. Using true Sri Lankan crabs (our one crab is around 1.5kg), the crab meat is sweet and succulent. The sauce has permeated into every nook and crevice of the crab to smoother it with the rich, peppery taste. Fantastic!

辣椒斯里蘭卡螃蟹 Chilli crab

While they are not famous for chili crab, their version is not bad too. Less fiery than No Signboard and sweeter than Long Beach, my princess loved the fact that its kids’ friendly. Eat it with lots of deep fried soft bun.

Hua Yu Wee has its own courtyard for parking, but I would recommend that you leave the care with the valet. It is a challenge to manoeuvre as the evening wears on and the carpark gets too crowded.

Service is, well, old-school. Don’t expect Michelin 3 Star treatment. But if it’s cheap and good seafood, and an old school charm and taste you are looking for, Hua Yu Wee decks it out in plenty.

Hua Yu Wee 華友園
462 Upper East Coast Rd, Singapore 466508
Tel : 6442 9313

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hua-Yu-Wee/168868969797523

Date Visited : Aug 2019