Address: 419 River Valley Road, Singapore 248318

It was an extremely rare occasion. Never thought it would happen actually. But my boss actually offered to give a few of us a treat. Call us skeptics, but since we have been constantly reminded by our country’s leaders that nothing in life is free, this sudden invitation lead to some apprehension among us. “What did we do wrong?”….. “Who is getting fired?”…….”Did Boss win 4D or Toto?”…….or….could it be that against all odds, Boss has finally found his voice of conscience, and that I am to be told that I will not have to work so obscenely hard in future!! Sigh……someone promptly gave me a reality check. The probability of winning the S$10 million Toto is plausibly higher.

Anyhow, we promptly decided on My Choice Cuisine, a small, humble eatery specializing in Cantonese cuisine and tucked along River Valley Road. It was simply decorated and since the place was mostly empty when we arrived, I was rather unimpressed. This thought continued even after I saw the “menu”, a sheet of paper placed on every corner of the table…..very much like the “Crystal Jade Kitchen” chain of restaurants. The similarities should have been expected since (I was told) the owner and chef of this eatery hailed from Crystal Jade. Geez, it seems all the respectable Cantonese restaurants in Singapore are either part of the Tung Lok Group or Crystal Jade Group or connected to either of the above. While I was sure the food will not be bad, I mentally erased all expectations I had of any novel creations. It was only much later that I realized (after Boss highlighted) that this place is rather high-end since the above menu is actually categorized according to the types of wine which would complement the different dishes.

Since we were one of the only 3 tables occupied, service throughout was prompt and efficient. While waiting for Boss to park his car, we each ordered a mixed fruit juice (S$3 each). The juice was served in a very small, short glass, and we were informed that the shade of disgusting dark green was from the kiwi fruit. I felt it was definitely overpriced, but heck…I am not the one paying. Anyway, boss appeared to be a regular and proceeded to order items that were not stated on the “menu”.

The first dish we had was the deep-fried eggplant with chicken floss. Before those non-vegetable lovers cringe in disgust, you should know that it tasted nothing like the usual eggplant. In fact, none of us could even figure out what it was if not for the faint purple slightly visible on each thin strip of the deep-fried eggplant. It tasted very much like French fries, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and was terribly salty when eaten with the chicken floss (but in a tasty way). Food junkies out there will surely appreciate this dish.

Next up was the deep-fried calamari with salted egg-yoke. The pairing was unusual but the different flavours surprisingly complemented each other. The calamari was firm but not overly tough and was suitably seasoned with the taste of the salted egg-yoke. In contrast with the eggplant, this dish was unexpectedly less salty,

The next 2 courses served were healthier but also did not disappoint. We had the braised tofu cubes with salted fish, and special egg with spinach. The tofu was very soft and was lightly seasoned with the taste of salted fish. As for the special egg with spinach, it wouldn’t look very appetizing on first sight since the texture is rather gooey, but taste-wise, I felt that the melt-in-the-mouth spinach coupled with the creamy steamed egg was definitely satisfactory. My colleague however remarked that the version at Crystal Jade is better.

The fried crab bee-hoon was served last. The portion was rather large but no-one was complaining. The crab was very firm and fresh, and the bee-hoon well-flavoured with the taste of the crab stock. By the time we cleared this last course, nobody had any room left for dessert.

Just as we got up to leave, boss finally said “Thank you for working so hard!” Perhaps it was this unexpected declaration of appreciation or sleepiness that kicked in after the filling meal, but nobody replied. But the first thought that came to mind…..no boss, thank YOU for working us so hard!