Address: 126 Sims Avenue, near Geylang Lorong 17, Singapore 387449

My girlfriend had got wind of this dim sum place that was rumored to belong to that most sacred category of “cheap and good” eateries.

However, the eatery is located in the heart of the Singapore red light district - Geylang. We had to make our way across the many winding alleys that plagued the place. In the process, my girlfriend was acutely aware of the stares rendered by the elderly men that seem to be permanent fixtures around the area.

It didn’t surprise me that she complained to me thereafter. She had just experienced an episode of the “Dirty Old Man” or DOM for short. The DOM happens due to (1) the unceasing libido of man; (2) the absence of a dominant female mate in their lives; and (3) the subjects being aware that they do not have much time left and that it was now or never to take some liberties.

In fact, DOM does not happen to females only. I know of a guy mate who possibly lost his butt virginity either to a umbrella or a hand (I hope for his sake that it was the umbrella) welded by a DOM.

Anyway, taking the durian place that lies diagonally across the eatery as landmark, we knew we had finally found the Wen Dao Shi eatery.

It sure didn’t look like any dim sum place I had been to. It looked more like a rather messy kitchen.

We were brought into the back, across a curtain of plastic, and led to our table. It was quite bizzare but rather exciting. Anyone familiar with thoseMafia movies would know that the place beyond the plastic curtain is where Business (note the capital B) and good food is served.

There was no Godfather here. Only a very pregnant Mother who had the girth of Marlon Brando and strangely mumbled in approximately the same clarity as the legendary actor.

With indication that speech was not necessary in the premises, we were given a menu filled with pictures of dim sum to point to and choose from instead.

Our food adventure started with the Sugar Cane Drink. I sure hope that the unfamiliar shape of the drink container was due to an attempt to be different and not to some dude in the kitchen reusing the nearest bowl (these bowls are comonly used for meat by-products…I am really not inclined towards Sugar Cane & Pork Drinks) that he could find.

The Fried Prawn Dumpling and Fried Yam With Meat Balls were served. And they were delicious!!

The Yam with Meat Balls especially. They might look small and bear no resemblance to the usual ones I have at other restaurants..but damn it, they were good.

The food suddenly came rather quickly. Char Siew Bao (Pork Bun), Ha Gao (Steamed Prawn Dumpling), Siew Mai (Steamed Dumpling). No complains on all of the above.

Steamed Pork Ribs and the Chee Cheong Fun (Rice Strips with fillings of Pork). I liked the Pork Ribs but did not take to the sweet sauce drenched on the Chee Cheong Fun. I would have preferred the Hong Kong version of having light soy sauce. My girlfriend liked it though. She likened it to the Hor Fun with the thick sweet gravy.

Our last course was the Fried Oyster Pancake. Biting through the crust and tasting the fillings, I had the impression that the item may not have been cooked thoroughly enough. Well, I did not suffer any stomach upset subsequently..so all’s well.

Our bill came up to S$24.50. Good value, good food and, if you are a mafia boss accustomed to dining in a rather run-down kitchen setting, good ambience.