For the longest time, I had been passing up on a promise to myself to check out this little odd looking restaurant along Kitchener Road. To begin with, it looks nothing like a restaurant from outside- Goddess of Mercy Kuan Yin statuettes, Buddhist literature and tracts, strangely, some packs of cashew nut cookies and Chinese tea sets fill up the ceiling display shelf that frame the old fashioned glass and aluminium doors (adds to the mystery). I was not sure if it was some clan association with religious salvations. As a galloping gastronome, I let no visual tricks and scare tactics deter me from my quest. To me, there are only two types of food in this world, good and bad- all else is nonsense. Do a good vegetable dish right, whether with or without garlic and onions and I’ll regard it as good chow(strict religious vegetarians frown on them as they deem it a stimulant). I once thought it was the bad breath thing.

I’ve had my fair share of vegetarian meals and the more I eat them, the more I realize why I like some of them- many are not as healthy as they tout it to be. Just go figure the oils used to puff up the fried mushroom spring rolls, fried cereal “prawns” and the amount of cheese ad cream used in a paneer dish. I fall too easily for those unctuous mushroom, water chestnut and yam pancakes, and a “fish” assam pedas, never fail to get my vote, and whatever Pat Po (Eight Treasure) green dish that sounds like it has all the five flavours buried in the eight ingredients- salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami.

The interior, once considered faded and old, is now retro and quaint.

So I push past that stiff spring glass door into Zen Fat Sai Kai. It was not as quiet as I imagined, being in the midst of this World Cup fever. It looks like they had never done much to the deco since they opened in the 50’s. Pictures and figurines of the Fortune Buddha, framed drawings of the 18 Arhats (celestial defendants of the faith), scripture calligraphy, an old fashioned wooden cash counter below the staircase, a black and white image of the restaurant’s founder and A4 bright orange posters of their signature dishes deck their walls, colour this little air con café restaurant. Most evenings, the eight tables are filled with regulars and second generation boss Mdm Koh Oi Tim runs the place like clockwork since the passing of her founder auntie-in-law about ten years ago. Within a minute after sitting down, I was handed a clean and simple two page, pictureless laminated menu that lists 45 items. One item listed was blinking at me and Mdm Koh warned “ Are you sure the three of you can handle this Precious Six Cold Platter, it’s meant for six you know” . I would usually brush such comment off but the place reeks of harmony, understanding and compassion so I worked around her words of kindness and proceeded instead, to order six dishes. I noted that they aren’t too reliant on mock meats and is not gluten central.

The tofu skin balls were so tightly rolled and well fried
and paired nicely with the crunchy kalian

Ok, I ordered seven, as I know some would be chore to eat. Their opening goal, the stir fried kalian with mushrooms with stunning fried mashed tofu pillow stuffed with water chestnuts tore my defenses apart and I was down by 1-nil. The little flecks of crunchy water chestnuts in the fried pillow were so alluring and moreish. Then they brought out the Lo Mei- “duck” with “offals” stew. The duck(bean skin roll) was perfectly fried till skin was crispy and golden brown and sat over a stew of mushrooms with mock large intestines. It was an all brown dish but the looks fooled us. Have that with the white or brown rice, and it’ll seal the deal . 2-nil. Before I could recover, they winged it with a fried beancurd ball with greens and it sailed into the corner of my palate. The ball was rolled up tightly and gorgeously well fried before being wok tossed with greens in brown sauce. 3-nil. The final minute volley into my net was the what made me go down on my knees in surrender- the Mango Harmony with “Chicken”- fresh mango chunks stir fried with pressed bean skin “chicken” with capsicums tossed in a piquant and sweetish plum sauce, all served over the mango skin. If you like you cze cha sweet sour meats, this one is makan nirvana.

The dish that did me in- the mango with “chicken” and greens done with plum sauce served over mango skin

By the way, they don’t screen the World Cup matches here.