Tea & Dine Chin Lee – Popular Teochew Restaurant Opens a New Outlet in Canberra

Founded in 1973, Chin Lee Teochew Restaurant has been serving delicious Teochew classics. Good news! They have just opened a new outlet “Tea & Dine Chin Lee 深利喫茶添味” in Canberra Plaza!

The three must-try appetisers are Chilled Teochew Pig Trotter Jelly, Home-made Teochew Prawn Ball and Teochew Traditional “Sio Bee”. Sio Bee is Teochew-style siew mai with minced meat and chopped bamboo shoots. Dip it in black vinegar and it makes an addictive snack. The Pig Trotter Jelly is succulent and appetite-whetting when eaten with tangy chilli vinegar. Prawn roll has always been my favorite childhood dish. The crispy and juicy Prawn Rolls are generously filled with shrimp paste. They are good on their own, but I would prefer to dip them into the sweet sauce.

I really love Chin Lee’s Conpoy and Fish Maw Thick Soup which comes with generous serving of tender fish maw and shredded crab meat. The soup is so thick and tasty — one slurp and you’ll want more! This soup is the perfect heart-warming dish to share with loved ones.

It’s not common to see braised goose in Singapore and Chin Lee has done it well. The braised goose is thinly sliced and served with braised tofu. The Teochew-styled braised sauce, whilst light, packs much punch. I love to drizzle the sauce on my rice.

Order their Steamed Pomfret if you are dining in a bigger group. The fish is steamed with salted mustard green, sour plum, tomatoes and mushroom in a clear, fragrant broth. We like that the flesh of the fish was firm and fresh. Sometimes, they offer a special discount so check out their Facebook for promotions. My friends prefer the Pan Fried Cod Fish. The delicate and mild-flavoured cod fish is fried to a golden crisp and paired with their superior soy sauce.

Another Teochew classic which we always order at Chin Lee is their Chai Por Kway Teow. The flat rice noodles is stir-fried with garlic, preserved dried radish and kailan. You need some good frying technique in order to do this dish well. The Chai Por Kway Teow here is served like a pancake. You get a lovely wok hei and a generous amount of the sweet and salty chai pok which adds a lovely crunch.

Don’t forget to end your meal with their Orh Nee. The velvety smooth yam paste is topped with pumpkin, ginko nuts and sinful pork lard. Other yummy desserts include Imperial Cleansing Jelly and Herbal Jelly.

I have been to several Teochew restaurants and I honestly think Chin Lee is one of the best. Of course, the price is not the cheapest but you are paying for good quality Teochew dishes. Plus, they provide the best service so far. Everyone in the team is familiar with the menu and makes the best recommendations. So if travelling to Bedok is too far for you, you might want to consider heading to Canberra Plaza. Oh yeah, they even have an elegant tea bar for all tea enthusiasts. Good food and tea appreciation at the same time? This might be life’s greatest pleasure.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.