Restaurant Chao Shan — Restaurant in Johor

Appetizer Prawn Crackers and Lime Juice Shot = RM3.50 瑶柱鲜鱼片粥 Porridge with Dried Scallop and Fish Fillet (Small) = RM15.90 金银鱼清香苋菜汤 Amaranth Soup with Salangidae = RM16.90 潮州猪脚冻 Teochew Chilled Jellied Pork Knuckle = RM21.90

Service Charge 6% = RM3.49

This is quite a Big Restaurant and although not Full House, still had quite alot of Customers on a Friday afternoon. The Elder Lady Staff who attended to me was Polite and was Patient in her Recommendation for a Solo Diner. I did however feel she was abit pushing for me to order more Expensive Dishes like Steamed Whole Fish (Price was about RM100)

Appetizer Plate of course was 1st to arrive. The First Main Dish (Pork Jelly) took 6 mins to serve up, and the rest of them took within 1 mins each. Everything was served up within 8 Mins. Not Bad Timing on a Friday Afternoon considering the Amount of Customers.

Appetizer Prawn Crackers and Lime Juice Shot = RM3.50

This was a Plate of Prawn Crackers and interestingly a Small Shot of Lime Juice. This is of course not Free of Charge. Go ahead and reject it if you don't want. The Crackers didn't taste like they're from a Cheap Snack Package. They have a Biscuity Taste and Lightly Salted. The Lime Juice Shot was surprisingly quite Robust.

潮州猪脚冻 Teochew Chilled Jellied Pork Knuckle = RM21.90

This is a Cold Dish, and is served in quite a Big Portion. If you have never eaten this before, its basically Bits of Pork Parts bind together in a Congealed Jelly made out of Braised Broth. Sorta like an American Jello Salad. This Dish has a Slightly Firm Bitefeel.

The First thing that hits you is of course the Firm Jelly made of Braised Sauce. I love the Immediate Saltish Taste and could taste the Complex Braised Herbs that went into it. While not Super Complex, the Braised Sauce is Restaurant Standard. This is not just a Simple Cheap 卤水.

After the Jelly Layer, your teeth will then hit the Bits of Fatty Pork Parts which then quickly takes over the Taste Profile and leave a Braised Fatty Aftertaste on your Tongue. You can't really taste the Meat in them but you will definitely feel their Presence. This is a Nicely Made Pork Jelly.

金银鱼清香苋菜汤 Amaranth Soup with Salangidae = RM16.90

This here is a Big Portion and Amount of Veggies is Generous. Soft and Tender. It has a very Homely Taste, something that my own Grandmother would have probably made.

I love the Savoury 请甜 Soup Broth that accompanies this, giving the Dish a Light and Satisfying Taste with a Hint of Herbal. The included Goji Berries make this taste Atas. The Salangidae (Baby Whitefish) in the Dish gives it an Occasional Slightly Saltier Crunchy Tease. This is like a Restaurant version of Grandma's Loving Warm Plate of Green Veggies. I Love this Dish. Its Simple, Elegant and taste Homely.

瑶柱鲜鱼片粥 Porridge with Dried Scallop and Fish Fillet (Small) = RM15.90

The Porridge is a very Big Portion even though this was supposed to be Small Sized. First taste of it, I thought it tasted Very Plain and Very Light in Salt but as I eat more, it's not as plain as I initially thought.

The Fish Pieces are cut small but I feel the Amount is Acceptable. The Fish Meat has a Firmer Bite Texture and biting into a piece will give a Strong Fishy Hit although not Overly Fishy that is a Welcome Taste when contrasted with the Plain Taste of the Porridge. There are also Baby Mini Scallops and they're there more as a Background Enhancement.

Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

As I've never visited China Chaoshan, I dun know if the Dishes here are considered Truly Authentic. As a Cantonese, my knowledge of Teochew Foods are also meagre at best.

Culinarily, I feel all the Dishes here are done Very Well at a Restaurant Level of Standard. Total Price of RM61.70 (S$17.70) may feel slightly on the Higher Side, but the Huge Generous Portions of Everything makes this worth to try. Certainly doesn't deserve its Low Score on Google Maps.

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It was very crowded during dinner time. The diners orderly manner queued and wait for their turn to enter to the restaurant.

This was the first time trying Chao Shan Restaurant. As I am Teochew, I am looking forward to the Chao Shan cuisine.

The staff are quite friendly to explain on their meat portions especially if you are solo or couple diner.

Please be mindful that the staff can be very busy during dinner time where you need to be very patient.

I loved the Teochew Braised Platters. You can taste the 卤味 （braised) and the meat quite tender except for the duck wings which is very hard.

Recommend to order Prawns with vegetables and Homemade Beancurd as well.

If you are someone who wants to have chilli to mixed with your food, you will need to request from the staff as they will not automatically serve you the chilli except for the Braised Platter.

I also ordered Yam Paste with Pumpkin Paste dessert. As I am quite full, I decided to takeaway.

I am not sure is it due to take away, I felt the Yam Paste is just Meh.. Not able to taste the yam (tasteless) and it was rather crunchy texture. Rather I can taste the Pumpkin.

If time permits, I would definitely come back again to try other dishes.

Please also noted that during peak hours, the dishout waiting time can be up to 20 Minutes. Not recommended to eat at the restaurant, If you are rushing to board the last bus of T14 back...

Came at about 2.45pm on a Saturday off peak hour ordering at 2.57pm fried rice, bean curd with seafood, prawn roll, Teochew braised platter.

After a 10-15 minute wait they came to inform me the beancurd was sold out and I changed the order to prawns with vegetables.

For a non peak period the food (most of the diners there are finishing up at 75% full) took too long to arrive. Prawn roll came at ~3.25pm, then the fried rice at 3.30+ then the prawns with vegetable at 3.35+. We asked where the Teochew braised platter was and realised that while the waiter wrote down our order on pencil and paper it wasn’t entered into the system and would take another twenty minutes to steam and prepare so we canceled it.

I think the food is good quality and the staff is alright. There’s nothing unpleasant about it but if I knew the wait would be so long and that the two main menu options why I came (braised platter, beancurd) wouldn’t be available I wouldn’t have bothered at all.

I expected a restaurant to be much better but I realised if I wanted good quality food and service I should have just went to a normal hawker which would have been significantly cheaper, food quality would be as good, wouldn’t have to wait so much and horrible orders messing up.

Should have checked Google reviews and star rating before walking in and avoid anything at 3...