Review: Zheng Yuan Wei 蒸原味 @ Katong Square

One of the interesting restaurant that opened at the newly refurbished Katong Square - Zheng Yuan Wei. They specialised in steampot, which retains the original flavours of the ingredients and making it a much healthier choice. Steampot originates from Guangdong and is very popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan right now. You can even find the steampot pot being sold in supermarkets!

We went there as a party of five and ordered their set menu for 4, a Boston lobster, a plate of pork belly and a pot of tea. The total damage was just slightly less than $300. The set menu of 4 comes with vegetables (lotus root, corn, pumpkin and sweet potato), one whole fish, scallops, clams, mussels, oysters, prawns, flower crab (it was out of stock so they replaced with a mud crab which I think is better) and rice grains. The seafood were all 'live' seafood.

The rice was first put into the bottom of the pot to be transformed into a porridge and eaten at the end of the meal. The idea is for the condensed steam to stream down to the bottom of the pot, and together with the juices from the seafood, forms a hearty porridge.

The staff will put the seafood one at a time on the steamer and set the timer for you. Each item usually takes about 3 to 5 minutes before it is ready to be eaten.

The seafood were all fresh and firm, but only the lobster, clams and prawns require minimal seasoning. The other seafood will be better off if you make your own dip (included as part of your meal) to accompany it. Special mention goes to the fish (deboned) which made even a non-fish lover like me fell in love with it. The crab's flesh was also really sweet and I would recommend it over the flower crab if given the choice.

Once you are done with all the ingredients, the staff will start to mix the porridge for you. By this time, the rice grains have become the consistency of a Cantonese porridge. Spring onion, an egg and fried onions are then added to the mix. Do not expect it to be a rich seafood porridge, rather it is a homely porridge with a tinge of the sea. You can add in a bit of soya sauce if you find it too bland, but I actually enjoyed it with just a dash of pepper. This finale dish will definitely satisfy the elderly who prefer something lighter.

It was generally a good dining experience and everyone enjoyed the food. It would be even better if they can have a variety of set menu or make it more customisable.