“Modest ambience with great food.”
Hui Wei Chinese and Thai cuisine is the epitome of unassuming; set within a modest coffeeshop featuring round tables and generous portions of delectable Chinese-Thai cuisine designed to be shared. The ambience is one without airs, friendly staff wait on you as much as they can with a smile on their face.
Pineapple Fried Rice ($4/7/9). Fragrant rice generously topped with pork floss, prawn bits, Chinese sausage bits (lup cheong), and pineapples, among many others. The pork floss and lup cheong added a hint of sweetness to the dish, making it one with the slight tang of the pineapples and fragrance of the fried rice.
“Mei Ren Yu” Eggplant ($9/12/15). The eggplants are brilliantly fried to a crisp finish, and brought about a pleasant sweetness with a tinge of sour. The dried chilli added to the fragrance and just makes the entire dish a really addictive one.
Thai Style Fried Cuttlefish ($9/12/15). Crisp on the outside, tender and chewy on the inside. The flour wasn’t too thick that it overpowered the taste of the fresh calamari, and it went very well with the sauce that accompanied it.
Thai Style Honey Chicken ($8/12/15). Crispy pieces of chicken lathered in sweet syrup, I like how the bits are all bite sized, making them really easy to eat, but honey seasoning was pretty one dimensional.
Signature Fish Head ($16/19). One of their bestsellers, this green curry fish head is definitely a bang for the buck. A huge cut off the fresh fish caught off the waters of Kukup, with a generous amount of fish meat and minimal bones. The meat is light and tender, it does not bring with it an oceanic taste which I really detest.
Braised Pork Shank ($13/18). Tender and flavourful, the pork meat and falls apart very easily. There is an even transition between the skin and meat, separated by a fair layer of fat.
Salted Egg Yolk Prawn ($13/16/20). The salted egg yolk sauce was a little disappointing, it tasted a little bland to me, and I felt not enough salted egg yolk was used. The prawns were fresh and huge in size, however. Yellow corn bits in the sauce added a touch of yellow to the presentation and a sweetness to the entire sensation.
Thai Style Chilli Crab (seasonal price). Probably the highlight of the night had to be this enormous serving of chilli crab. The thick chilli featured dried shrimp amongst many others, an interesting touch which resulted in a very fragrant aftertaste to the palate.
Tasting more of the dried shrimp and chilli, this version is quite different from the Singapore chilli crab dish. I prefer the common local variety better though, as this version lacked firey spiciness.
Enjoying flavourful dishes in an informal setting that touches very close to home, accompanied by good friends and cheer is a scene that many can only dream of.
Hui Wei has another branch at French road, and looks to do something a bit more different with a mix of Kuala Lumpur style and Thai cuisine mix. Flavours can be quite popular with the older generation, and unique in a certain way. Some hits and misses, but worth a try.
Expected Damage: $20- $35/pax