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After a series of unfortunate events, I arrived at Lim’s Fried Oyster at Berseh Food Centre. It was really not my day, so I was expecting the worst ‘cause, you know, Murphy’s law and all.
I had previously seen a slew of “happy retirement” comments across Facebook and TikTok, so I was scared to death that I would never have the chance to try their famed orh luak.
Thankfully, those were just the speculations of people over the net and Lim’s Fried Oyster is still going as strong as ever. Straight from the horse’s mouth: “Retirement?! Semi-retirement only lah” (or to that effect… my translation skills aren’t too great).
Guess Auntie and Uncle won’t be closing shop anytime soon.
If you’re directionally challenged like me, Berseh Food Centre is located a short walk from Jalan Besar along the DT Line. You’ll need to take the stairs down to the ground floor to get to Lim’s Fried Oyster — it’s tucked away in an unassuming corner of the food centre.
I went at around 7pm on a weekday and there wasn’t much of a crowd. I heard that it could get especially busy around then, so I was pleased to find that I didn’t really have to wait to get my fried oyster fix.
What I tried at Lim’s Fried Oyster
Lim’s Fried Oyster sells one dish, and one dish only. And that is their Fried Oyster or orh luak in 3 different sizes priced at S$5, S$8 and S$10.
I decided to go with the S$5 portion and was pleasantly surprised by the size of my plate. The colour of the dish and the smell of the wok hei was also phenomenal.
If anything deserves the title of “chubby” in food, it would be these oysters (apparently, they come from Korea!). I’ve never seen oysters this size in orh luak. Though they’re obviously not those giant sashimi-grade oysters, they’re still really big for their kind. They were also extremely fresh and juicy, without any of the off-putting metallic taste that deters some.
I think I counted a good 7 to 8 of these chubby bois on my S$5 plate. Amazing.
The “batter” was fried to a golden crisp on the outside and had an ooey gooey, slightly chewy interior. There were some parts that were extra crispy, which made it even more satisfying.
On taking a bite of the fluffy egg omelette, I could definitely see why the orh luak at Lim’s Fried Oyster was so highly rated. Everything was perfectly cooked, and the chilli that was mixed into the fried oyster itself added a great kick.
One thing to note, however, would be that that orh luak is on the oilier side. But as I ate it piping hot, the grease wasn’t all that noticeable.
The chilli that accompanied the orh luak reminded me of tom yum with its slightly sweet-sour tang. It wasn’t particularly spicy, but its flavours went very well with the orh luak here.
Though it’s on the more liquidy side in comparison to the chilli at other stalls, don’t miss out on their chilli, I say! It certainly adds additional depth to the dish.
Final Thoughts
The orh luak at Lim’s Fried Oyster had an impeccable balance: a crispy fried exterior and a moist, chewy centre. Together with the ultra-fresh oysters, it was truly a sinful treat.
If the stall were closer to where I live, I think I would probably make a trip down every other week for their oyster-filled goodness. But for now, I’ll just keep telling all the orh luak lovers I know about them.
Fingers crossed that the next time I visit, Lim’s Fried Oyster will still be going strong.
Expected damage: S$5 – S$10 per pax
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