As ridiculous as it may sound (being Chinese and a bit of a foodie), I have no idea how to actually cook Chinese food and especially not the dishes I had at Faai Di by Ka-Soh. For me, the dinner was full of nostalgia, remembering my childhood at hawker centres stuffing my face with fried chicken and mui-fan (rice with gravy), all eaten under the stars at wooden round tables on steamy evenings.
Michelin Guide Awarded Ka-Soh
Ka-Soh on College Road and Swee Kee at Amoy Street are well regarded amongst Singapore dining circles. Ka-Soh was awarded a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand in 2016, and it’s their traditional Cantonese fish soup that is sought after. Once I had a spoonful of the rich broth, I knew why.
Secret Recipes and Family Heritage
The deeply flavoured soup is made from a secret recipe broth, handed down through three generations. The flavours and textures are comforting and utterly delicious. You’ll find the soup creamy, though it contains no milk. This… this is what the sliced fish soup stalls are aiming for when they add milk but it pales in comparison to the delicious soup of Faai Di.
Faai Di (meaning faster in Cantonese) is the newest concept from Ka-Soh’s third generation founders aiming to highlight the importance of traditional dishes in a modern way. The setting at Singapore’s newest iconic attraction Jewel at Changi Airport may seem odd but is well worth the visit. Situated in Food Republic, Faai Di has its own enclave with separate seating. Be sure and look for it and don’t be turned off by the signs on the tables marked reserved because they are reserved for you.
Flavour that Warms the Heart
Exclusive to their faster outlet at Jewel are two dishes worth mentioning. Their Prawn Noodle Soup ($9.90) using the signature fish soup base and the Steamed Chicken with Lap Cheong ($8.50). Both are delicious in their own right but I was obsessed more with their seafood Mui Fan ($8.50) which was the dish that took me back to my childhood. A chat with Candice, the granddaughter of founder Mr Tang Kwong Swee, revealed that their mui fan is made by frying rice with egg as a base rather than using plain rice.
For all their dishes, Faai Di places the highest importance on their wok hei, a term I wasn’t familiar with. Wok hei is basically the holy grail of wok fried cooking. It’s where you cook over a high flame to achieve a beautifully charred flavour that underpins so many excellent Chinese dishes.
We also had to try their signature Sliced Fish Noodle Soup ($9.90) and Prawn Paste chicken ($7.50) which couldn’t be beat in all its deep fried glory!
To end, the Ka-Soh Fried Yam ($8.00) is not something to miss. Again, it’s something I know my dad loves and would order for us when enjoying a zi char meal (zi char is commonly referred to when describing an eating house where you can order a large selection of common Chinese dishes).
I am so grateful to have been invited to the Media Tasting by Ka-Soh and it was a great pleasure to talk to Candice who told me so much about their history as well as schooling me in Cantonese cuisine. Thank you so much for having me! I feel that it’s really important to uplift these homely, comforting dishes because these are the tastes and flavours I think about often. They really should never be forgotten, especially when they are done as well as at Faai Di by Ka-Soh.
I was not paid to write this review but I was invited to the Faai Di by Ka-Soh media tasting. The dishes I ordered were free of charge.
Images were kindly provided by Faai Di/Ka-Soh.
