Nestled in City Square Mall, Farrer Park, Wok Master is a restaurant serving Chinese dishes, commonly referred to as "tze char" in Singapore. Slightly pricier compared to your usual tze char stalls found in coffee shops, as this is an air-conditioned environment, which is perfect for warm, sunny days. Boasting a diverse Chinese menu, including beloved dishes like Curry Fish Head, Chilli Crab, Braised Beef, Pork Spared Ribs, and plenty of vegetables such as Kai Lan and Tofu.
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It's insane how hot the weather is in Singapore these days. The news reported that Choa Chu Kang hit 36.3°C just a week ago and forecasted that "Singapore's weather in 2024 could be even warmer than in 2023 - which is the country's fourth-warmest year historically". Like I said, insane.
Under this sweltering heat, one longs for a cooling environment, and having a meal in an air-conditioned restaurant sounds blissful. On a hot afternoon like this, my parents and I visited Wok Master, a Chinese restaurant situated in City Square Mall, Farrer Park. My parents came all the way from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to visit me. Since they enjoy Chinese cuisine, I decided that Wok Master is an ideal choice.
Source: Wok Master Official Menu
I scanned through their menu prior to lunch, and I knew that Wok Master would offer a slightly upscale dining experience compared to traditional tze char stalls in coffeee shops. In Singapore, "tze char"（煮炒）is a Hokkien term that literally translates to "cook fry". It is used to describe a dining style where an assortment of local Chinese dishes is freshly prepared and typically served with rice.
There were so many visually appetising dishes on the menu that we couldn't decide what to order, so I asked the staff for recommendations.
Curry Fish Head 咖喱鱼头 - $32.00
According to the staff members, the Curry Fish Head is a popular dish at Wok Master, so we ordered it. As they served the dish, it was evident that the restaurant took pride in presenting this specialty, as they served it atop a portable burner. I'm sure we've all experienced dishes getting cold shortly after being served, leading to disatisfaction with the meal. The restaurant paid attention to invest in these burners to ensure that the Curry Fish Head stayed warm throughout our meal. Not only did it help to enhance the dish visually, but it also improved the overall dining experience.
Next, let's talk about the portion. With a dish as rich in thick gravy as this, it's essential to pair it with rice and other dishes to avoid getting too jelak. We'd say that this Curry Fish Head can easily serve 3-4 people (assuming that you order other dishes too), as it comes with a generous amount of tender fish meat and an assortment of vegetables like ladies' fingers, long beans, brinjals, and tofu puffs.
Taste-wise, they were also very generous with their seasonings, spices, and santan (coconut milk). The curry was flavourful, although its initial taste leaned towards saltiness when I had a sip on its own. However, when paired with rice and other dishes, it balanced out - I wouldn't recommend sipping this gravy on its own as it's not meant to be consumed alone anyway. Additionally, I appreciated the gravy's thickness, which added to the dish's authenticity and appeal.
Yet, there's still room for improvement in terms of flavour. My parents and I agreed that there was a tad bit of unpleasant fishiness（鱼腥味）that affected the overall enjoyment. Sure, I could mask the fishiness with more curry, but then the curry would be too overpowering and overshadow other flavours. Hence, if the fishiness wasn't so pronounced, I think it would've been even more delightful.
Dual Flavour Kai Lan with Chicken Floss 双位芥兰 - $18.00
The Dual Flavour Kai Lan with Chicken Floss is a classic Chinese restaurant dish that showcases Kai Lan in two cooking methods: deep-fried for the leaves, and stir-fried for the stems. It was cooked exceptionally well. It offers a satisfying crunchiness as you bite into the Kai Lan stems, revealing their natural sweetness, complemented by perfectly seasoned crispy fried leaves topped with savoury chicken floss. It's a delight in terms of both taste and texture and was really appetising. We have no criticisms about this dish.
Blooming Jasmine Water 茉莉花茶 - $5.20
To cleanse our palates after the heavy meal, we ordered the fragrant Blooming Jasmine Water - a delicate brew infused with jasmine flowers and leaves. While it is slightly steep in price for a single cup, the fact that the staff can refill unlimited amounts of hot water adequately compensates for the price.
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My parents and I aren't big eaters, so sadly, we couldn't order more than two dishes, especially with the large bowl of Curry Fish Head. Nevertheless, we were pretty satisfied with the meal at Wok Master and would return to explore more of their Chinese dishes.
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