Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant
191, Jalan Besar
Singapore 208882
Tel: 62945292
Tel: 62945292
Operating hours: 5pm - 10am
Business is thriving for this dim sum (点心) restaurant when they expanded their operations from two shops to three, last year. They also updated their already extensive menu with even more variety from the Shanghai cuisine. They even hired chef(s) to knead la-mian (拉面). The air-conditioned interior and hygienic environment welcome diners, despite of their plain and simple decor. The local/malaysian/chinese staffs are friendly and service is prompt. Though most of the dim sum are not served in the usual bamboo steamers, but quality is not compromised. The convenient location along Jalan Besar Road is easily accessible by bus. Around Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant, there are other eating places such as Jalan Berseh Food Centre, Sungei Road Laksa, Pu Tian (莆田) Restaurant, Hillman Restaurant (喜临门大饭店), San He Yuan (三合园) Resturant and indian food eateries inside Little India. There are just too many people visiting this area, either for food, or other agenda such as visiting Mustafa Centre or the 'vice lane' Desker Rd. Nevertheless, Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant never runs out of customers, neither are they jam-packed.
Left: The right-most shop is the kitchen and a take-away counter, nothing beats dim-sum to-go!
Right: Dining area and left-most shop being the newest addition.
Mee Suah (面线) Kueh
This kueh is made with mee suah (面线, or wheat flour vermicelli) compressed and compacted into a cuboid, then deep-fried to a crispy golden surface while retaining its soft moist texture inside. The mee suah has been pre-cooked before compacting into the kueh and deep-frying, hence the taste of your usual mee suah is in there!
Xiao Long Bao (小笼包)
These mini dumplings are filled with seasoned minced meat and soup inside its flour skin, then steamed and served in a bamboo steamer. Always have these on a spoon, since when taking a bite into it, the soup will flow out from the inside. These dumplings goes perfectly with diced ginger and black vinegar.
S$2.40
A personal favourite is this beancurd skin roll stuffed with nothing else but fresh, juicy, succulent shrimps. The roll is then deep fried till crispy.
Pork Chop La Mian (拉面)
S$4
Plain la mian in a clear and light-tasting broth with vegetables and spring onions. The fried pork chop is served on a separate plate. The pork chop is rather tender but a tad dry.
Sweet-&-Sour La Mian (酸辣拉面)
S$4
The same la mian but in a thick and heavy sweet-&-sour soup. The soup is so thick that the taste did not manage to penetrate into the noodle.
Verdict
With the standard dim sum dishes below S$3 and mostly below S$2.40, Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant is considered damn good price! Not only is the food cheap but the taste is great! However, there is still room to be improved for their la mian. I would be contended just going for the standard dim sum items, century egg congee and of course, the unique "mee suah kueh"! The quality is no inferior compared to the popular 揾到食 in Geylang. Though Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant is not as fancy compared to "Red Star", the clean and air-conditioned environment works for me anytime. I have been to Swee Choon too many times to even keep track and always recommending it to friends.
If you are looking for good value and great taste dim sum, Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant is the place! You have my word that the dim sum will satisfy.
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