Having a meal out with friends is a common enough activity. What's not so common is to be greeted with a bill amounting to over $1,000 thereafter.
Local food blogger Veronica Phua had no qualms when her meal at the famous Sin Huat Eating House came with a $1,127 bill.
In fact, she went as far as saying it was "worth every cent".
While it isn't a small sum of money, one can understand why she made such a statement by going through her glowing review of her dining experience at the Geylang restaurant.
On Thursday (Nov 10), Veronica uploaded an Instagram Reel of her first meal at Sin Huat Eating House since October 2021.
She headed down to the restaurant with nine other eating buddies.
Many were first-timers to the restaurant and there was a palpable level of anticipation for what was to come.
Before giving her review of the food, Veronica gave a word of warning to potential diners.
"Patience is a must as there is a lot of waiting involved — from when you can place an order to when the food arrives," she said.
The food took just over an hour to arrive at the table and just about everything hit the spot.
The first dish that blew Veronica away was the steamed squid, which she described as "insanely delicious".
Many would know that squid can be a hit or miss as it can turn out rubbery if overcooked.
There was no issue with texture as the squid turned out "remarkably tender" and was one of Veronica's favourite dishes of the meal.
When it came to ordering fish, there was an initial hesitance as Veronica and one of her dining partners heard how expensive it can be.
Ultimately, they decided to go with the boss' recommendation of parrot fish and Veronica called it the "best decision ever".
Another highlight of the night was the signature crab beehoon.
While many might anticipate Veronica raving about the crab, it was the rice noodles that took centre stage.
She highlighted the wok hei and how the thin noodles soak up the crab flavours, making it smell and taste "like a million bucks".
When the final bill arrived, the diners were surprised as they'd anticipated that they'd be paying more for their meal — one diner guessed the total bill to be $2,000!
There's no doubt that Veronica and her friends enjoyed the food but interestingly, Sin Huat Eating House actually divides opinion.
It has a rather average score of three out of five on Google reviews (and that's from a sizeable number of 168 reviewers too).
Common complaints among naysayers include exorbitant prices and long waiting times.
If you've not given this restaurant a try and aren't put off by the negative reviews, Veronica has some pointers on how to have a great dining experience.
She suggested having a meal with a bigger group as this would provide you with better variety and value.
"Knowing and accepting what to expect when dining here is key to having an awesome time," she added.
Just double-check that credit card limit before leaving home!
ALSO READ: 'Most expensive I've ever had': Woman shocked by $11.70 nasi padang at Toa Payoh
amierul@asiaone.com
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