Spice it up Sing-style

The appetizer salad youtiao and Spam fries go well with an ice-cold Tiger beer. [Photo by Donna Mah/China Daily]

The appetizer salad youtiao and Spam fries go well with an ice-cold Tiger beer. [Photo by Donna Mah/China Daily]

For many HongKongers, a trip to Singapore or Malaysia is a chance to chow down on some spicy seafood dishes and enjoy a bowl of laksa made with creamy coconut milk.

However, if a craving strikes while in HongKong, the BreadTalk Group from Singapore has opened a second location of Asian Twist, this time in Wan Chai. The first and smaller restaurant is in IFC mall in Central.

Chef Aaron Liang, who is originally from Singapore, tells us that the clean and simple lines of the black-and-white house decor is comforting to homesick Singaporeans, reminding them of home. "We are trying our best to bring Singaporean (food and flavors) to HongKong. We try to create the feel and smells of home here," Liang says.

We tried a number of the signature dishes.The appetizers, salad youtiao and Spam fries, were definitely not the healthiest choice on the menu.Both of these deep-fried and crisp starters went well with an ice-cold Tiger beer, but are not things I recommend eating too often. The salad youtiao are the fried crullers usually served with congee; these were stuffed with squid paste.

Most living in Hong Kong are familiar with Singapore fried noo-dles that are lightly curried stir-fried rice vermicelli. However, Liang explains that he was shocked the first time he tried this dish in HongKong because it is not at all what he was used to eating in his hometown. The stir-fried rice vermicelli Singapore style served at Asian Twist comes with fresh lime wedges, BBQ pork, shrimps, fish cake, chopped fresh coriander, and chopped lettuce. The flavors are light and fresh, and the dish is not as heavy as the HongKong version.

Cereal prawns is a dish that Liang says incorporates some "typical" flavors from Singapore, made using a type of breakfast cereal from Singapore.We were a bit dubious about how this dish would taste, but it's one of the restaurant's most frequently ordered dishes. Not my favorite, but perhaps comforting and nostalgic for those who grew up with it.

The coffee pork ribs were meaty and slightly sweet. Not strongly coffee flavored, the coffee gave the meat a rich, dark chocolate brown color and a touch of bitterness. These ribs would be good with a bowl of plain steamed rice and stir-fried greens.

Singapore chili crab (seasonal price; order in advance) here is made with mud crab with high roe content.There is also plenty of sweet fresh meat, but the attraction is all the roe in the spicy red chili sauce.Enjoy the sauce by dipping bits of deep-fried buns (mantou) into it.This is delicious dish and is perfect for sharing.

We finished our meal with a hot-bubor cha cha sweet soup.Popular in Southeast Asia, the version served here has chunks of colorful chewy QQ mochi made with glutinous rice, which added color to an otherwise bland-looking dish.The coffee served is made using a coffee machine developed by the company, which replicates hand-pulled coffee by putting in more air during brewing.

IF YOU GO

Asian Twist

Shop 104-108, First Floor, Sun Hung Kai Centre, Wan Chai, HongKong. 852-3488-7812.

Cost per head: HK $200-400 ($25-$50).

Recommended: Salad Youtiao Stir-fried Rice Vermicelli, Chili Crab, Coffee Pork Ribs.