~ Home-cook Delicacies @ Gu Ma Jia (姑妈家) ~

Food Tasting Review: It has been ages since I roamed around the Sennett Estate ever since I got married and moved out. Many good food and nice eateries can be found here, but due to the limited parking space, this area is not included in our list of usual dining hang-outs. After re-visiting the area, maybe it's time to explore for more good food.

I'm delighted to be back here with my family for a food tasting session at Gu Ma Jia (姑妈家). Situated along Tai Thong Crescent, Gu Ma Jia (aka Aunty's House) is well-known for her home-cook delicacies. I'm impressed with Gu Ma's dedication and her tenacious effort in ensuring fresh ingredients are used to uphold the quality of their food. With her culinary skills, creativity and adventurous attitude, Gu Ma created many unique recipes with a personal touch.

Cereal Sotong - The children and I adore dishes cooked with cereal. Hence, we love this dish as it goes perfectly well with our rice. I like the sweet and buttery taste of the cereal which is crispy and not too oily. The sotong (squid) was tender and chewy. This is a nice combi apart from the cereal prawns that we used to have. It would have been perfect if the cereal is a little more sweeter and buttery in my opinion.

Kyoto Pork Ribs - When this dish was served to our table, it was ignited in flames with rose wine on a hot plate. The pork ribs were nicely wrapped within the aluminum foil. When the foil was unfold, you cannot resist the fragrant aroma after all the flavours that was retained within the aluminum foil was unleashed. Seeing the sauce oozing and bubbling from the sauteed pork made us drool instantly. The meat was tender, juicy and sweet. No wonder it was a hit among the children.

Prawn Rolls (Hae Chor) - Crunchy on the outside, meaty on the inside. This is a dish that we will usually order whenever we have Cze Char. The prawn rolls are not too oily and nicely fried. However, Hubby and I felt the taste was a little too subtle for our liking. We enjoy Hae Chor with a stronger flavour of the five-spice (五香) that blends in with the meat.

Crispy Bean-Jal - I was surprised and taken off guard when Gu Ma told us that this is actually crispy brinjal fried with french beans! Hmmmm... I am a big fan of brinjal and yet I did not suspect that the crispy cracker is actually brinjal! Was it the sweet marmite sauce that confused my taste bud? Gu Ma shared that this is one of her secret recipe. The brinjal was thinly sliced and fried. Children who hates brinjal can give this a try.

Kai Lan 2 Styles (Yuan Yang) - Another innovative way of eating Kai Lan from Gu Ma Jia. Just looking at this dish is pleasing and appetizing. As the name suggests, the Kai Lan was cooked in 2 ways - blanched and fried. The end product looks very much like seaweed and it is crunchy and crispy. The kids were intrigued by the outlook which prompted them to give it a try too.

Here comes the signature dish of Gu Ma Jia - Assam Fish Head! According to Gu Ma, all the ingredients were fresh from the market. Apart from the red snapper fish taking the lime-light, I appreciate a good serving of tomatoes, brinjal and lady fingers to complete this dish. Not forgetting the gravy which is not too spicy and sour - perfect blend of flavours mixed with the red snapper meat which is tender and fresh.  

Our dear friend, Irene highly recommend this dish a few nights before we went for our food tasting. I was so tempted because I LOVE Sesame oil. Just the scent of it opens my appetite. :)

Claypot Chicken with Ginger & Sesame Oil - This has to be one of my favourite dish at Gu Ma Jia. Tender and chewy chicken soaked within the pot of soup broth with sesame oil and ginger. I can have this pot to go with my rice without any complains.

Dessert Session! Have you heard of fruit enzyme? It is actually liquid containing the enzymes from fruits made by fermentation process. Enzymes act as catalyst for the human cells to function. It helps digestion and the absorption of nutrients. It is rare to see fruit enzyme dessert and drinks to be served but Gu Ma Jia has the capability as they ferment their own fruit enzyme. :) The bottles containing fermented fruits are labelled with dates on it and stored for a few months for fermentation process to take place.

Fruity Jelly Enzyme with Longans and Wolfberries - For those who are not accustom to the taste of enzyme may find it peculiar. I like the jelly dessert as the sweetness from the longans helps to balance the overall flavour of this dessert leaving me feeling refreshed!

Fruit Enzyme Juice - the drink is served with strawberries and basil seeds. It is stronger in flavour (taste very much like fruit vinegar) and you may feel a slight burning sensation. This is a healthy drink which helps in your digestion after a heavy meal.

It was a privilege to meet Gu Ma in person and have her shared her dishes and experiences with us. We enjoyed the home-cook dishes tremendously and would love to be back for more. :) Thank you once again for the hospitality.

Gu Ma Jia

Address: 45 Tai Thong Crescent, Sennett Estate, Singapore 347866

Telephone: 6285 2023

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sg.gumajia

Website: http://www.gumajia.com.sg/