Deer Garden Signatures 鹿園魚湯米線 : Fraser Street location

POST ON DEER GARDEN SIGNATURES AT CONTINENTAL PLAZA [HERE]

Deer Garden Signatures, one of the reasons why I started enjoying noodles. My first visit to Deer Garden was in Richmond, at the Continental Plaza and I loved them. A clear, healthy and light refreshing broth topped with vegetables and meat, what is there not to like? After finding out that Deer Garden also has a location on Fraser Street which is a lot more convenient for me, I had to make the visit!

Deer Garden was pretty much packed on a weeknight and the restaurant properly maximizes their seating arrangements, which is very important to me. There is nothing more uncomfortable than nudging the stranger beside you, struggling to get to your seat, or possibly knocking someone elses' food off the table! We were seated on the other side of the restaurant and the seating arrangements are a lot more spacious as well as comfortable there (although I do not mind the cafeteria layout pictured above, it is a lot better than Cattle Cafe's!).

CHAO CHOU STYLE DRIED FISH AND MINCED PORK FISH SOUP ($8.50) WITH FLAT RICE NOODLES, SLICED BEEF BRISKET, FRESH BEAN CURD, SLICED PUMPKIN ($1.25), FISH FILLET ($1.25) AND WATERCRESS ($1.25).
Whaaaat I got vermicelli instead of flat rice noodles(!) and I do not like vermicelli. When I say "do not like", I do not mean I just don't like them. I mean, I literally cannot eat the noodles. Just something about vermicelli… I cannot have vermicelli unless in a salad roll.

After letting the waitress know that the noodles were mixed up, I was offered a bowl of flat rice noodles. So… I pretty much used my spoon and scooped up the soup from one bowl to the other, and the toppings to my new bowl of flat rice noodles. Meaning, by the time I was able to eat the noodles, the broth was a bit warm and less enjoyable especially for a picky eater who is not a big fan of noodles. So, I will not bother writing about the noodles since it would not be fair posting about luke warm noodles.

Although I will say for the original bowl, the soup was not served as hot as Continental Plaza's and the sliced pumpkin was a bit hard and could have been cooked longer. I remember my last visit at the Richmond location, the soup was served so hot that the pumpkin mushed up a bit and created a creamy texture, which I liked.

MALAY LAKSA SOUP ($8.50) WITH VERMICELLI, VIETNAMESE STYLED PORK, CORN AND ENOKI MUSHROOM ($1.25).

BF sucked it up and ate the flat rice noodles (but he is okay with eating noodles in general... I actually cannot and can only have specific kinds). The laksa has a hint of spiciness and a slight coconut milk flavour; however, there is not much of a curry taste and the broth tastes weak. Furthermore, the flat rice noodles taste perfectly cooked and soft while slightly chewy.

RED BEAN SLUSH ($2.00) AND LYCHEE CALPIS ($2.00).

The red bean slush is properly blended but tastes a bit too sweet, and the lychee calpis tastes generic, not overly sweet.

PAN FRIED WHITE TURNIP IN XO SAUCE ($4.75).

The presentation of the radish cake surprisingly looks neat, a nice little tower with thick square cuts. In addition, despite not having a slight crisp exterior, the radish cake tastes soft and pretty… generic. Neither salty nor tasty, and rather plain.

The lonesome sad bowl of vermicelli...

POSITIVES
- Customized noodles for the picky eaters
- Not much service (as expected) but staff is not rude

NEGATIVES
- Reasonably priced but the addition of extra items can add up
- Noodle mix up :(

LITTLE THINGS
- Post on Deer Garden Signatures at the Continental Plaza [here]
- Richmond's location is a lot better

Food: 2.5/5
Service: 2.5/5