Auntie's Wok and Steam in Alley on 25 Andaz

Auntie’s Wok & Steam is said to be “an ode to Singapore’s tze char food culture”. Like looking for a hard to find street side tze char stall of old, we walk along a narrow alley to locate Auntie’s Wok and Steam in Alley on 25 Andaz Hotel. The alley is, however, a spiffy one and Auntie’s Wok & Steam is a very nice contemporary Chinese dining space.

The restaurants at Alley on 25, Andaz Hotel Singapore is a collection of food and beverage outlets on the 25th floor of the hotel by the Hyatt group. Auntie’s Wok & Steam specialises in dim sum, rice, noodle and meat dishes. There are several sitting sections in the restaurant. There are seats at a bar counter which allow you to look at the chefs performing in the open kitchen. Most of the other tables will allow diners a good view from the vantage point of the 25th Floor of the Duo.

Auntie’s Wok & Steam Menu

Auntie’s Wok & Steam Menu is not extensive. It offers rice and noodles with a few items of soup, seafood, meat and vegetables. Zhajiang Mian, Jiao Zi Dumplings, Ma Po Silken Tofu and Kung Pao Chicken are examples of the Chinese food served at the restaurant. Here are pictures of some portions from the Auntie’s Wok & Steam Menu.

Auntie’s Wok & Steam Menu

Dinner at Auntie’s Wok & Steam

We had dinner at Auntie’s Wok & Steam and ordered a Crispy Organic Cucumber ($9), Steamed Sea Bass Fillet ($25) and Double Boiled Beef Short Rib Noodles ($18).

Like eating in a tze char stall, we could hear the food being prepared and see smoke rising from the hot woks. The cooked food arrived promptly like it would in an old school tze char stall.

The Crispy Cucumber was like an appetizer. The cucumber was crunchy and drizzled with a delectable chilli sauce and generously sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds. It seemed like a simple dish but there were layers of tastes and textures.

When the Steamed Sea Bass Fillet arrived we checked to ensure the restaurant had not made a mistake. We were expecting a piece or two of fish fillet but we were served what appeared to be a whole fish with head and tail intact. The server kindly explained to us that it was indeed half a deboned fish. The fish cooked with Shao Xing wine and topped with black beans on a portion and chilli on another was a delightful dish. The meaty fish had a fresh taste and the other ingredients combined well to make the steamed fish an interesting and enjoyable dish.

We only ordered one bowl of the Double Boiled Beef Short Rib Noodles and we told the staff we would be sharing. We were surprised when two bowls of noodles were served. The staff had taken the initiative to separate the noodles into two portions for us. That was service that went beyond meeting expectation. The rich broth was packed with a beefy goodness that was very satisfying and the meat was tender. If we were to be a little picky, we would say that the broth was just a little bit saltier than we had expected.

Since it was the Chinese new year festive period, Auntie’s Wok & Steam had special items for the season. One of the special items was Nian Gao with Coconut Ice Cream ($12). The nian gao or sweet sticky rice cake was deep fried and had a crispy coat on the outside and soft gooey inside. It looked palatable and tasted very good and made even more enjoyable by the very delicious and refreshing coconut sorbet. The nian gao dessert certainly ensured that our simple dinner ended on a high.

Overall, Auntie’s Wok & Steam at Alley on 25 is a lovely place to have tze char style Chinese food. The service was excellent and the food was enjoyable. The a la carte menu prices are not inexpensive but they have a $25 set lunch menu which we think offers good value for money. We will go back to Auntie’s Wok & Steam for lunch.