Playful Chops
Lokkee injects a dose of wit and elements of Western culinary influence into classic Chinese recipes
It is refreshing to dine at a Chinese restaurant that doesn’t take itself too seriously. One good example is Lokkee, a contemporary Chinese restaurant by the Tunglok Group that draws inspiration from its mastermind Norman Hartono’s personal experiences with Chinese takeout food in cities such as New York, London and Sydney. The third-generation restaurateur further injects his personality into the restaurant by having cartoon figurines and wall murals in the main dining area and four private rooms. Despite the tongue-in-cheek concept, Lokkee takes its food very seriously. Whether it is a rendition of Chinatown favourites such as chow mein or original creations such as bak kwa bacon salad or fried durian
tempura dessert, the dishes at Lokkee are a play on familiar Chinese recipes, but given a Western twist. So it comes as no surprise that one of the restaurant’s must-order dishes is the Wagyu truffle hor fun, which is good for two to share. Here, thick slices of Kagoshima A4 Wagyu beef are placed atop an interesting mix of flat rice hor fun noodles and deep-fried hor fun strips doused in an aromatic truffle gravy. Before it was added to the menu at Lokkee, the dish was a signature of another Tunglok concept called Dragon Chamber, a speakeasy restaurant that is currently undergoing a revamp, and will reopen at Circular Road in 2019. Lokkee’s menu also consists of many other interesting dishes. The pumpkin butter cream shrimp, for instance, comprises skewers of fried butterflied shrimps bathed in a sweet buttery cream and served in a pastry bowl. One dish that will surely find favour with everyone is The Mermaid. Locally sourced barramundi is first grilled in a Josper oven, then stewed in a thick collagen-rich broth and topped with winter melon, tofu and a slab of fish maw. Meanwhile, The Dragon Phoenix Pot is a reinterpretation of the traditional drunken prawns dish. Well-marinated chicken wings and fresh prawns are cooked in a tasty double-boiled broth infused with a bottle of Gosnells London Mead. The alcoholic drink, which is made from honey, water and yeast, adds sweetness to the broth and can also be consumed on its own. By the end of your meal at Lokkee, you will be convinced that Chinese restaurants can be a little playful and experimental at times. LOKKEE 03-01 Plaza Singapura, tel: 6884 4566 lokkee.com.sg