I kept seeing this place on TikTok and it made me curious enough to try and only with a big group will you be able to try a variety of dishes so I brought the friends down one day. Shao has outlets at Holland Village and Frankel Avenue and Rangoon Road is their newest branch. Shao prides itself as one that serves modern Teochew cuisine so if you are a teochew-nan like me, you will find dishes that are familiar yet different and for traditional teochew folks (who aren’t so adventurous), they might have lots to say about the food. lol

This vibrant wall art caught my eye while I was waiting for the friends to arrive

It’s not a big place yet easily full house so reservations recommended. They have a dining limit of 1.5 hours

Terra

While waiting for the friends to arrive, I started with Terra – basically an alcoholic version of chrysanthemum tea. It actually tasted quite nice and you could taste the chrysanthemum in it

Pan Fried Shrimp Pancake $28

I had originally wanted to order the hei zou but thought maybe I should try something different. The shrimp pancake was actually pretty good. You could taste the bits of prawn in it which was crunchy in texture. And when you go with their homemade chilli sauce (which was sooo spicy), it was a burst of fireworks in your mouth

Pan Seared Hokkaido Cuttlefish with Squid Ink $28

Cos I see this on every social post, so must try right. Okay la, I give credit to it. It’s actually pretty good. Like I wouldn’t expect it to actually taste so decent. It’s like flattened scallop with a firmer texture

Braised Combination Platter (Duck, Pig Trotter, Tau Kwa) $28 (small)

How can teochew-nan miss out on braised combination. It’s our favourite! But sad to say the duck actually tasted quite tough in texture. The pig trotter was good though. And the braised sauce went well with white rice though I wouldn’t order this again

Stewed Iberico Pork w Soy Bean Paste $58 (large)

Also another recommended dish on social, this really surprised in all ways. First thought? It actually tasted like salted vegetable duck soup but a spicer version and instead of duck, it was pork instead. This pot of stew really opened up your appetite then you will find yourself to another helping or two

Wok Fried Grouper Fillet, Shrimp & Scallop w Lemongrass & Basil $48

This was one of our favourite dishes. When it was first served, the fragrance from the lemongrass and basil lingered around. The taste was one of sweet and spicy and you could taste the wok fry in the dishes. The grouper fillet was done very nicely and we all agreed

Stir Fried HK Kailan w Dried Flatfish $16

One of the last dishes to arrive, this was unfortunately the worst tasting. It wasn’t bad bad, but just… an underwhelming plate of vegetables

Shao Signature BBQ Roe Crab – Pepper Salt & Unagi Sauce $78 (400g-500g)

Since this was their signature, we couldn’t give this a miss. The crab was juicy and packed with abundance of meat. You can taste the char and the slight saltiness on the shell such that when you eat it together, it was the perfect combination. And the roe was equally delicious as well

Grilled Marinated Chicken w Fermented Bean Sauce $28

It was a huge plate of chicken. Never had something like that before but it was actually quite decent. The chicken was grilled to perfection and the black bean sauce balanced it nicely without being overly salty. The friends said the pork won the chicken hands down but to be fair, if you had never ordered the pork stew, you would find some surprise in this chicken dish as well

Poached Seafood Crispy Rice w Seafood $60 (large)

And the poached rice for our staple. It was a comforting pot of pao fan. One you will definitely appreciate in the cold weather. The broth was packed with richness of the seafood and tasted so sweet such that you will help yourself to another serving. But I would also love to try their noodles the next time if I go back

We ended the meal with some complimentary 寿桃 cos it was the friend’s birthday and we had a good laugh over it. It was a good meal though I found the dining time of 1.5 hours a little too short for a big group. It’s definitely a place worth checking out if you like something different though it’s definitely not your usual teochew cuisine

Shao | Modern Teochew Dining 现代潮菜

223 Rangoon Rd, #01-01/02,

Singapore 218460