I remember when I was little, Granny would sometimes buy orh luak (oyster omelette in Teochew) home for supper (only when she won at the mahjong table so supper was always a rare treat!) and it was one of the few foods that I didn’t know how to appreciate because I just didn’t like the texture of the sticky and gooey potato starch. I’d then pick out the egg bits and eat that instead. Over the years, orh luak still hasn’t made it to my list of preferred hawker fare.
Last week, the husband and I were at Whampoa for dinner and he wanted to eat oyster omelette so I recommended him this popular stall which many have recommended. I told him to only order one plate because I would only try one mouthful as I wasn’t a big fan of it.
Oyster Omelette $4
It really wasn’t a pretty sight when this was served to our table. And despite the humble portion, we were really surprised that there was a generous serving of oysters (at least 5-6 pieces) in it that tasted fresh, soft and juicy, definitely not overcooked.
What really stood out was the sweet potato starch that was fried in pork lard. It had a good crisp to it with a slightly chewy, springy texture in the middle and every bite gave a crunching sound in the mouth that was unparalleled plus it had really fragrant wok hei too. The chilli sauce was a good balance of spicy and sour. It wasn’t spectacular but we didn’t really need the chilli anyway because the omelette itself had a lot of flavour to it. Anyway I was wrong. I didn’t just have one mouthful. One plate wasn’t even enough for us! Too addictive!
My overall verdict? I never knew orh luak could taste that good until I tried this. Definitely the crispiest oyster omelette I’ve ever had! I will definitely return again whenever I (or the husband) crave for orh luak.
Ah Hock Fried Oyster Hougang
#01-54, Whampoa Drive Makan Place
90 Whampoa Drive
Operating hours:
12.00pm to 11.00pm daily
(Closed on alternate Wed)