Memorable lunch at Lee Kui (Ah Hoi) Restaurant 李貴(亞蟹)席館

Authentic old school Teochew restaurant Lee Kui (Ah Hoi) at Mosque Street will finally bring down its curtain on 20th December 2015. When many of my foodie friends heard that, there was a mad scramble for reservations.

All tables for dinner are fully taken up until the last day of business. A close friend managed to secure a table for 6 today at 1pm.

pork trotter jelly 

We had 7 dishes  -  the lo ark (Teochew style braised duck), hei zor (deep fried prawn ball), orh jian (oyster omelette), ter ka tan (pork trotter jelly ), braised cabbage with scallops, fried kway teow with preserved radish and kailan vegetable and the divine dessert orh nee (yam paste with gingko nuts and pumpkin).

yam paste with gingko nuts and pumpkin

braised cabbage with scallops

Fried kway teow with preserved radish and kailan vegetable

No signature cold crab and the classic steam white pomfret Teochew style for us as we want to savour the traditional flavours of simple Teochew dishes. It was a good hearty meal to share with good friends.

Current owner of Lee Kui (Ah Hoi) Restaurant, Lee Huat Kee (the eldest of 3 sons of late founder Lee Chye Hock) came to chat with us.

The restaurant has been in operation since 1968. It is my first visit and will probably be the only time to taste their traditional Teochew cuisine. The restaurant is closing down due to no successor, manpower shortage and rising business costs.

Lee Huat Kee has been working in the restaurant since age 11, it will be a long needed break for him. We sincerely wish him the best and hope he will reopen Lee Kui one day.