We made a reservation for three people at 1 PM, but when we arrived, they didn't have a smaller table available and gave us a big round table, which I thought was suited for 6-8 people. We ordered their famous Oyster Pancake, Roasted Chicken, Beancurd with Shimeji Mushrooms and Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork, Prawn Balls, and Teochew Kway Teow. Except for the Beancurd dish, which was nothing to shout about, the others were pretty good. The Sweet and Sour Pork, to me, is one of the best I've had; it was crispy on the outside.
The service staff were okay, but as we were non-Chinese, the waiter kept talking to us in Chinese until another staff member who spoke English helped us. Special mention to the staff member, Peggy, who was not only pleasant and helpful but gave us impeccable service. One thing to note is that the restaurant charges a $2 per person cover charge for tea, water, and a packet of wet wipes. I think they should do away with this, be flexible, and only charge a nominal fee for water if the customer doesn't want the wet wipes and tea, like many other restaurants.
Mary Seah
5
The food is excellent. Service is way above excellent. Seafood Crispy Noodles have a lot of sauce, and the shrimps are huge and fresh. Chicken Feet are so succulent and tasty. Sweet and Sour Pork tastes 10/10, and the Teochew Pork Cold Dish is yummy.
Nicholas Gan
5
On February 6, a group of eight colleagues gathered at Chin Lee Tea & Dine for a festive Lou Hei lunch to celebrate Chinese New Year. As a Teochew restaurant, it emphasizes a healthier style of cooking. We ordered a variety of dishes, including a uniquely prepared Lou Hei. Notably, the meal did not leave us feeling thirsty, which was a pleasant surprise. I was especially pleased to enjoy the yam paste dessert with a vegan option, meaning it was served without pork lard.
The service was excellent, with attentive servers who promptly replaced our plates and ensured our tea was constantly refilled. Overall, we had a sumptuous and satisfying meal, well worth the price. No regrets!
Ah Wee
4
Food is alright. Average, traditional Teochew-style dining. There is room for improvement to attract a younger crowd.
Service staff are friendly. They allow you to make food requests and change your plates promptly.
Ambience is classic. Very traditional, old-school Teochew restaurant vibes.
Will be back to try more stuff 🌟
Shu
4
Dim Sum brunch.
Food is a hit and miss. Ngo Hiang is really good and a generous serving. The rest of the dim sum is all right. Carrot cake is fragrant. Seafood crispy noodles comes with a lot of fish and deshelled prawns! Instead of dim sum, I think maybe going for Teochew food is better.
Service is excellent and attentive.
The environment is clean, but the air con is super strong.
Zhan Loo
3
First time having dinner here to celebrate a birthday with my family. Overall experience was just so-so. The food portion was pathetically small for five of us. The price for its portion was considered pricey, not worth it.
Angie Lim
4
I haven't tried the Canberra outlet before. I've been visiting Chin Lee since I was young, but only the Bedok outlet. My great-grandmother used to book 4 to 5 tables to celebrate her birthday there. Those were the days when the suckling pig was still being roasted in charcoal behind the restaurant. Overall, the food was not bad, and I particularly liked the crispy oyster omelette. The steamed pomfret was fresh too. I always like eating orh nee, and this one was not too sweet, so it was quite good.
Alisha Lee
1
The supervisor needs to be trained. He asked us what kind of water we wanted when we were just seated, only to find out that the water was $2 each. They don't tell you, so just be careful. But the food is damn good. It's just that the supervisor makes the whole thing damn sian. I would have appreciated it if he had let us know beforehand.
Natalie Alice
5
Very good food, especially the black granite yam cake and beancurd skin roll. It was so good that we ordered a second plate.
Lee Hao
5
Here's the lightly edited review:
"My relatives' and my family's go-to for rather authentic Teochew cuisine.
Their Siew Mai is amazingly delicious with water chestnut in it. Their prawn roll is very succulent too, and their pork jelly is an all-time hit with the elderly.
Their signature tofu is nicely done, and their garlic chicken is very tender and meaty. The only two 'meh' dishes are their garlic fish slice (you can tell it’s frozen fish, and it lacks much taste) and the signature mee sua. It just tastes like fried bee hoon and is overly salty.
The Chai Poh Kway Teow is uniquely Teochew, and they did it really well! It’s my all-time favourite. Their oyster omelette is very succulent and fresh too. The chili is great!
This is definitely a Teochew restaurant the elderly would love. You get 15% off with UOB or Citi when you dine in!"