Tong Shui Cafe

The decor is one way Tong Shui Cafe stands out from the rest of its competition. Bright walls, bold Chinoiserie, dark furniture and French chandeliers.
Next, since I am an avid Hongkong lover, the name itself has already drawn me even further. Tong Shui, direct-translation from cantonese means "Sugar-water". I remembered when I was young, Aunt always asked my mom when we walked past Chinatown, "wei, you wanna go up for some tong shui?"
Then I realised, Tong Shui means desserts. Not those common desserts like; Ice Kachang, Chendol or Almond Jelly. Its' more cheena types, like; peanut paste, black sesame paste, green bean soup, etc. Why isit called "sugar-water" cuz' the water itself is sweet like sugar?! *Duhz* And usually its' not those common crystal sugar we use for coffee or tea, its' rock sugar. Only rock sugar can brings out the flavour of the dessert.
"Free-flow" of Star Chinese Movies for viewing with your friends & family.

Somehow, the cafe don't only serve desserts. this place serves well more than that, as its menu of over 300 items can attest to.

Before I get bloated with the food I'd ordered, my Eight Treasures Tea is the most suitable drink. It cleansed all the oilyness away.

I can only find a few herbs inside, besides all 8 of them. Gou Qi Zi, Chrysanthemum, Hei Mu Er and dried Logans. This drink is fragrant, extremely refreshing and only sweetened by the dried logans within. Just right after a heavy meal.
Crispy Mango Prawn Roll under the dim sum list.
Slight sour mango taste but I can't see any mangoes in it. Prawns are quite fresh. Overall, its' a tad too oily and taste like normal deep fried prawn dumplings.
Steamed Chicken Roll. The first bite on it gave me a Bak Kwa taste. Average dish. I would rather prefer a steamed pork ribs than this.
Thick Toast with D24 Durian Puree.
A different kind of thick toast as compared to other cafes. It was heavenly! The puree is so sweet and fragrant! But I was quite surprised they are able to sell this 24/7 on the menu list since durians are seasonal. Can be quite sure that sugar was addded to the puree to make it taste even sweeter, but the durian fragrance is "unmistakable". Definitely worth trying!
Lotus Leaf Rice.
Glutinous rice with salted egg yolk, small piece of chicken and mushrooms. Waited quite long for this dish and the apparently the waitress told me they've forgotten about it. *Shake head* It wasn't serve hot enough and thus the rice was too sticky to the lotus leaf, bad arrangement. Not much excitement as well, taste normal and boring. I think the rice dumplings that my neighbour give us every year taste way much better than this.

TONG SHUI CAFE
1, Liang Seah Street
#01-05/06, Liang Seah Place
Open daily, noon to 6am
Tel: 6339 8662