Spoke to my sister and she said Mooi Chin wasn't as good when she as she remembered when she went there a few years back. Then again, things n the present are often not as good as memories.

FWIW, here's a recipe which seems to resemble what I remember of the one I made. Cream crackers, presumably Jacob's (though there was a local knockoff brand) is a key ingredient. The recipe differs from the one I used in that it marinates the tenderised meat and uses Worcestershire sauce, presumably Lea & Perrin (stuff I get where I am is nowhere near as good as in memory, and I understand a key process - perhaps fermentation? - is not used in the current recipe - while), while the one I used had HP sauce. All depends on what the mployer had int the kitchen~

I certainly don't remember having the HaiNan pork chops anywhere but Mooi Chin. Actually don't remember what I ate at the clubs!

Probably universally true. For instance, yum cha in HK isn't as good as I remembered when I was first there many years ago, but, nonetheless, I still enjoy it immensely. The pics from that restaurant look absolutely fabulous, and I can't wait to try it. I'm actually kind of disappointed no one has brought me there during my many years of visiting and having been shown around Singapore.

Could well be the restaurant having A, B C and maybe even D teams in the kitchen. I have a couple of stories to tell regarding this. First was an establishment under the flight path of YVR. Went there one day, food was fabulous. Went back mere weeks later, very mediocre. Somewhere in the middle months later. Heard that there are certain days of the week one should dine, and certain days of the week one should avoid. A few years back, was waiting in Kowloon for a trip to generate this trip report. Departure was delayed so my wife and I went back to the same establishment where we had eaten ~24 hrs earlier next to (and under) the hotel we were staying at. Ordered many of the same dishes, and some of them were substantially different. One example was rice roll, made very nice and correctly the previous day with alliums. This day, it was stuffed with zucchini/courgettes. :confused: A true ... moment.

Probably too mundane. I looked up the restaurant and many working in Singapore wondered why they never went/were taken there.

Just googled the place and it appears to be permanently closed...

https://goo.gl/maps/Yi5HvPi8qUwzNY2S7

It's a shame... I pass through that area often enough I could make a side trip.

Alas, you are right. Not showing up in the host hotel's website and the website below indicates it closed at the end of last year.

https://www.todayonline.com/8days/ea...osed-down-2020
https://www.8days.sg/eatanddrink/new...-2020-13850376

Too bad because it was an institution like Swee Kee was for chicken rice

Below was as I remembered it (at least the dude caricature pointing up
https://jaymoylovesfood.files.wordpr...1519837556.jpg

Guess I will have to make my own pork chops

I've been to a few of the places on the list. It's a shame. I suspect by the time I get back there, there will be quite a few other casualties. But based on timing, it might take a while... I tried pricing a flight via VTL closer to LNY and it priced out at C$4800 for economy (OUCH) I've got a list of places I'd like to try... better double check to see who's still around.

Perhaps more for opportunity. In looking at a Straits Times list of "old-time" restaurants in Singapore and noticed the name of one that was not listed because it had closed and whose passing had inspired the list. The restaurant that closed was called Shashlik and opened long after I had departed Singapore. What preceded this restaurant was one called Troika, which was located on the top floor of the old Liat Towers on Orchard Road (a 3-4 storey affair with roof-top parking). The cooks were of HaiNan origin and had worked on Russian ships! Interesting that HaiNan used to host Russian tourists and menus and signs in Cyrillics can still be seen in SanYa.

May be from China but not necessarily trained cooks. I lived and worked in an U.S. ski and summer resort area (but not in either, the state was a tax haven and my employer so happened to want to set up shop there) a quarter century ago. Some man from China was killed in a road accident and the brief mention in the local paper was that he was a carpenter working as a cook in one of the local Chinese restaurants (which I could never bring myself to go into).

Just because he was a carpenter doesn't mean he wasn't a good cook though. Stayed in rural Quebec a few years back and the owner of the auberge we were staying at had a little crisis as her chef de cuisine (and head/only cook) quite his job. Her live-in, who was a plumber by trade and was already doing the cooking at home, asked her if he could try running the kitchen. I have to say his food and presentation were very good.

Well , knew that this list was going to surface . Yes , waxing lyrical about these bygone favourites .. FYI , Troika started as The White Bear at Bras Basah Road near Raffles Hotel . Know this as was actually privileged to dine there as a toddler , owned by “ relatives “ of ours or late aunt in the Bay Area .
The Hainanese staff were quite a legend too , the amiable captain commanded quite a presence helming the frontline . Definitely , good old days .
Shashlik is open , taken over by sons of one the late waiters . Service is nothing compared to Troika ‘ s but the dishes are keeping / somewhat holding up & maintaining standards . Mind you , the portions are substantially smaller . At Far East Shopping Centre next to Hilton , across from Liat Towers .

Thought about it as I made a batch of Parker House rolls (soft bread rolls made with milk and lots of butter vs. my usual austere bread) and that was, IIRC, one of the things that was served, and kept in warming drawers? Those rolls have to be eaten soon after baking.