Tek Sen used to be known as Teik Seng Rice Stall, a
stall selling Chinese style rice with dishes since 1965. With a wide range of
cuisines; Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka, and Peranakan, no wonder it has managed to
attract a number of people even until today. It is considerably easy for a shop
that has been around for so long to lose their original touch but such is not
the case for Tek Sen. No longer operating from their original location, the new
building seem modern, thus may imply nothing about their colourful past, but
the setting was still done in the old, free style that would allow the
customers to enjoy the simplicity of the re-named Tek Sen.
Realistically, signature dishes at certain
restaurants may not fit the ‘signature’ title, but Tek Sen’s signature has always been the choice of patrons for decades. The dishes
are Assam Tumis Fish, Trotters in Black Vinegar ‘Tu Kha Chor’, and the
Double Roasted Pork Fried with Chilli Padi ‘Char Siew Bak’.
Assam Tumis is
a classic Peranakan dish with fish choice of either sting ray or black pomfret.
A dish that is rich in flavour, Tek Sen does theirs the authentic way that
resulted in a blending of salty, spicy, sour and sweet. Their Double RoastedPork also comes without chilli padi, either way it is the ultimate dish that
characterises Tek Sen as a restaurant. Readily cut into small bite size pieces,
the pork was first deep fried, and then added with the sauce. It
may be sweet depending on personal preferences but it is not called the
signature dish for nothing.
Although
parking is quite troublesome since they’re located in Georgetown, the fast
service made sure that reservations are not quite necessary. Other must try
dishes are Homemade Fried Tofu in Claypot, Steamed Pomfret Fish, and the
Steamed Egg dish.