Woody Family Cafe (Sembawang)

For photos and more reviews, visit us at http://foodphd.wordpress.com!

Nestled within private estates in the far end of Sembawang is Woody Family Pub Cafe – a cosy alfresco dining place dishing up Peranakan cuisine. On a Thursday night, the place wasn’t rowdy, and with music playing in the background, it was an ideal place to chill and laze around with friends and family. Heeding the advice of the chef-owner Ms Jenny, we ordered the following dishes – soup of the day: Fusion Rebus Assam, Mango Salad, Dory Fish Tempra, Peranakan Buffalo Wings (Spicy Level) and Devil’s Curry Chicken.

Fusion Rebus Assam – Chicken slow cooked with pumpkin, lemon grass, shallots, onions. The Fusion Rebus Assam tasted similar to that of chicken soup/stock. Though we did find lemon grass in the soup, there wasn’t much of a lemon grass taste or fragrance. Contrary to what the name has suggested, there were no sourish taste of assam too. The soup was more on the lighter side, not too heavy and rich in flavours. Each bowl of soup came with a small drumstick which was tender but tasteless. The essence of the chicken went into the soup. It doesn’t seem all too representative of Perankan food and was something pretty average.

Mango Salad – Green garden vegetables, mango topped with special salad dressing. The salad dressing was pretty unique, it was different from the typical thousand island dressing. It was a little spicy and gave that extra kick to the salad. The generous amount of crispy oats sprinkled on top gave the salad an additional texture and sweetness.  The vegetables (gourds, green carrots, tomatoes, radish) and fruits (guavas, apples, mangoes) used in the salad were quite fresh and crunchy, except for the mango. The mango was on the mushy and soft side, which we thought would do better if crunchier version of Thai mangoes were used. It was a unique salad, something not commonly found elsewhere. However, with other more outstanding dishes at Woody (featured below), we concluded that we may have to give this a miss next time.

The buffalo wings we’ve tried so far have been the Mexican/Texas/Western kinds from Chili’s and Buckaroo. Hence we were rather surprised to see Woody promoting their very own spicy Peranakan buffalo wings. The wings were generously coated with a layer of chunky thick sambal chili and that alone left us excited! The wings were very spicy even at the intermediate level, leaving us tearing with uncontrollable runny nose.  The flavours of these buffalo wings were authentically Peranakan, and was a deviation away from the sourness of Texas buffalo wings. Still, we thoroughly enjoyed these fire-coated and finger licking wings!

Dory Fish Tempra – Dory fish braised with dark sauce, onions and chili padi. The dory fish was very fresh, without any fishy taste. It was pretty soft and we could just slowly let it melt in our mouths. We didn’t quite like the watery consistency of the dark sauce; it didn’t seem to complement the fish very well. Though it was said that the dish contained chili padi, we hardly detected any spiciness. The essence of the dish has got to be the fresh, soft and juicy dory fish.

One of Woody’s signature dishes is the Devil’s Curry Chicken – Chicken cooked with Woody’s special curry spices, chicken hot dogs, green papaya, gourds, potatoes and carrots. And one thing special is that the curry chicken does not contain coconut milk! Even without coconut milk, the Devil’s Curry Chicken was still fragrant and packed with robust flavours. It did not seem to carry the fragrance and flavours of the curry leaves, but still, this has got to be one of the better curries we have tried. It was very thick and rich, and not forgetting, the curry was adequately spicy and went well with the freshly toasted baguettes. Perhaps because there wasn’t any coconut milk, the curry didn’t make us too sick and overwhelmed. Rather, we were pretty addicted to dipping the crispy baguette into the curry sauce. We liked the thoroughly curry-soaked vegetables, but a pity they were not in abundance. The chicken in the curry came in the form of a large chicken thigh. The portion was really huge, definitely sufficient for at least 3 people. However, the addition of the hotdogs did not go quite well with us, though this is known to be a Portuguese style tradition.  

There were a few hits and misses, but on the whole, we were rather impressed with the home-cooked family style dishes at Woody Family Pub Cafe. The Peranakan style dishes were appealing and palate captivating, a better alternative to the much hyped Peranakan Blue Ginger resturant.

Some pictures of the general feel - http://phuachiuyen.blogspot.com/2012/03/woody-kungfu.html

I only tried the spring chicken, buffalo wings and satay. They were quite normal to me; I didn't detect any special taste in them. Ambience wise, it's quite good for chilling out so I think it's still worth the trip if you live nearby.

I am honored and thankful to HungryGoWhere reviewing team and Woody Family Cafe for inviting me to Eat and Write for Woody Family Cafe.

Woody Family Cafe which is situated on Andrews Avenue (Sembawang) is definitely hidden find, but I must commend that the Cafe's cozy design, lighting and table settings is very unique. The ambience of Woody will definitely enhance the appetite.

Before I kick start commending the "Special Fusion Peranakan Food."

I would like to bring up 2 matters to Woody regarding their Service Standards.

Firstly, It was about 8pm that evening when I arrived at Woody's entrance.

There were no service crew attending to me even the Cafe was not crowded.

It was after a short wait that I hesitatingly walked into the Cafe to locate my own seating.

Secondly, when the various Special Fusion Peranakan dishes were served. We realised there was a shortage of eating cutlery.

I personally felt that it was a little disorganised and I hope that Woody would look into this matter.

These are the followings I have tasted:

1. SPICY PERANAKAN BUFFALO WINGS (level 2)

2. PORK KNUCKLES PONTEH

3. BEER BATTERED FISH & CHIPS

4. PORK KNUCKLES GARAM ASSAM

5. CHICKEN SOUP (appetizer)

6. OTAH

* Pleases refer to my mouth-watering pictures. :p

Overall, I did enjoy the dinner.

The dishes were tasty and unique and I'm very sure there isn't many places serving Peranakan Delights.

And If I have a chance to dine in Woody again, I would certainly wish to try the desserts. : )

Best wishes to Woody.

Pop quiz .... what are the restaurants up north, ulu, relaxed and a challenge to locate? You will think of Sunset & Buckaroo. Woody www.woodypubcafe.com.sg located beside Buckaroo is part of this club.

I dined there as part of a HGW food tasting team on a Thursday evening. It was drizzling and my journey there from Bukit Merah took 2 TIBS buses (with freezer like air con) & a taxi, journey of 1h40min. Almost the travelling time to JB. In fact, Woody is a 300m walk + a 1.8km swim from JB. So you can imagine the relief I felt when I reach this homely oasis with warm lighting and friendly staff after a long south to north trek across Singapore. Here's the run down on the food

LAMB SHANK RENDANG � Braised with Guiness Stout, noy really the spicy-coconutty rendang and I can barely taste the spiciness in this dish. There is a lingering sweet after taste. Lamb is delicious and cooked just nice (not overcooked), it has some bite and require a knife and fork to dislodge from the bone.

DEVIL�S CURRY CHICKEN - Has a huge chicken thigh/drumstick, potatoes, chicken cocktail sausages! Made without coconut milk. Goes well with rice. The peppery like spicyness hits you after a while. First time I tried this Eurasian devil's curry and I quite like it.

MANGO SALAD WITH SPECIAL DRESSINGS - Most unique salad every. Has > 10 types of vege like jambu ayer, white radish, green radish, purple cabbage, petai (smelly beans), green mango, ripe mango, man guang, winged bean.... While I like the wide range of antioxidants and other stuff, the thousand island like dressing is a bit heavy for the dish, maybe they can mix in some lemon juice to lighten it  up.

SPICY PERANAKAN BUFFALO WINGS � crust not crispy, sauce not distinctive cause it is mild. Maybe a different batter will do the trick.

JUMBO CLUB SANDWICH � the chicken thigh patty is cooked just nice with some nice charred parts and tender on the inside. Quite a big portion, will order for my kids the next time i come

PORK KNUCKLES PONTEH - sauce is a bit diluted so not much flavor

BEER BATTERED FISH & CHIPS � ordinary, using the dory type of fish

PORK KNUCKLES GARAM ASSAM - used canned pineapple for the sweetness. I ta pau some home and my wife loved the sweet-spicy combination.

All prices in the menu is nett, similar price range to to the other 2 restaurants mentioned earlier. Woody has a wide range of beers. Peranakan dishes require more time then the usual western fried stuff and we waited 30min before the first dish emerges, so factor some lead time for that. Service staff could take more initiative to bring individual plates for sharing, serviettes etc. Avoid seating near the smoking section. Generally the decor is eclectic and place is quite well maintained (like someone's home)

i have to say that i felt pretty honored to be among the very few handpicked by the HGW team to put my spice threshold to the test. it didnt cross my mind that only there were only so few in this community that could make the cut... anyway, the thought of having to cut thru the island to this very very hidden find is really a one-off experience.

at 1st glance, the setup reminded me of the very familiar setting i'd find in Thailand (by the way, God have mercy on them), where the seats were in the front yard w/ tarpaulin & blinking lights. shortly after being seated, the thirst for beer quickly filled my mind - erdinger dunkel was the beverage of the day.

and when the food started rolling onto the table, i sensed my jaw loosen in awe. i guess the rarity of this place is really all in the menu, bcos it is probably considered taboo that a peranakan joint would serve anything else other than peranakan food. there was a good mix, and i'll make special mention for the ones that make me salivate as i recollect my thoughts for this review.

Devil's Curry Chicken (level 2) - very good taste & fragrance, and i give it the thumbs up bcos of the softened yet flavorful bittergourd, while the chicken was cooked just nice, where the meat comes off the bones intact. as for the spice factor, i hardly broke a sweat while eating, while the spice kicks in slowly on the after taste. if toast was complimentary, i'd probably clean up the bowl.

Lamb Shank Rendang - this is 1 of the specialties, braised in stout & their inhouse secret recipe. there is a sweet after taste to it, and i thought it's worth a mention for it's novelty.

Pork Knuckle Ponteh - i was mentally prepared to get some overwhelming flavors screaming from this dish, but to my surprise, it was mellowed and makes chugging it down the gut a breeze. the tenderness of the port was timed really well, because i didnt have to wrestle the meat to get my cuts

Mango Salad - is also another inhouse forte. there's a very delightful mix of different mangos, radishes, lettuce, jambul & gourds. another signature dish doused in signature inhouse dressing.

Pork Knuckle Garam Assam - i thougt this was yet another dish that bowled me over. the flavors of the sweet pineapple bathing in the sauce, the softened pork with that sweetness was all there's needed to seal the meal.

all in all, the meal was good, didnt even need desserts.

p.s.: very hidden find, unless u drive or cab, the alternative is heli-insert.

For other reviews and more photographs, do visit www.aimakan.wordpress.com

This ingenious hidden gem could be the next craze in my list; for its laid-back alfresco dining setting and enticing grubs. As a pub in disguise, you would never have imagined that Woody Family Pub Cafe serve home-cooked styled Peranakan cuisines with an inventive twist. Some not-your-usual Volcanic Spicy Peranakan Buffalo Wings, stout bruised lamb shank Rendang or Pork knuckle Asam Pedas. I see those peepers widening and lips smacking, let’s keep it coming; alright?

Mango Salad ($14.90). Ditch that Thai Green Mango salad impression aside, here comes the Peranakan version. With loads of exotic fruits and vegetables piled up together and topped with their homemade sambal salad sauce, you are sure to be digging in with mouthfuls after mouthfuls. Every single bite was a surprise; with Petai (smelly bean), bitter gourd slices, bite-sized Jumbu and a couple of unrecognizable ones.

Volcanic Spicy Peranakan Buffalo Wings (6pcs/$17.90). When the Woody say buffalo wings, they really do mean Huge, enormous wings. Forget those scrawny wings you get from supermarkets for barbeques, they are nowhere near these monsters. Seasoned with the owner aka Chef Jenny’s very own chili padi sambal recipe; those wings could possibly fly you to the moon. Please don’t ever try attempting the extreme without surveying first, you could lose that tongue of yours anytime.

Dory Fish Tempra ($17.90, comes with a serving of brown rice). Fresh, tender portion of dory bruised lightly in a pool of self-concocted sauce.

A little saltish in my opinion so do pair with the rice, though so the fish was well-marinated all the way through.

Devil’s Curry Chicken ($17.90) is actually a traditional Portuguese delicacy. So, why is it available at Woody’s? According to Jenny, who is a nyonya (peranakan term for the ladies); in the olden days and even till today, both the Peranakan and Portuguese communities thrive in Malacca thus resulting in a merger of these two distinctive cuisines. The chef’s rendition is a massive chicken thigh oversized enough to disguise as a turkey’s, submerged beneath this brilliant mixture of spiced gravy. With a loaf of bread on the side, tear a chunk off and dip into the curry; it is finger licking good.

Lamb Shank Rendang. This mean piece of meat is brewed for 3-4 hours in guinness stout and lots of other secret ingredients that allow it to be this rich and gratifying, it scores big time. I just can’t get my eyes off it or should it the mouth instead?

Drenched with liquor just before serving, it removes any unwanted gaminess from the mutton; leaving it even more palatable and with a tiny tinge of alcohol. Sedap!

I do have a minor advice to anyone who wants to try this place out anytime soon, the kitchen is a little shorthanded as Jenny and Jennifer (Jenny’s important right-hand lady) are the only ones slavering to bring top-notch chows onto your table; therefore you might need to have a little more patience than usual. The fares are definitely worthwhile waiting for.

For photos and more reviews, visit us at http://foodphd.wordpress.com!

Nestled within private estates in the far end of Sembawang is Woody Family Pub Cafe – a cosy alfresco dining place dishing up Peranakan cuisine. On a Thursday night, the place wasn’t rowdy, and with music playing in the background, it was an ideal place to chill and laze around with friends and family. Heeding the advice of the chef-owner Ms Jenny, we ordered the following dishes – soup of the day: Fusion Rebus Assam, Mango Salad, Dory Fish Tempra, Peranakan Buffalo Wings (Spicy Level) and Devil’s Curry Chicken.

Fusion Rebus Assam – Chicken slow cooked with pumpkin, lemon grass, shallots, onions. The Fusion Rebus Assam tasted similar to that of chicken soup/stock. Though we did find lemon grass in the soup, there wasn’t much of a lemon grass taste or fragrance. Contrary to what the name has suggested, there were no sourish taste of assam too. The soup was more on the lighter side, not too heavy and rich in flavours. Each bowl of soup came with a small drumstick which was tender but tasteless. The essence of the chicken went into the soup. It doesn’t seem all too representative of Perankan food and was something pretty average.

Mango Salad – Green garden vegetables, mango topped with special salad dressing. The salad dressing was pretty unique, it was different from the typical thousand island dressing. It was a little spicy and gave that extra kick to the salad. The generous amount of crispy oats sprinkled on top gave the salad an additional texture and sweetness.  The vegetables (gourds, green carrots, tomatoes, radish) and fruits (guavas, apples, mangoes) used in the salad were quite fresh and crunchy, except for the mango. The mango was on the mushy and soft side, which we thought would do better if crunchier version of Thai mangoes were used. It was a unique salad, something not commonly found elsewhere. However, with other more outstanding dishes at Woody (featured below), we concluded that we may have to give this a miss next time.

The buffalo wings we’ve tried so far have been the Mexican/Texas/Western kinds from Chili’s and Buckaroo. Hence we were rather surprised to see Woody promoting their very own spicy Peranakan buffalo wings. The wings were generously coated with a layer of chunky thick sambal chili and that alone left us excited! The wings were very spicy even at the intermediate level, leaving us tearing with uncontrollable runny nose.  The flavours of these buffalo wings were authentically Peranakan, and was a deviation away from the sourness of Texas buffalo wings. Still, we thoroughly enjoyed these fire-coated and finger licking wings!

Dory Fish Tempra – Dory fish braised with dark sauce, onions and chili padi. The dory fish was very fresh, without any fishy taste. It was pretty soft and we could just slowly let it melt in our mouths. We didn’t quite like the watery consistency of the dark sauce; it didn’t seem to complement the fish very well. Though it was said that the dish contained chili padi, we hardly detected any spiciness. The essence of the dish has got to be the fresh, soft and juicy dory fish.

One of Woody’s signature dishes is the Devil’s Curry Chicken – Chicken cooked with Woody’s special curry spices, chicken hot dogs, green papaya, gourds, potatoes and carrots. And one thing special is that the curry chicken does not contain coconut milk! Even without coconut milk, the Devil’s Curry Chicken was still fragrant and packed with robust flavours. It did not seem to carry the fragrance and flavours of the curry leaves, but still, this has got to be one of the better curries we have tried. It was very thick and rich, and not forgetting, the curry was adequately spicy and went well with the freshly toasted baguettes. Perhaps because there wasn’t any coconut milk, the curry didn’t make us too sick and overwhelmed. Rather, we were pretty addicted to dipping the crispy baguette into the curry sauce. We liked the thoroughly curry-soaked vegetables, but a pity they were not in abundance. The chicken in the curry came in the form of a large chicken thigh. The portion was really huge, definitely sufficient for at least 3 people. However, the addition of the hotdogs did not go quite well with us, though this is known to be a Portuguese style tradition.  

There were a few hits and misses, but on the whole, we were rather impressed with the home-cooked family style dishes at Woody Family Pub Cafe. The Peranakan style dishes were appealing and palate captivating, a better alternative to the much hyped Peranakan Blue Ginger resturant.

Located in a cosy Sembawang landed property neighbourhood, this is not a convenient place for those without personal transport. If you don't pay attention when you are in Andrews Avenue, you might miss out on this place due to the imposing sign by their neighbour Jackaroo. But not to worry, a few more steps, you can see the Woody Family Cafe sign.

Let me give you a warning first. The main ingredients for the dishes at this place is Sambal (Chilli paste) and Chilli Padi. So if these two ingredients are not cup of tea (like me) and you are not to keen to become a dragon spitting fire after a few bite of the food here, this might not be your chowing place. If you are those kamikaze type of person and willing to sacrifice everything to enjoy those burning and numb chilli sensation, this is a place that you die die must try.

Some of the dishes to highlight.

Lamb shank rendang with loaf. Lamb shank stewed in Guiness stout, with peranakan spices, flavour, a touch of Brandy (no coconut milk) and Chilli Padi. This dish is a must try if you are here. The meat are nice and tender, not gamey as the beer, brandy and chilli padi already take care of this part. The chilli level is low, but you can feel it after a while.

Ayam Tempra. Ayam (Chicken) braised with dark sauce, onions and Chilli padi. They use the thigh and drumstick part of the chicken so the meat will be tender not hard. Seriously, the chicken more like a turkey, it is d*** big. First bite, the taste of the chicken and dark sauce is quite subtle, before the chilli kicks in.

Pork knuckles garam assam with brown rice. The dishes garam assam suppose to mean a dish that able to stimulate one's appetite with its tangy sourish flavour. If you see the picture, this dish is more like red hot curry, where it dares you to eat it. Dare if you must, but suffer the consequences afterwards. It is not the tangy sour flavour that stimulate the appetite but the full on chilli taste numb your tongue afterwards.

Spicy peranakan buffalo wings special � Mild. According to the chef/owner, they actually soaked the wings in sambal and add some more chilli at the end according to the level requested. We tried mild (around level 3) and we can feel the heat already, and I am slurping into my mango smoothies to cool down the fire. There are 5 more levels, with the highest called explosion

Woody Cheesy Steak Sandwich. Streaky Beef & onion with special spicy sambal dressing and garden salad and corn chips. The sauted beef, onion and cheese in between ciabatta bun, with mayo and salads. Yum yum, surprisingly this might be the meal that goes down well with your beer. I avoided the sambal dressing and stick with the safe side only.

Other Non-fiery options:

Fried mushrooms in tempura style. You have different type of mushrooms like oyster, enoki and shimeji coated with tempura batter. They tried to put it some twist, in the dipping sauce but if you don't dip, you should be ok.

Service, is quite slow and minimum. Although it is Monday night and business is slow, they should have more than one active waiter on duty.

Overall, this is a good place to hang out and catch up with your buddies. No distraction of loud music, cosy atmosphere. Services are slow, but if you have time to burn in your hand, you probably won't mind. Food wise, if you are up to the fiery challenge, then come and try it. But it is just not for me. Looking forward, I do hope the owner/chef can compromise or lower down the spiciness level, especially if you want to target family section of the business.

 

Thanks to HGW invitation, now I can tell my wife I ate lots of spicy food he..he..

Many people says that to enjoy good food, we travel north. Today I followed the tiny arrow in my compass and I ended up at Woody Family Pub Cafe. I cannot back this up with any evidence but my gut feeling tells me that this could be the northest eating place in Singapore. It is tucked at a nice cosy corner along Andrew Avenue and incidentally situated north of a larger and more prominent bar. You may be confused at the name of the place. Is it a family restaurant, a pub or a cafe? You may be pleasantly surprised at how a single place can actually represent all of the above. 

Fusion food has always been a highlight of Singapore's crusine given that we have a clash of cultures on this tiny island. Yet, not many brave souls out there will attempt to marry a historically tested (and Little Nonya-revived) Peranakan culture with the typical burgers and fries staple of the beer culture. The menu boasts a wide variety of food and drink items. 

One of the must tries for those with "hot lips", or a fiery tongue, is the Garam Assam Pork Knuckle. This is a real twist from the typical german pork knuckle. It was not crispy and neither will it go well with any beer. The best company to this dish will be a couple of bowls of white rice. The immense heat that wells up within you manifest itself in beads and occasionally, streams of perspiration flowing from your hair scalp. If you have a low tolerance for spicy food, take this as a last dish to prevent your tongue from being numb! 

The lamb shank was another highlight of the evening. While the sauce bore a strong "mutton smell", the lamb itself was actually pretty tasty. Nevertheless, the seasoning of the lamb continued to inherit a strong Peranakan touch of chili padi and the spice trickled in slowly. 

Peranakan Buffalo Wings was another signature dish from Woody. This is unlike the peppery sting of the typical wings that boast a numerical rating. The wings at Woody are marinated with some 13 asian spices before they are served with a thick coating of, guess what? Sambal. Apparently, I managed to find out from the owner that there is a secret rating of hotness. It is known as "eruption". Having tried their dishes earlier, the timid soul in me screamed out a "mild" before I could utter another word. The wings are indeed different from the usual buffalo wings although one can hardly distinguish or fully appreciate the variety of spices in the face of the fiery sambal sauce. 

Food at Woody generally has a spicier side to their usual self, even the chicken soup was overly-peppery for my liking. It turned out that almost everything at Woody's had a twise, a sambal twist. I had fried mushroom with sambal and even fish otah with sambal. This is definitely one of the places that will "spice" up your life. Come prepared.  

had the privilege to join Hoongyi and the rest for a food tasting at Woody's. Before embarking on the journey to Woody's, done some read up on HGW. Reviews weren't that fantastic. 

Chef/owner was there recommending their house specialty to us. We decided to order a few for sharing. 

Entree 

1)Chicken Soup. 

A clear peppery soup with traces of chilli padi. One drumlet garnished with sliced celery and onion. [2/5] Not for my palette. I do not like overly peppery soup. HB liked the soup. 

2)Mushrooms fritters. 

Ordered this after the first round of fiery dishes. Presence of Enoki, Shimeiji and Oyster Mushroom, tempura style. Batter a little heavy. Serves with sambal as a dip. [3/5]

3)Cheezy Curly Fries. Fries are crispy. Good to go with beer. [3/5]

4) Mild sambal buffalo wings

not the kind of buffalo wings that made you choke and teary. chef claimed that the wings are marinated with sambal and other ingredients for a good deal of time. looks promising. First bite, did not taste the sambal/other spices.

5) Fish Oteh

A conventional fish oteh spread with sambal chilli. i prefer the Oteh from Muar.

Mains -

1)Assam Geram Pork Knuckle 

Super fiery assam geram with pork kunckle. Serves with rice/bread. The red hot looking gravy is for the hardcore chilli fans. Tongue Numbing Sensation. [2.5/5]

2) Ayam Tempra - Braised Chicken Leg

A jumbo chicken leg braised in soya sauce and chilli padi. The pleasant looking dish was a disappointment. The chicken leg did not absorb much of the spices. [2/5]

3) Lamb shank with Stout

I love this dish even though the lamb is little gamey in taste. The lamb shank was nicely braised and marinated. [4/5] 

While the chef is very passionate about her dishes (like most peranankans do), her fusion nonya foods do not really suit me. Not likely to return for food but will definitely recommend Woody to those who are fans of chilli/spices dishes...

The food there is still decent although they should be more proud of their drinks instead. But I can't help but comment that their service (or is there any) is atrocious. The staff and mgmt are seen walking around aimlessly while customers wait in frustration to get some attention or to chase on the status of their long awaited orders. Although it seemed that the bosses do pay more attention to their regular customers, that should not divert them from that of the other customers. It took me 3 visits to expend my purchased promotion coupon, thanks to the lady boss' confusing and self-determined rules of how it cam be used. Yet, they had never failed to amaze me with their consistently poor service. So, go try if you like to test how far your patience can stretch.