Booking with Soo Leng was pleasant as she took note of my taste requirements seriously. Noting that I preferred less sweet desserts but am not a fan of icy granita, she offered to change the dessert to Dark Chocolate Whiskey Ice Cream at no extra cost! Dark Chocolate Whiskey Ice Cream is a crowd favourite and I could easily see why; the addition of whiskey elevates the chocolate flavour and makes the ice cream less sweet. If you can take alcohol, ask her for the change! Soo Leng, please don’t come after me if everyone starts asking you for the dessert upgrade!!

When I finally met Soo Leng in person at her place, I found her to to be just as friendly and accommodating. She is also very generous, constantly checking if we need more BBQ buns (she prepared extra in case we are ravenous)! Her place is fabulously renovated with a cosy bar corner (she is into wines while her husband likes cocktails), cove light and a see through mini gym! Her dining table was also set up prettily like a restaurant.

Food wise, I appreciate that she makes an effort to prepare unique fusion dishes. As we were chatting, I wondered why she didn’t offer duck confit on her menu even though she clearly knows how to make it. The reason is because she wants to present dishes that are different and exclusive. And that does not mean a random mix and match for the sake of being special. Every dish is properly thought over so that each item can achieve a good balance of sweet, tangy, savoury and spicy. For example, a spicy and salt-ish grilled duck breast will be complemented with a sweet and slightly tangy sauce while the sweetness from a BBQ pulled pork will be reduced by adding minced ginger and a dash of lemon.

On the whole I loved all her dishes though I might prefer her Prawn Broth to be less salty. The complimentary homemade lemonade was also slightly on the sweeter side perhaps because we did not add any ice to it. Other than that, all the other dishes were on point and the portions were substantial. I especially enjoyed the Sze Chuan Pepper Seared Duck in Red Wine Plum Sauce. Instead of the usual beef, we have a duck steak that's cooked to perfection- crisp crust and pink tender meat seasoned with szechuan pepper (don’t worry it is not numbing) and salt then drizzled with a slightly sweet red wine plum sauce. It was sooo good!

This is a very worthwhile meal considering that I am paying less than S$50 nett per person (about S$40++) for a private meal with the Chef serving me personally. If you are looking for a special dining experience at an affordable price, this is it! And now is the best time book this! Because you can save a further 15% on this meal with promo code “MYFOODSTORY15”. Only until 31 August 2017. The only thing you have to worry about? Well, Soo Leng is not available daily.