On the newly opened top floor of The Heeren Shops, Dai Ka Jie stands out from the rest of the F&B franchises. Literally translated into “big sister” from Cantonese, it oozes old school vibes with its retro décor and a menu comprising home‑styled Chinese food (the kind your granny probably has the recipe to). We were impressed with the service—after asking to be seated away from the direct blast of the air vents as we were feeling chilly, the waitress served us with warm plain water instead of the usual iced water. Now that’s what we call initiative. Afterwards, she was prompt and attentive throughout. The Dai Ka Jie fried rice came in a tummy‑filling heap generously sprinkled with prawns and Chinese sausages, although it could have done with a bit more flavoring. We also had the Granny Mui roast duck, one of the signature dishes. Unfortunately, the meat was not tender but fatty. The stewed moi choi vegetables and eggplant, however, was delicious despite being a simple dish—it was appetizing and reminiscent of home‑cooked food indeed. But disappointingly, the meal ended on a low note: Our dessert of durian pudding was hard, dry and tasteless, save for the scoop of accompanying durian ice‑cream. This is a somewhat reasonable choice if you want to have something different from the run‑of‑the mill franchise outlets in the vicinity, but not if you want something truly notable.
