Cahaya Restaurant

Unclaimed

Update: Fantastic experience today. Super yummy Food and drinks for 4 people for only $40. Ordered 2 new dishes today. There was chicken rice chili sauce on the table for you to add to your dish. Teochew KwayTiao - soooo goood. They use the big fat kway Tiao noodle and were generous with the squid. Claypot chicken rice - the rice is served SIZZLING in the claypot!!!!!! Super super good. Chicken was tender and rice was sooo good with the burnt crispy layer at the bottom. Veggies were so good with the sauce too. Pleasant nostalgic experience on a Saturday afternoon. Only green chili is available at the table, no other types of chili was offered. Ordered 3 types of food items and 3 types of drinks. We ordered 2 portions of hotplate chicken rice and 2 portions of lemon chicken rice, but clearly, the portions were drastically different in size. Out of the 2, 1 portion was much smaller than the other. Hotplate chicken rice - the clear winner of the day! This was awesome for $8 in orchard road. A huge portion of super tender chicken, rice and vegetables on a sizzling hotplate. The entire dish was drenched with sauce. Good chili would have made it perfect. Lemon chicken rice - reminded me of the lemon chicken I used to eat in secondary school ? chicken was crispy yet tender and lemon sauce was drizzled over it. Again, would have been better with some spice on the side. Hotplate Black pepper squid - for $18 it was just ok Bandung and Thai ice tea was sweet and milky Will return to try other items on the menu.

When my wife suggested we pop over to Cahaya suffice to say without hesitation I was going yes that’s a brilliant choice. Cahaya is not only an institution, a brand name so well known among all Singapore Muslims for being among the pioneer and early halal Chinese Thai offerings at our Orchard city area back then bereft of choices. Every other person who grew up with us know Cahaya is often spoken of with such personal nostalgic reverence. It does not offer the best in food selections nor is it a great conducive venue to eat at. In fact most times one must be prepared to wait for a spot to be free to grab. It is just a beloved nod to everything good in the feels connected to plenty of unforgettable sweet memories through the years. Most families in Singapore would have dined there. Waited patiently uncomplaining for a communal table space to be free; often next to other diners sharing space and yet no one truly really complains. The service remains not unfriendly but it isn’t ebullient either. At times some of the serving staff among them who have been with it for a long time – often harried and dashing here and there – are evidently unsmiling coping. It just didn’t bother anyone one bit. Everyone simply patiently waited their turn at Cahaya. Like its namesake which spells light, Cahaya is just a bright spot of comfort food for most of us. It will also forever hold a sweet spot for all of us. Generations of families gather there and I know will continue to patronise it. Our parents brought us to it and we in turn introduced it to our own kids, hoping one day – it’s an institution still standing and serving from our youth in the 70s – it will still be there. Cahaya feeds our soul and it stands special against any place we’ve perhaps moved or segued more towards over time but somehow from time to time you’ll always come back and gravitate to what is a shining comfort rooted in memories of a lifetime. So what about the food then? With plenty of comfort Chinese Thai favourite choices you’ll always have something that pleases your palette. For me it’s always the claypot rice and hot plate options. They’re not the best but they are good and comfortingly satisfying. Yes the prices have gone up – which eating establishment has not? – but the food quality and taste thankfully remain nostalgically familiar and consistent. My wife likes their classic roasted chicken rice or noodles. But the one dish which is a must have side accompaniment for our family is their addictive fried wantons. We’ve had and tried so many – including in finer and posher ones – and theirs personally are our favourite but if you’re discerning it is just sublime. It’s crunchy on the outside with a tasty filling that is yummy. And if you lightly touch them in the sweet dark soy sauce that comes with it, what you taste and feel is akin to coming home to mom’s comfort food so delish, good and enveloping. To complete the simple feel good meal you must have it with their homemade sweet iced lemon tea. Usually a glass is not enough. Our wish is that Cahaya continues to shine and remains unchanged as it is for generations to come. And that our children will get to bring their own to continue with the tradition.

Yesterday I went to eat at this restaurant. It was very delicious. I was very impressed. The price was good and the service was good.

Amazing food and service, easily better than any Zi Char (Chinese Seafood Restaurant) out there. I would recommend the Thai claypot prawn glass noodles is very flavourful for people who loves blackpepper; prawns are fresh and sweet. Thai lemongrass Chicken cutlet with fried rice is really good too, especially with their special thai seafood chilli sauce. Even the Ngoh Hiang is delicious and satisfying. Will definitely come again.