Singaporian Restaurant?

 DS>  From: [email removed] (Dan Sheridan)
 DS>  Subject: Singaporian restaurant?

 (from a visit 10/95):

 Merlion, 147 E. Berkeley St., Boston 02118 between Harrison and
 Washington. 617 482 3848, fax 482 4868. Open M-F 11A-2P for
 lunch, 7 days 5P-12Mid for dinner (same price). Wheelchair ok.

 This is primarily a busy take-out joint (the 3848 number actually
 has 3 lines), but there are 2 2-seat tables and 5 or so counter
 stools. Ambience is -273.16C, with the kitchen clatter and radio
 blaring the only sound that competes with that of people giving
 their orders or munching away.

 The menu has most of the usual Chinese take-out things at fairly
 reasonable prices (3 Peking ravioli = 1.65, 3 fried shrimp = 2.45,
 rice plates 3.25-5.25), but the distinguishing feature is the
 several dozen Singapore-style dishes: omelets, sweet-sour, and
 noodles.

 We had the hot and sour soup, which was a standard version, served
 in a plastic pint bowl (the kind we used to call chicken-liver
 containers); it was much more sour than hot, but the guy behind
 the counter provided me with a little thing of sambal oelek, which
 made life somewhat better. It was a lot of food, a little monochromatic,
 for $2. The squid balls (5 little ones for $2.25) were more interesting,
 rather like the fried minced shrimp you get in Chinese dim sum places.
 They came with a black soy and molasses sauce, quite tasty and quite
 different from the usual Chinese dipping sauces.

 Satay Bee Hoon, rice vermicelli with satay pork and shrimp in peanut
 sauce, was just okay, a tremendous amount of food for $5.25. The
 noodles were that peculiar dry-soft texture that some people love
 (but Ellen decidedly did not; she ate virtually none of them), and
 the peanut sauce was also a little on the dry side - sort of the
 way the satay sauce I make would be if I cut it half and half with
 ground roast peanuts. The meat (lots) and shrimp (3) were fine.

 Oyster omelette was a big winner. I'd never had an omelette with
 batter on it before, but that was secondary to what it was topped
 with - several huge and fresh oysters (welll ... maybe vacuum packed
 Washington staters) in a sauce that was mostly chopped garlic and a
 little soy. $6, and if it had come with plain rice on the side (it
 didn't) it would have been a modest but sufficient meal for two.

 Oh, Coke, Sprite, and tea (an oolong bag in a plastic cup) are
 .65 each.

 We got there at 1:30 and were barely halfway through at 2, when
 they close up for siesta or something. The cook and cashier left,
 and we chatted with the guy who was presumably the owner, the only
 Singaporean who works in the shop, while we ate. We ended up promising
 to come back, and we probably will. But not for any kind of romantic
 dinner, let me tell you. It's definitely a neighborhood place. Oh,
 yes, it's kind of far from any T stop. I think Chinatown might be
 the closest.

  * KingQWK 1.05 # 187 *

 If it is Merlion which was written up - I did read the article, the
 restaurant is in the South End, on Berkeley or E. Berkeley St (it was
 one long street that I know is eventually Berkeley). Kind of diagonal from
 Quinzani's bakery.

 I ate there a few weeks ago. It's mostly takeout with a few stools and two
 tables to sit at. The food seemed like your basic Asian type of food, prepared
 with different sauces. The menu lists dishes and where they are from (I think
 there was Chinese, Singapore, and possibly Malaysian). The guy who took our
 order spoke Chinese, but this should not detract from the authenticity of the
 place, since my friend pointed out that he could have been born there of
 Chinese parents or some such. Anyhow, we liked it. We had some sort of noodles
 in curry sauce (laksa?), some lo mein type of thing made with black soy sauce,
 and an oyster omelette - which I think was mentioned in the article.