Publishers Note: Having visited this restaurant numerous times over the past four years, both for lunch and dinner, having been more warmly welcomed each time, and been delighted by the food, I found this review irresistible and pertinent to PC principles.

Merlion (Singaporean) Family Restaurants by Carol Barrow

My daughter and I went to the Merlion in Southern Village, Chapel Hill (North Carolina) for dinner last night.

We go there for the Char Siew soup. We think it acts like penicillin, and can cure you of anything that ails you through the steam of its broth and the aromas that come with it.  We love that broth, the long noodles, the almost raw baby bok choy, the dumplings and the roast pork.  Sometimes we even ask them to add Beijing duck to the soup.  You know – duck soup!

Last night was special, though.  I changed soups.  I had the spicy seafood in lemongrass broth.  It was spectacular.  I know that they have a lovely menu, and that anyone can make “pineapple fried rice (yeah, sure….),” but we like their soup so much more than anyone else’s around town.

I keep forgetting that there are more restaurants than just on “the strip”.  Good restaurants are all over the place, you just have to look for them.  I’m going to let you in on a secret.  I have narrowed my down my eating out to family owned restaurants.

You know the kind: where the waiter is the owner and he remembers you and your family and what you like to eat.  He makes sure your water glass is full because he cares.  He wants you to come back.  He makes sure the place is clean andn the service is good because he has a stake in you.  When you come the first time he’s got the restaurant’s rent paid.  The second time, you’ve covered food costs, and the third time you come back, its about profit.

That’s not why he does it though.  A family-owned restaurant WANTS to be there.  It opened up in the first place because the owner genuinely likes people and wants to make them happy through his delicious courses.  The generosity of the owner’s spirit comes through in the way the dishes turn out.

Last night was spectacular for another reason.  We crashed the family dinner.  Well, not quite crashed, but we were looking for the waitress who graduated high school with my daughter Flora  When I couldn’t find her I went looking for her.  And there they were:  simon and his wife Winnie; Nicole (my daughter’s friend); and her mother, Nancy, who also works there.  Eating dinner together.

Of course my daughter was mortified that I just sat down.  Then Nicole asked me if I wanted to taste her delicious chicken, and handed me a fork.  She was right, it was delicious.  Then Flora eased her way to the table and joined the conversation. (Flora was right to be mortified, not everyone has the skills to crash a family meal.  It isn’t a trick that just anyone can get away with.)

This is what life is really about – neighbours.  Stopping in.  Making room.  Being treated as family, even in a restaurant.  I couldn’t swear it, but I don’t think that would ever happen in a Red Lobster.

Merlion link here