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Food & Beverage
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I remember visiting the now defunct Haw Par Villa when I was still a kid in primary school. At that time, Haw Par Villa had opened with much fanfare and I remember paying an exorbitant amount (in the $20 range I believe) just to gain entry. Those days are long gone and all that is left of the sprawling theme park are the forgotten statues and a recently opened Chinese restaurant called Made In China which is managed by the Singapore Explorer group, the very group that manages Pier Eleven. Now who in the right mind would open a restaurant in the middle of a deserted theme park that is not really accessible without a vehicle?
Parking is a breeze because you can literally park anywhere you want along the slope that leads up to the restaurant. It all depends on how much you are willing to walk. As I stepped into the restaurant compound, everything seemed so surreal. The building and its surroundings seemed to have come out straight from some ancient martial arts flick that I used to watch. The interior of the restaurant brought me back to reality though. Sparsely furnished, this is one place that believes in spacing out its tables for the comfort of its guests and I appreciate it.
The Peking duck was both good and bad. The skin was crackling crispy and had minimal fats under it. This is probably the crispiest Peking duck skin that I've ever eaten. Such a delightful skin was only let down by the rather lacklustre skin which was thin but tasteless. The meat on the other hand, was a total letdown. A tad dry and not as tender as I had expected. There was also a discernible, albeit faint, fowl taste.
For the price ($25) , the shark's fin and fish maw soup was good. First looks, it actually reminded me of curry because of the yellowish soup base. The soup was rather intense in flavour and came across as thick and starchy while the fins and fish maw were aplenty and pretty decent. According to the waitress, the soup base is boiled for 42 hours using old chicken, old duck (literal translation) and some other stuff that are supposed to be beneficial to the body.
The Fried Golden Butter Prawns came looking rather messy and not the least bit like prawns, more like chunks of fried stuff. The batter was lightly salted and crispy with a lingering buttery aftertaste while the prawns were fresh but none too succulent. I did find this dish a little disappointing because the butter batter came across as bland, unlike the egg yolk variations I've eaten before which were decidedly more savoury. But then again, its quite decent.
Pan Grilled Miso Marinated Beef Tenderloin - Honestly, I didn't think too much of this dish. It looked like it had been drenched in oil and the black pepper taste was overwhelming, so much so that I couldn't really make out if it was beef or pork. The doneness of the beef didn't help either.
Desserts weren't fantastic but decent nevertheless. The crust of the Red Bean Paste Pancake was a little too thick for my liking and the red bean filling seemed a little runny and low on the sugar content. The Yam Paste in Coconut fared better. It's actually Orh Nee served in a coconut. The yam was very smooth, not too coagulated and mildy sweet. Only bone I had was that too much coconut milk was added and it didn't gel very well with the yam paste. The Black Glutinous Rice with Ice Cream derived its sweetness from the scoop of vanilla ice cream in its midst but was average tasting.
I'll be lying if I said that I could walk up straight after such a hearty meal because I simply couldn't, try as hard as I might. And it didn't exactly cost me a bomb either. Standing just shy of $120 for 2 pax, it's certainly not cheap but definitely a notch or two down the price scale relative to restaurants that serve up a similar quality of food.
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Rating given:
Flutes at the Fort - a modern Australian restaurant housed within an old refurbished colonial bungalow and set against the historical backdrop of Fort Canning Park. Amidst the lush greenery and idyllic setting, one would hardly expect to find anything but birds and trees here, much less a restaurant, a swanky one at that.
Getting there can be quite a hassle as the route to the restaurant is quite complicated unless you drive and park at the complimentary valet carpark. But even then, you will have to make your way up a flight of stairs just to get there. But its all worth it. The old bungalow is beautifully restored with modern finishes yet retaining its rustic charm. Ambient lighting is practised and the windows overlook Fort Canning's lovely foliage. There is an option of sitting indoors in the cosy air conditioned area or outdoors at the veranda, with the latter being ideal for cool evenings.
The complimentary sourdough bread was quite good - served warm with the crust lightly crackling and the interior soft and fluffy. Definitely a welcome dish to temporarily stem our hunger pangs. Just don't get carried away and stuff yourself with it or else you are not going to be able to enjoy your other food (aka the ones that cost money).
Carpaccio of Hokkaido Scallops - The only thing that I found interesting about this dish was the breadstick which was served alongside. It was extremely brittle and came coated with a layer of seaweed, giving it a nice salty taste. The thinly sliced scallops, which were supposed to be the main draw, were a little too soft and tasteless for me. Not that my other friends disagreed also.
Double Baked Alaskan King Crab Soufflé - "Where's the king crab?" was my initial reaction to this dish. Clearly that was top of my list when I ordered this dish. After a few prods and scoops, the elusive king crab was still nowhere to be found. Not that this dish tasted bad anyway (It was cheesy with a slight hint of crab). In fact, it was so good that I had the urge to order another serving, but at $25 a pop, it was a no brainer really.
My main course, the Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly. Just to reiterate that Kurobuta Pork is akin to Kobe beef in the pork hierarchy, therefore making it highly prized and expensive. The Kurobuta pork belly was nothing short of excellent, with the fats literally melt in your mouth tender and the meat fibrous yet retaining a certain firmness. Did I mention anything about the skin being crackling crispy as well? The accompanying Sauteed Portobello mushrooms were juicy and soaked up the wonderful Star Aniseed Jus, making for a wonderful and flavourful side. Please be warned that this dish is definitely not for the health conscious.
The warm Pur - Caraibe Chocolate Fondant was slightly different from the usual renditions offered by other places. There was no molten chocolate in the centre to ooze out when I broke open the shell. Instead, molten chocolate was generously poured over the entire cake and allowed to cool, resulting in a gleaming black chocolate coated cake. Taste wise, I couldn't have asked for more. The cake was moist and spongy and I could detect teeny weeny pockets of chocolate within the cake that would burst forth as I bit into it.
The Fresh Peach and Vanilla Creme Brulee kinda lowered the standards a little. Granted that the pudding was smooth and not too sweet, but the layer of charred sugar atop was way too thick. Thick enough to get stuck in your teeth and irritate the hell out of you with every bite. The accompanying Chempedak and Mint ice cream was good though, mildly sweet with a tinge of the familiar chempedak flavour. Best of all, the ice cream is placed atop a base of slightly burnt Gula Melaka and coconut shavings which only serve to enhance the taste.
Excellent food, excellent ambience, excellent company. I'm a happy man (Not so happy after I got the bill amounting to almost $520 for 7 pax). I personally feel that the price isn't too steep for the quality of food you get here and especially the fantastic ambience. Service is great to boot. On a side note, thanks to all who turned up for the dinner!
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Rating given:
What a pleasant surprise, when I discovered the good food and excellent service at Hog's Breathe Cafe yesterday. It was my birthday, so the good stuffs were definitely welcomed!
I had their Atlantic Salmon with fries and salad. The portion is huge and it's very nice! I tried their Chicken Tender too, which is just as good.
The prices are fairly reasonable for their portion. At the end of the meal we were really really full!
Definitely must re-visit. :)
Rating given:
Raffles Creamery is yet another ice cream outlet that offers the create your own ice cream plus toppings option. The other two places that I know of are Ice Cream Chefs and Cold Rock Ice Creamery at East Coast Road and Holland Village respectively.
Located at the courtyard of Raffles Hotel just behind Seah Street Deli, Raffles Creamery is the latest "culinary" offering from the grand old dame. A brightly lighted counter adorned with glass jars filled with various condiments greet you in the middle of the courtyard in accompaniment to 2 smiling waitresses who seem to get really flustered with the sudden influx of customers.
I had the Rocky Road ice cream with toppings of Banana Jelly and Oreos. To my surprise, they didn't offer to mix it up for me nor did they ask me if I wanted it mixed up. It was simply take a scoop of ice cream, put some banana jelly and oreos by the side and there you go. Honestly, I was shocked. So much for offering a mix in option. That aside, the ice cream was really creamy and smooth but thats not exactly a compliment as the taste of milk was quite overbearing. And the so called "imported from Germany" banana jelly tasted like chewy candy with a banana taste. Now how special is that?
I paid almost $6 for a scoop of ice cream with 2 seperate condiments. It isn't expensive but without the novelty factor, I could have gotten better ice cream from Ben & Jerry's for the same price. Last I checked, no revisits are in my schedule.
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Rating given:
Cherry Garden at The Oriental Singapore, voted one of the best restaurants in 2006 & 2007 by Singapore Tatler and one of Singapore's top restaurant in 2006 by Wine and Dine magazine, played host to my gf and I as we popped by for lunch before embarking on our new year shopping spree.
Stepping into the restaurant takes you into a different world - a world where our ancestors lounged and dined in courtyards found only in TV programs and complete with a replica of an age old bird cage. I guess WOW would be most apt in describing my first reaction to the almost picturesque scene which unfolded before me. Even my gf, who's not one to be impressed easily, was taken aback by the charcoaled teak panels, slate floors and ambient lighting. Without a doubt, this is one of the, if not THE best decor I've seen in a Chinese restaurant in Singapore. Don't believe me? Look at the pictures. ;)
Appetiser of Deep Fried Silver Fish - This didn't appear anywhere in our set lunch menu, so it must be complimentary. Nicely deep fried with the coating of flour crispy and not too oily. But could have been better if a little more salt and pepper were added, without which, it would be rather tasteless.
Double Boiled Soup of the Day - Lao Huang Gua Tang translated into Old Yellow Melon Soup - I found this soup quite refreshing as it was light on the palate yet appetising enough to kick start our lunch. However, it was a tad too sweet for me.
Three Varieties of Dim Sum - A very nicely presented dish with 3 types of non conventional Dim Sum. The first was vegetables wrapped in a crystal dumpling skin ala Har Gao style which I didn't find the least bit impressive. Average at best as the dumpling skin wasn't elastic enough. The second was a Shui Jiao with chicken meat and vegetables, which was slightly better than the first one because the chicken provided some fibre to chew on. The third was the best with fresh and crunchy prawns enveloped within a crispy deep fried exterior. Without this, I would have dismissed this dish entirely.
When a dish comes branded as a Chef's recommendation in a fine dining restaurant, it is usually good. However, the Combination of Fresh Scallops in Three Flavours was a case of hits and misses. The Pan Fried Scallop with Salt and Pepper tasted nothing out of the ordinary and nothing that I couldn't get elsewhere. The Deep Fried Scallop Roll with Phyllo Dough was a tad better, with the Phyllo Dough (whatever that is) brittle and crunchy. But it pretty much masked the slightly raw taste of the scallop. I personally found the Chilled Water Melon with Scallop in Garlic - Chilli Citrus Jus the most delectable. Though simply done, the sweetness from the chilled water melon blended well with the slightly salty and raw taste of the scallop and the garlic - chilli citrus jus added a tinge of spice and zest. Each individual flavour was so distinct yet melded together perfectly.
Braised Homemade Tofu topped with Minced Pork and Preserved Vegetables - Perhaps salty best describes this dish, probably due to the preserved vegetables in the gravy. The tofu was soft and silky and very much to my liking while the meat was finely minced but didn't taste out of the ordinary.
Wok Fried Beef Tenderloin with Trio Pepper in Chef's Concoction & Fragrant Fried Rice with Crabmeat, Asparagus and Fish Roe - In case you are wondering, these are 2 seperate dishes altogether but served together on the same plate at the same time in view of the customers hectic lunch schedule. Lets start off with the rice, which had fish roe evenly distributed within. Says alot about the effort put it. Unfortunately, apart from giving the rice a tinge of hardness and adding colour, the fish roe did nothing much. The shreds of crabmeat were almost non existent and the cubes of asparagus didn't taste like much. On the other hand, the Wok Fried Beef Tenderloin with Trio Pepper in Chef's Concoction was quite a star with the beef cubes cooked to perfection. Juicy and tender although it was well done. I didn't think too much about the sauce though. It tasted pretty much like normal pepper sauce to me, albeit a little stronger and thicker.
Chilled Lemongrass Jelly with Aloe Vera Flavoured in Lime Citrus Jus - Now this was the epic finale to the very eye pleasing lunch. Streams of carbon dioxide were shooting through a gap in the cylindrical honey pot look alike serving glass - a result of putting dry ice in water at the bottom of the glass. Visuals aside, I didn't enjoy this dish one bit. The jelly was way too sour and made me cringe everytime I took a bite. Just for the record, I drank 5 cups of tea just for this dish alone to wash down the taste. But if you like sour stuff, then maybe it might taste good to you.
The bill for lunch came up to $111.90 for 2 pax. Certainly on the high side, especially considering that its lunch. Food is slightly above average but not outstanding, with the focus more on aesthetics rather than taste. Each dish is visually appealing and much attention is paid to the tiniest details. It could work on the quality of food though. Service is prompt and unhurried, which is excellent for a leisurely lunch. My conclusion? Go back only if ambience means a lot and quality of food takes a back seat. Oh and of course, if you are feeling rich (dinner is priced per pax by the way).
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Rating given:
Had our monthly dinner at Hua Ting. LSD couldn't make it last minute due to work commitments so there was only 5 of us, which was excellent company nevertheless. Helmed by Master Chef Chan Kwok, Hua Ting is reputed to dish out exquisite and fine Cantonese cuisine and its numerous accolades and awards bear a testament to that.
Situated on the second floor of Orchard Hotel and overlooking Orchard Road, Hua Ting boasts floor to ceiling windows which offer a view of the hustle and bustle along one of Singapore's premiere shopping belt. Opulently decked out in finished wood and Chinese antiques, it oozes charm and serenity, making it the perfect place to sit back, relax and enjoy the food.
I had a go at the Lichee Tea, which was something new to me. It smelt like rose tea and tasted rather bland actually. Not the strong full bodied tea that I like. Also, as there was no filter in the teacup, I had a hard time trying to take a sip of my tea without getting some tea leaves thrown in as well. The lotus root appetiser was quite good, crunchy and a little sourish/salty. The others didn't quite take to it though.
Hua Ting Deluxe Platter - The prawn wrapped in beancurd skin was quite nicely done, with the skin being crisp and the prawns fresh. However, it was a little too salty. The soy chicken was decent, tender with a slight hint of sesame. The fried eel ( I think its eel. Either that or its silverfish) was crispy and went pretty well with the chopped garlic and chilli. The char siew was decent as well, but not outstanding. Last but not least, the jellyfish tended quite a bit to the soft side, not exactly crunchy or chewy. Quite a bummer really.
It is said that no trip to Hua Ting is complete without ordering their renowned roast duck. I am inclined to agree. The duck didn't look like much when it arrived. In fact, I personally felt that it looked rather limp and unappetising. Oh boy, was that about to change. Chewing on a piece of the duck livened my tastebuds, especially after the rather uninspiring deluxe platter. The skin was crispy and the gravy a tad sweet. The meat soaked up quite a bit of the gravy but still came across as a wee bit too dry. Probably a little too overcooked. The duck did seem a little too fatty under the skin as well. Nevertheless, still good enough for me to recommend it.
Crispy Homemade Beancurd with Seasonal Greens Topped with Assorted Eggs - Aesthetics wise, no questions about it, this dish is a clear winner. But taste wise, its probably scraping the bottom of the barrel. Okay I exaggerate. Its not half as bad. The twirly thing you see is actually made from egg and to be honest, its tasteless. The chef, for whatever reason, decided on using egg tofu and overall speaking, it was plain average. It kinda reminded me of the $1 tube of egg tofu you buy at the supermarket.
Sautéed Dried Cod Fish with Egg White - This dish was really a disaster in the making. Technically, a combination of cod fish and egg white would be enough to make me drool. Unfortunately, the only thing that I got out of this dish was nausea. The dish was cooked in a creamy sauce which covered the taste of the egg as well as the cod fish. A sheer waste of a good fish if you ask me. The creamy taste (I'm sure they added milk) was so pronounced that all of us felt nauseous after a few mouthfuls. Just for the record, we didn't finish this dish.
Deep Fried Scallop Bacon Roll topped with Conpoy - Another dish that would have had me drooling if executed well. Unfortunately, it got me cringing instead. It was painfully salty and the bacon was really quite fatty. I couldn't quite taste the scallops as it was overwhelmed by the salt. Ironically, the broccoli was the star of the dish. Moist yet crunchy, we cleared it all but left quite a few of the scallops.
Fish Paste Noodle Soup with Seafood - I am beginning to think that all noodles should be made from fish paste. It offers more bite and has a more wholesome texture than normal egg noodles. The other plus point is that it fills you up real fast. That was the case with our fish paste noodle soup. By the time this dish was served, we were already close to the brim and stuffing ourselves with such filling noodles sure didn't help. In the end, after all our efforts in trying to finish it, we regrettably still had half a bowl left. Did I mention that the prawns were very fresh and huge as well? Not to mention crunchy and tasty.
I cannot fathom that the 5 of us could chalk up a bill of close to $370, but we did. Pure madness is pretty much what I think about it. For that price and quality of food, I'll be hard pressed to find a reason to return.
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Rating given:
Heard about this Scandinavian restaurant at Millenia Walk so popped by with my gf on a weekday evening to try it out although we had totally no idea what in the world constituted Scandinavian food.
Tucked in a small corner of the shopping mall, it is prominent yet inconspicuous. Sounds like a contradiction doesn't it? Well, it has floor to ceiling windows and is located along the mall's perimeters but with its main entrance blocked from view (largely by a pillar and some potted plants). It doesn't help that there's a small Coffee Bean just next to it, which might lead you to erroneously believe that the entire area belonged to Coffee Bean. That aside, the interior was minimalistic yet oozed sublime charm with its repertoire of wine glass lookalike hanging lights.
Complimentary bread is always welcomed and this one had no fancy presentation whatsoever. No napkin to keep them warm and no butter served on a platter - just bread on a platter with butter you buy from the supermarket. However, the bread was piping hot and the butter melted easily onto the bread. Simplicity at its best! Now who needs napkins?
Since we were trying Scandinavian food, we had to try their soup as well. Unfortunately, it wasn't as exotic as we had made it out to be and it tasted suspiciously like the Capon Consommé I had at IL-Lido. It was good nevertheless with the soup being tasty yet light. The dumplings were actually made from Semolina Flour and had this sweet and pleasing taste.
Fried Mushrooms and Zucchinis with Spicy Dip - This finger food came recommended by the waiter and I must complement his recommendation. The mushrooms and zucchinis were done tempura style. What makes this dish stand out is the surprisingly light batter covering the zucchinis and mushrooms, yet tasty from the salt granules and the dash of seasoning. The zucchinis would have tasted better if they had been sliced into smaller slices though.
If the pictures don't tell you how good this dish is, I don't know how else I'm going to convey the message (Okay I might be biased because I fancy all things fried and crispy). The skin is seriously very crispy, so much so that you feel like you are biting through Keropok. Dip it in the accompanying gravy and you get a taste thats slightly burnt, salty and with a tinge of mushroom. I wouldn't call it out of this world, but it certainly is good. Another interesting thing about this dish is the side of cabbage(it certainly doesn't look like it) which is braised in red wine. The result is a very distorted cabbage with a sweet and strong red wine taste, too strong in fact, but certainly worth a try.
Curry Chicken - My gf had this and I tried some of it. This is one rather different curry chicken. No coconut or milk is used in the cooking of this dish, which inevitably leads to the question, "Wouldn't it taste weird without coconut or milk?" And my answer is no. In fact, it tastes exactly like the ones you eat outside minus the strong fragrance and starchy curry. Think of it as a watered down version without the fragrance. Certainly a healthier version as well. But hardcore curry folks might not fancy this. On a sidenote, the chicken was very tender and well cooked.
Warm Melting Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream - Notice how many times I have ordered this dessert? Practically countless. I'm just a sucker for chocolate cakes with warm chocolate in the middle. And I am pleased to announce that this gives Morton's Hot Chocolate Cake a run for its money. Priced at only a third of Morton's rendition, it is almost as good. The outer crust is slightly hard while the inside is soft, moist and spongy. The only drawback is the molten chocolate which I personally found a wee bit too watery (they don't use Godiva Chocolate in case you are wondering). The accompanying vanilla ice cream was not up to my expectations as I could detect ice chips within the ice cream and it tasted just above average.
With a very reasonable price tag of $66 for 2 pax for such great food, great ambience and great service, I wonder where all the crowds have gone. The place was practically empty on a Monday night, save for 4 tables including mine. Don't miss this gem in the heart of town! As for me, I'm already planning the next trip down with my friends.
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Rating given:
Caught up with some good friends over dinner at the newly opened Global Kitchen at Pan Pacific Hotel. Located on the third floor, it boasts global cuisine to go along with its stellar decor.
Global Kitchen's decor is spartan yet exudes futuristic undertones. Lighting with a hue of blue is predominant and adheres to the overall theme. If you are lucky, you might just get a semi private booth like seat which seats 2 pax for a romantic dinner.
It is my belief that all self respecting fine dining restaurants will offer complimentary bread and Global Kitchen is no exception. However, the bread falls flat in both taste and smell. Sure, there were pockets of cheese in it, but when spread over with the smooth butter, it was hardly evident. So much for the free bread.
I'm not a particular fan of Foie Gras, unless you are talking about the one which I had at IL-Lido, so this appetiser didn't really appeal to me. I just thought it would be nice to try it out after it garnered rave reviews in the Straits Times a few weeks back. On hindsight, I should have known better. The Foie Gras Creme Brulee with Sauteed Vanilla was too overpowering, rendering me almost unconscious from the overwhelming liver taste. It was a nice concept though, with the top layer sweet and burnt like your conventional Creme Brulee. The Kumquat Duck Foie Gras sounded interesting, but tasted like normal soft and quivery Foie Gras, with no Kumquat taste whatsoever. Having said that, its one of the better Foie Gras that I have eaten, not that I've eaten alot though.
Confit of Ocean Trout with Spicy Eggplant Compote and Calamansi Lime and Butter Sauce - Nicely done with raw Ocean Trout which was very fresh and smooth. I didn't get to try the eggplants, but I understand that they were quite good. Do look out for the tiny portions though.
River Prawns and Coconut Cappuccino with Prawns, Pineapple and Mango Salad - This was a rather interesting soup which tasted very strongly of prawn (no coffee taste) and had a layer of foam atop which tasted of coconut. In all honesty, with the foam out of the way, the remaining soup tasted almost like prawn noodle soup, with the colour of cappuccino though. Only one prawn was given, contrary to the name of the dish, which mentioned prawns.
Ginger and Sake Roasted Tenderloin of Beef on a bed of Wok Seared Baby Greens - As exciting as the name sounds, this was probably the biggest flop of the day. The tenderloin was undercooked for my request of medium rare. The meat was extremely chewy and rubbery(signs of undercooking) and the only sauce I could make out was a strong pepper sauce. Now where's by ginger and sake? On the whole, the taste was still not too bad, but something needs to be done about the doneness.
Strawberry Sunburst Aniseed Panna Cotta - The first of our desserts. You can't really go wrong with Panna Cotta as most people like sweet endings. The Panna Cotta came with sweet strawberries and a piece of sugar coated Danish cookie which added sweet on sweet. Texture wise, it was smooth and soft, as what I would have expected from a good Panna Cotta.
Bittersweet Chocolate Flourless Cake with Fig and Earl Gray Compote - I only had a go at the chocolate cake and didn't try the other stuff. Try as I might, but I couldn't locate the Earl Gray Compote. The chocolate cake was to have been a nice change from the usual flour ones but I honestly couldn't quite taste the difference except that it didn't have a spongy layer and overall it felt more like eating smooth layers of chocolate rather than cake. Nice, but not something I'll eat often cause it gets really sick after a while.
Red Wine Poached Pear with Rhubarb Crumble and Vanilla Ice Cream - Very nicely done with the taste of red wine entrenched in the pear. The red wine didn't come across as too strong and went well with the vanilla ice cream. Interesting dish and probably one of the better dishes that night. However, as with ALL the other dishes, portions are 2 sizes smaller than normal - very small.
A had to eat MacDonalds after that dinner set us back by about $234. Thats pretty expensive stuff if you ask me. Sad to say, Global Kitchen emphasies more on form rather than factor, which in this case, is the quality of food. The ambience is there, service is there, but the only thing lacking is the finesse of the food. Will I return? With that kind of prices and portion size, you've got to be kidding.
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Rating given:
Had a leisurely dim sum lunch with my friend at the much acclaimed Royal China, with branches spanning London, Singapore and Shanghai. The Singapore branch is aptly located at one of Singapore's top and most historic hotel - Raffles Hotel.
Reservations are a must at this restaurant as it is relatively small (probably about 15-20 tables) and is thronged by many executives especially during the lunch period. My friend and I learnt it the hard way and had to wait 30 minutes for a table. But then again, we got lucky as we were ushered into a private room due to the lack of available tables.
Decor at this restaurant revolves around wood, attempting to recreate a layout that shouts ancient imperial Chinese. Wooden beams and arched high ceilings complete with stained glass give the whole place a nice soothing feel.
Steamed Crystal Dumpling with Dried Scallop and Egg White - This is the first time I've actually tried this dish and I must say that I'm pretty impressed with it. The skin is thin, soft and tangy, yet strong enough to encapsule the delicious egg white and dried scallop. The entire dish came across as very smooth and light. A must try!
A must have for every dim sum session, the prawn dumpling or Har Gao was excellent with fresh and succulent prawns wrapped in a slightly chewy yet thin skin.
Steamed Seafood Roll with Minced Garlic - How misleading names can get. I certainly didn't expect the steamed seafood roll to come looking like noodles. But I'm certainly not complaining. The noodles were springy and shrouded a piece of scallop, asparagus and prawn. When eaten together with the light sauce, the lingering taste of the ocean meets with the earthly taste of the asparagus to exude a myriad of wonderful flavours.
Royal China Cheung Fan - This was no more than a serving of Char Siew Cheung Fan, Prawn Cheung Fan and Scallop Cheung Fan. However, the Cheung Fan in itself is commendable, with its soft and silky texture that guarantees to slither down your throat with great ease. Fillings are fresh as well of course.
Roasted Pork Bun - One of the very few normal tasting dishes that we ordered. It was definitely better than your average pau, but certainly not in the leagues of D'Bun or Teochew Handmade Pau.
Scallops Dumpling - This dish didn't bowl me over, but was of a certain standard. The scallops were fresh and the dumpling skin was nicely done. It just lacked the wow factor.
Shark's Fin Dumpling in Chicken and Ginseng Soup - Undoubtedly one of the star attractions of the dim sum at Royal China. The dumpling skin was soft and smooth, with the shark's fin relatively decent. Please note that its only $8.80, so do not expect top grade shark's fin or even something close. The soup was tasty yet not too heavy on the flavours, making it light on the palate.
Deep Fried Beancurd Roll - Another of my all time favourite dish. I couldn't help but compare Royal China's version to that of Wah Lok and I'm glad to say that both are equally good. The beancurd roll is deep fried to a crackling crisp and then dipped into quality soya sauce for maximum enjoyment.
Roasted Pork Puff - Ah. One of my favourite dim sum dishes. Royal China's rendition was quite good, but certainly not the best that I've tried. The crust was nicely baked with the sesame seeds putting on a strong showing. However, it lacked the baked taste that I like. The Char Siew filling, though rather tasty, was a teeny weeny bit too sticky.
Deep Fried Prawns Coated with Almond Flakes - Big, fresh and succulent prawns covered with lots of almond flakes. That's just about as exciting as it gets. Nothing special, but still a very decent and quality dish to try if you like almond with your prawns.
Donut with Red Bean Paste - East meets west in this dish and it turned out less than expected. I personally found the red bean paste too dry and hard and the donut a little too oily. A hot flowing red bean paste might have saved the dish. Marginally perhaps.
Carrot Cake - The old adage speaks true. Appearances can be deceiving. This was the case with the carrot cake. When it was served, we were dismayed as it looked rather unrefined and gave us the impression that it was hard like those you get in the hawker centres. To our amazement, it was smooth and soft without weighing in too heavy on our tastebuds. Having said that, I still reckon that Wah Lok serves a meaner rendition of this dish.
An inspiring (at least for my friend) lunch for 2 pax cost about $75, which in my opinion is money well spent. The quality of dim sum is top notch and the ambience is great. Service is good but a small minority of the staff could show more patience. If given a choice between this or Wah Lok, I'll choose this over the latter simply because it has a much wider selection of dim sum items. I'll definitely be back, with reservations of course.
See my pictures here
Rating given:
Ran some errands at Vivo City with my gf and settled for dinner at Modestos, which happened to be one of the few outlets not packing in the crowd at dinner time.
Rather obscurely located at a corner of Vivo City (which might, to a certain degree, explain its lack of patrons), Modesto's boasts a nice waterfront view through its floor to ceiling windows (at its Vivo City outlet only) and a cosy brick laid interior that gives it a much welcomed casual intonation.
Complimentary Bread - I didn't hope for much when I set my eyes on the bread and sure enough, it wasn't much. The bread was a little too dry, probably from being left in the open for too long. Quantity wise was also rather pathetic.
Fritto Misto Di Modesto - A relatively large platter of deep fried soft shell crab, squid, prawns and silver breams which looked very appetizing the minute I set my eyes on it. However it didn't quite meet expectations. The deep fried soft shell crab, though crispy and fragrant, was a tad too salty for my liking while the squids were rather soft and limp, not chewy, giving the impression of being overcooked. The silver breams and prawns were close to tasteless as well - no sweetness from either seafood nor any taste from the light but bland batter. Alright I'm just being picky and it is still a decent dish. Bang for the buck wise, its still an open verdict.
Pizza Quattro Stagioni - Honestly, this is the first time I'm having such a pizza - one which is divided into 4 different sections, each with a different topping. One part olive, one part seafood, one part ham and one part mushrooms. Presents a rather challenging task if you ask me, as different ingredients require different amounts of cooking time. The chef must have known his stuff as the pizza turned out fairly good. Using tomato sauce as the base, it didn't come across as too overwhelming and the crust was reasonably thin and full of bite, but just a little burnt around the edges. Ingredients were generous and cooked just right, complementing the pizza very well. I must say that this is one of the better pizzas that I've tried. Give me this over Pizza Hut or Canadian Pizza anyday.
Rigatoni All' Amatriciana - I've never been a fan of tomato based pastas simply because I prefer its cream base relative and that most of the pastas I've eaten which utilizes such a base tend to have this overwhelming tomato taste. Modesto's rendition of the Rigatoni, which is a tomato based pasta, didn't have this problem though. The tomato sauce was mild, in fact a little too mild to fall short of tasty and came with bits of pork bacon and onions, which did serve to enhance the overall flavour (luckily). The large tube pasta was a little undercooked though and I seriously think that this dish could do with more ingredients for its price.
Tiramisu Modesto's - I've been on a Tiramisu roll these few days and so this came as a natural extension to my meal, especially when it came highly recommended. Comparing this to the one I had at Romano Ristorante, this one was actually much finer and definitely more presentable. Though it came across as light and fluffy, the sponge to cream ratio was rather skewed, with the latter being the predominant party. Thus I couldn't quite taste the texture of the cake, which is quite sad really.
After a 30% discount, the bill worked out to be about $60 for 2 pax ($87 before discount), which still falls within my range of reasonable pricing, but do away with the discount and I might have to think really hard before coming back. Service is good though, but I don't really fancy paying so much for a casual dinner.
See my pictures here
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