Crystal Jade Kitchen (Tampines)

Crystal Jade has been given a second chance by me after its off shoot failed to impress. And it marks my first treat to an old friend. After all, he was the one who treated me to Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, so i felt it right to return the favor.

Signature Beancurd with Mincemeat and Chili Sauce ($9.80) - I can't help ordering this item. Bean curd is simply one of my favorite items of choice and as with all food outlets, i want to try out their signature bean curds to see if there is indeed something special about them. This rendition is simple, bean curd in batter deep fried till golden brown and served with minced meat and chili dip. I found it too spicy for my liking but the batter was pretty light and extremely crispy. The bean curd itself contains some herbs which added to its fragrance but didn't quite appeal to my friends since it made the bean curd bumpy and less smooth.

Fried Hor Fan With SeaFood ($13.80) - Oily yet fragrant and tasty. The seafood is minimal which is a shame but there really isn't much distinguishing factors between this version and those found in hawkers outside.

E-fu noodles with shrimp roe ($9.80) - My gf ordered this thinking it was filled with shrimp but that was not to be. Instead it was E-fu noodles with shrimp roe. Very important to note the difference since there were only a few pieces of mushrooms in this dish to act as additional ingredients. Not to say that it tasted bad. The noodles were springy and tasted slightly salty from the roe which gave it a good texture. Not that i recommend ordering again however.

Yang Zhou Fried Rice ($9.50) - Eggs, roast pork, shrimp and bean sprouts. Simple ingredients for a wonderfully fragrant plate of fried rice. Now this was my order and the reason behind it is to ascertain my friend's claim that the friend rice in Crystal Jade is much better then its offshoot. I'm inclined to agree that it indeed tasted better and more fragrant but not inclined to say its the best i've ever had. In fact, i found that the rice was not done homogeneously with certain parts being overly dry while others undercooked. The generous serving of shrimp is a plus however.

Deep Fried Dumpling With Salad Sauce ($9.30) - Expensive is the first word. For its price, there were surprisingly little dumplings to go around, i counted 5. So each dumpling is effectively $2 (!!!) which is a little over the top for shrimp dumplings that were deep fried. Sure, it was very nicely done, fresh and the salad sauce complemented it well, but for the same price, i could have gotten much much more elsewhere.

The final bill came up to $64.38 for 3 people which is a little too much for the quality of food we had.

Sad to say, i have to maintain my stand that Crystal Jade is grossly overrated and not exactly a place i would recommend to everyone. The food is average but the price belongs to a whole different category which they unfortunately still do not provide. Much improvement needed in my book.

If you have not visited this 'kitchen' ( I won't call it restaurant because it lacks the spacious and proper table arrangement as seen in a restaurant ) , you should try it out now.

There are really too many variety and mostly Hong kong style cooking. I particularly like the Pepper beaf and Roast duck.

The only problem is too crowded. You need to wait to be seated. You also need to wait to pay for the bill.