Chic Chinese cuisine incoming
Authentic Teochew goodness: • Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine • Paradise Teochew
Cantonese gems: Hai Tien Lo (Pan Pacific Singapore) • Peach Blossoms (Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay)
Delicious duck drops: Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine • Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck • Majestic Restaurant
Superb Sichuan plates: Min Jiang at Dempsey • Si Chuan Dou Hua • TungLok Signatures
Egg fried rice would suffice on normal days. But special occasions warrant atas additions like a Huizhou Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly or Braised Superior Sea Cucumber with Supreme Oyster Sauce. Don’t jostle with the crowds. Click on these indulgent Chinese fine dining fare instead, and wait for the doorbell to announce the arrival of your delectable meals. Precious time is best spent chatting in the comforts of home, not commuting in claustrophobic traffic.
1. Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine
If you love Teochew food, Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine serves up some of the most authentic in Singapore. Order a few sumptuous set menus (from $109) to enjoy with your besties (remember, only five visitors per household!). Watch their faces lit up as you serve them Live Boston Lobster Wok-Baked with Fermented Bean and Garlic Teochew Style (above, $90.50) and a crispy-outside-tender-inside Live “Soon Hock” (Marble Goby) Deep Fried with Soya Sauce ($74.80).
2. Hai Tien Lo
Savour Hai Tien Lo’s traditional Cantonese dishes with a contemporary twist such as barbecued roasts, nourishing soups and seafood. Gems from the wok include Diced Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom in Black Pepper Sauce (from $34) and an irresistibly aromatic Yang Chow Fried Rice with Prawns and Barbecued Honey-glazed Pork in homemade XO chilli sauce (from $24). For sure, nobody is leaving hungry.
3. Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine (Takashimaya S.C.)
If you love eating at Michelin Plate restaurant Imperial Treasure Fine Shanghai Cuisine, but hate the parking at Ngee Ann City, we’ve got your back. Tuck into must-haves such as the Cantonese speciality Thousand Layer Pig’s Ear ($17.10) and Special Set A (above, from $53.50), which includes the signature Sautéed Yellow Cream Crab served atop a mound of glutinous rice brimming with the crustacean’s meat and flavour. For a traditional sweet ending, the Glutinous Rice Ball in Sweet Fermented Wine Soup ($6.40) hits the spot.
4. Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck (Paragon)
The must-order item from Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck is obvious (above), but don’t miss out on other fabulous dishes too. Sate the family’s appetite with Sliced Charcoal Grilled Pork Collar ($12.80), Double-boiled Fish Maw Soup with Shark’s Cartilage ($40.70) and Braised Sliced Fresh Abalone with Fish Maw in Oyster Sauce ($74.90). The Special Set Menus (from $83.50) aren’t too shabby either; they’re a veritable feast for the ravenous.
5. Majestic Restaurant
Dial up your celebrations with Majestic Restaurant’s indulgent take on dishes such as the Peking-style roasted duck (above, $88.00), accompanied by rose-scented pink pancakes as well as spring onions and cucumber. While you’re at it, might as well have a climatic calorie finish with the Crispy King of Durian Ice Cream with Maple Syrup ($9.80) Definitely the best time to ditch that diet.
6. Min Jiang at Dempsey
A stalwart on the Chinese dining scene for 38 years, Min Jiang is well-known for imbuing traditional favourites with a modern flair. From signature delights such as the Wood-fired Beijing Duck (above, $129.80) and Deep-fried US Kurobuta Pork Cubes with Sweet and Sour Sauce ($35.20) to dim sum and seafood delicacies, there’s something for every taste bud.
7. Paradise Teochew
Ah Ma and Ah Gong will especially love the natural flavours, light seasonings and fresh ingredients in Paradise Teochew’s authentic dishes. Be spoilt for choice from the Braised Irish Fat Duck (above, from $25.70) and Teochew-style Stewed Duck with Yam (from $24.70). Great value set menus (from $152.50) are conveniently organised for groups of four to six. There’s also a Dim Sum Platter ($53.80) that includes cute steamed lotus paste buns shaped like piglets all to oink for the ‘gram.
8. Peach Blossoms (Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay)
While waiting for Peach Blossoms to re-open on 15 December, look out for their monthly delivery highlights. The online menu is now at an attractive 25 per cent off, perfect for snagging hearty meal sets (from $58.50) for two to four. There are also a la carte items such as Braised Seafood Soup with Supreme Broth “Shun De Style” ($14) and Braised Black Angus Beef Brisket and Tendon “Hong Kong style” ($32) – perfect for chasing away the Hong Kong air travel bubble blues if tickets are still eye-watering.
9. Si Chuan Dou Hua
It’s all smoky and spice and all things nice with Si Chuan Dou Hua, which takes the guesswork out of your meal planning with a variety of bundles, bento sets and a la carte items. Whether you’re an omnivore, strictly vegetarian, dining in a family of four or solo, there’s something for everyone from Stir-fried Dragon Chives in Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans (from $22) to the signature “Chong Qing” Chilled Chicken with Spicy Bean Paste (from $20).
10. TungLok Signatures
Tuck into sumptuous homey fare at TungLok Signatures such as the vegetarian Eight Treasures ($27.80) and Deep-fried Prawn with Wasabi-Mayo Sauce ($32.10). Bentos ($16.80) are your best bet for mini portions of everything delicious, while set menus are perfect for groups of four. The pièce de résistance? The Steamed Star Garoupa Fillet in Chicken Stock and Wine (above, $51.40). The silky, milky broth is the real collagen deal extracted from hours of boiling.
