The Hai Di Lao Experience (Menu with Price Included)

Hai Di Lao Steamboat Restaurant (海底捞火锅)

Address: 3D River Valley Road, Clarke Quay, #02-04

Opening hours: 10.30am to 3.00am daily

Reservation hotline: 63378626

Introduction

The restaurant is much bigger than expected, therefore getting a seat is not that difficult on a Sat afternoon. I waited for less than 30 minutes to get a table. Furthermore, reservation of table is possible but do call in early.

Everyone is probably familiar with the name Hai Di Lao by now. It’s a steamboat restaurant originated from China and they are famous for two things – The quality of their food and their service. Hai Di Lao first opened their door in 1994 and so far has expanded to 72 restaurants in China and they opened their first branch in Singapore in 2012.

I visited their Clarke Quay branch, which is at level two and it’s accessible by a lift. Upon coming out from the lift, i was guided by the staff to occupy a table at the waiting area while I wait for a table in the restaurant. Drinks like Winter melon tea and Herbal tea were served together with snacks like dried banana and pop corn and all served items are refillable.

The waiting area with tables and chairs

Snack counter, with refillable drinks and tidbits

There’s also a playground area to keep your little ones entertained during the wait. They even allocated a staff to be stationed at the play ground to watch over the kids. Hai Di Lao also provide complimentary manicure for their customers however note that there is only one manicurist so probably she can only serve up to two customers at one time. Hai Di Lao Menu

After searching high and low for a menu with indicated price, I still failed so I thought I will share these information here. The ordering is done through ONE ipad, which it find it laborious especially if there is a big group. Seems like sometimes the traditional paper and pencil work better.

Hai Di Lao Menu 1 (Click to enlarge)

Hai Di Lao Menu 2 (Click to enlarge)

Hai Di Lao Menu 3 (Click to enlarge)

Hai Di Lao Menu 4 (Click to enlarge)

The price that you are looking at is for one portion. Also note that there is half portion available (except for the soup base) and likely it’s good enough if there are only two diners. All of my orders are half portion except for the Kurobuta Shabu Shabu Pork. It’s no surprise that the price of their dishes are more pricey, for example $8.00 for one portion of luncheon meat, $10.00 for a portion of fried bean curd skin and $16.00 for a plate of Kurobuta Shabu Shabu Pork.

Tomato and Chicken Soup Base ($22.00++)

The Food Experience

What’s better than a piece of fatty Kurobuta pork? Cooking it in a full flavoured tomato soup base and thus absorbing all the essence of the soup.

I ordered their Tomato and Chicken Soup as the base and it cost $22.00, so needless to say, it will be more economical if you visit in four instead of two. Unlike most steamboat restaurant, Hai Di Lao’s soup base is already fully flavoured. If you like tomato stuff, I can assure you that you will love their tomato soup base.

This tomato soup is thick, very rich in tomato taste and only slightly sweet. On the other hand, the chicken soup is lighter in flavour with a slight herbal taste. Towards the end whereby the tomato soup became too thick, i mix the two soup bases and it’s perfect.

The staff preparing handmade noodle literally in-your-face

I also like to highlight on their condiment counter. Note that you have to pay $4.00 for it but I think it’s quite worth the money. Apart from the thirty kinds of sauce, this $4.00 also includes free flow of fruits like water melon and honey dew, there’s also Lao Ban Style Bean Curd Dessert which i like it very much.

For $4.00++ per head, you can enjoy their condiments, fruits and dessert.

Part of the fun in having Hai Di Lao is to come out with the perfect concoction of sauces using the different kinds of condiments and this is my favourite blend of the day – one portion of beef sauce, soy bean sauce, coriander and half portion of garlic and spring onion, drizzle with sesame sauce. I almost can gobble this down like a bowl of rice.

Free-flow Lao Ban style Bean Curd. I had two servings despite being really full.

These are some of the condiments available: Thai Chilli, Chilli Oil, Crushed Peanut, Sesame Oil, Crispy Soy Beans, Special Chilli Sauce, Soy Bean Sauce, Minced Beef, Sesame Sauce, Seafood Sauce, Mushroom Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Korean Style Chilli Sauce, Beef Sauce, Chinese Chives Sauce, Fermented Bean Curd Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Chopped Garlic, Preserved Pickles, Coriander, Chopped Celery, Chives, Vinegar, Dark Soy Sauce, Pepper and many more.

Fried Beancurd Skin – Half Portion ($5.00++ for six pieces)

Kurobuta Shabu Shabu Pork – One Portion ($16.00++)

As for the items that I ordered, my favourites are the Kurobuta Sliced Pork and the Fried Bean Curd Skin as i thought they taste the best when paired with a good soup base.

Beef Ball – Half Portion ($7.00++ for four pieces)

The beef ball (潵尿牛丸) is actually disappointing, with two of them having no fillings at all, and i thought the filling is not a big deal. Give me a Xiao Long Bao, or Sukiya’s Chicken Cheese Ball anytime.

This time round, i am not going to write about each and every dishes but instead will give a final verdict to the question “Is Hai Di Lao worth the money?”.

Conclusion

Dang Oo – Half Portion ($3.00++)

I am going to sing praises about their soup base. Judging on just the tomato and chicken soup base, I have to agree that it’s really good and one of the best that i had. The service is very prompt with almost zero delay in every requests. The place is well decorated and it’s definitely a good place to bring your parents or loved one for celebration on special occasions. To a certain extend, Hai Di Lao is even considered as a trophy steamboat restaurant to bring someone for a treat due to it’s high price.

Fried Fish Skin – Half Portion ($4.00++)

If you are someone who don’t appreciate junk food (or simply processed food) and you are willing to pay more for good service, Hai Di Lao is the place for you. Most of their items are made from fresh ingredients, including their beef ball and prawn ball, that are made mainly from real beef and prawn.

Cod Fish Slices – Half Portion ($7.00++ for Five Slices)

No doubt Hai Di Lao’s selling points are for their quality ingredients and great service, personally, I do not see a compelling reason to visit Hai Di Lao on a casual basis. I would say Hai Di Lao is the place that i will bring my loved one for a pampering treat. I get satisfaction not from premium ingredients but from ordinary steamboat ingredients like Luncheon Meat, Cheese Tofu, Golden Mushroom, Fried Bean Curd Skin or a normal NTUC sliced pork collar.

Ultimately for a steamboat meal, price is a main consideration for me, regardless of how good the food is. However, if you ask me should anyone try Hai Di Lao for at least once, i can’t find any good reason to say “no”.

My damage for a meal for two

Soup base $22.00, Golden Mushroom $3.50, Dang Oo $3.00, Fried Bean Curd Skin $5.00, Beef Ball $7.00, Handmade Shrimp Ball $8.00, Crispy Fish Skin $4.00, Sliced Cod Fish $7.00, Kurobuta Pork $16.00, 02 x Condiments Bar $8.00, 01 x Beverage Free-flow $3.00.

Before Tax $89.50 and After Tax $105.34

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh @ Seletar Mall, the same old good taste with a different look

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh @ Seletar Mall

Address: 33 Sengkang West Avenue  #01-39/40/41 The Seletar Mall

Opening Hours: Daily 10.30am to 9.30pm

They have other outlets at Chinatown Point , 11 New Bridge Road and UE BizHub East.

Introduction 

Song Ba Bak Kut Teh, has been selling Bak Kut Teh in Singapore since 1969 and is well known for selling one of the best Bak Kut Teh in Singapore. Apart from Song Fa, the usual names that pop up for peppery-style Bak Kut Teh will be Founder and Ya Hua. By writing this review, i think I’m kinda putting on head on the chopping board. Although there are many good reviews about Song Fa, there are also reviews saying this Bak Kut Teh is overrated, too commercialised, too touristy etc.

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh Menu: Click to enlarge

I had been supporting their Clarke Quay branch for the past years and decided to write about them after visiting their newly opened Seletar Mall branch. Even though it’s an air-conditioned environment, the price stated on their menu is net price with no additional service charge and government tax. Some of you might disagree, but personally i feel that Song Fa Bak Kut Teh is moving towards the right direction on the journey to retain our Singapore food culture and it’s worth my time writing, which i will state the reasons in my conclusion.

Pork Spare Rib / Premium Loin Rib ($7.00 / $9.50)

The pork rib comes into two variations, the ordinary spare rib and the premium loin rib. The soup is exactly the same, just that the loin rib cut is leaner and meatier and for that, you need to fork out an additional $2.50. For me, I tend to enjoy the soup more than the meat itself so the spare rib version is good enough for me. I only ordered the loin rib this time because it looks good on photo.

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh has a moderate pepper taste, not overly strong, but just the right amount for me. Like other good bowl of Bak Kut Teh, Song Fa’s broth has three layers of flavour (which some only has two or even only one). At first sip, you will taste the spicy peppery garlicky punch of the soup, followed a surge of smooth, rich and savoury flavours of the pork broth as it fills your palate and finally a sweet aromatic lingering aftertaste after the soup went down your throat that makes you go “ahhh”. This has always been my standard of judging a good bowl of Bak Kut Teh and Song Fa has been keeping up with this standard so far.

For those that are not familiar with such Bak Kut Teh eatery, their soup is refillable and feel free to drink to your heart’s content. I kinda like Song Fa’s service because there are always a few staff walking around in soup-filled kettle and an empty bowl is always quickly refilled with hot and piping soup.

Braised Bean Curd Skin ($3.50)

Apart from the Bak Kut Teh, i will always order their Braised Bean Curd Skin. Song Fa’s bean curd skin is the thinner variation that is soft and yet retains a chewy texture. Some bean curd skin tends to have an overpowering bean taste but Song Fa one is just right, with the right amount of braising flavour.

Dough Fritters (You Tiao) $3.20

Needless to say, the Dough Fritters, or You Tiao is also the must-order. The traditional way to enjoy the You Tiao is to soak them in the pork broth and pop them into your mouth. A rather generous portion (large size) cost $3.20, which is very reasonable for Bak Kut Teh standard which can be comfortably shared by two people. I never leave Song Fa Bak Kut Teh without ordering this bowl of You Tiao.

Braised Pork Belly ($7.00)

After patronising Song Fa for so many years, they finally came out with a new dish – Braised Pork Belly and it cost $7.00. This dish is pretty decent and my serving of pork belly is a rather lean cut but i was actually hoping for a more fatty slab. The braising was skillfully done. The leaner part of pork belly is very tender and the fatty part is melty soft. The braising sauce is very rich and thick which goes perfectly with a bowl of white rice.

Conclusion

Among the Bak Kut Teh big names, Song Fa is currently the first one that spent much effort on the interior design of their new branches, adopts new technology like taking order with an i-pad, ensuring their customers dine in a comfortable air-conditioned environment and yet retaining the same good taste. Not only diners want to dine in an air-con environment, it also provides the staff to work in a more comfortable environment. In fact, i can’t imagine having a bowl of piping hot peppery Bak Kut Teh in a hot and humid afternoon.

Some may say “Wah lau, one Bak Kut Teh cost $9.50? Crazy ar?”. But just imagine nowadays people are willing to pay $7.00 for a cup of coffee because “the place is nice”. It’s time we raise the status of our hawker food and to bring it up to the next level. Think of it that way. If we Singaporeans keep insisting in paying cheap price for hawker food, how will it attract sons and grandsons to inherit the skill and business of our beloved hawker stalls. Passion is one thing, but on the pratical side, the hawker business must also be profitable.

The ugly truth is, to our younger generation, being a boss of a cafe is cool but frying Char Kway Teow in a hawker stall is not as glamorous, and is tough as hell and not as profitable due to the low selling price. For me, I think it’s time to show some love to those so-call “commercialised” hawker food as i boldly say that it’s one way that our hawker food can go, by breaking away from the standard model of hawker food. As for us, paying a little more than coffee shop price is one pactical way to support our local hawker food.

Sum’s Kitchen & Hong Kong Roasted Meat at Sembawang

Sum’s Kitchen & Hong Kong Roasted Meat 香港深記飯店

Address: 3 Jalan Legundi

Opening hours: Daily 12.00pm to 2.30pm,  5.00pm to 9.30pm Closed on Tuesday

Contact number: 6757 2118

Introduction

Sum’s Kitchen (深記) is an air-conditioned Cze Char eatery at Sembawang area just opposite the famous Sembawang White Bee Hoon. They are rather well known among the heartlanders in Sembawang and many agree that they serve one of the best roast duck in Singapore. My friend had to call in a couple of days in advance to reserve the duck because they will only roast a handful of ducks, in additional to the order on their reservation list.

Sum’s Kitchen Menu: Click to enlarge

Roast Duck ($12.00 for half duck)

The roast duck is Sum’s Kitchen signature dish. At $20.00 for half a duck in an aircon environment, it’s pretty reasonable. I wouldn’t say the meat is succulent but it’s juicy for a roast duck. The stack of meat is soaked in it’s savoury spice-infused stuffing juice and adds on a delightful fragrance to the duck.

The duck is meaty and greasy in a good way and has almost zero fowl taste. Although the skin is crispy, it is not to the extend of crackling. If there is one thing to improve, it’s probably the skin.

Char Siew (S$12.00)

People who like the unhealthy version of Char Siew will like this. It is very charred, or overly charred to some people. It’s succulent, with a good mix of fatty and lean part and not overly sweet.

Fried Lettuce with Beancurd Paste ($12.00)

This is one dish that I like very much apart from the duck. It’s actually quite a simple dish where they stir fry lettuce in fermented bean curd paste (腐乳). The paste taste of a blend of soybeans, sesame oil and a bit of vinegar and rice wine. The lettuce is cooked till mid soft and while lettuce don’t have a distinctive taste to begin with, the taste is pretty much focus on the texture of lettuce and the beancurd paste. Love the home cooked taste of this dish.

Chinese Spinach with Three Eggs ($15.00)

i will order this vegetable whenever it’s on the menu. I had tried many versions of this dish and Sam’s Kitchen’s version is lighter in taste. The Chinese Spinach is cooked to the appropriate softness and comparing to some, theirs has a lighter garlic taste. I personally prefer a soup that is more rich and robust so i will just rate this as an “okay”.

Deep Fried Bean Curd Skin in Salt ($12.00)

This is a rather interesting dish whereby layers of thin beancurd skin is rolled up, battered, deep fried and toss in a mix of crispy chilli, salt and pepper. The exterior is cripsy while the center is softer, and retaining the sweet beancurd taste.

Spring onion ginger mix

Apart from the main dishes, Sam’s Kitchen also offer a bottle of condiment that consist of a mixture of spring onion and ginger. It goes exceptionally well with the white rice and i can finish the bowl of rice with this condiment alone.

Conclusion

The dishes that i had here are mostly above average and my personal favourites are the duck, lettuce and fried bean curd skin. Price wise, it is slightly more pricey than a typical coffee shop Cze Char but for the more comfortable dining environment and better food, the price difference is not that significant. My friend highly recommend their deep fried HK squid with salt and pepper but since many of us don’t appreciate squid, we didn’t order it.

Overall I enjoyed my dining experience here, comparing to the very popular Bee Hoon eatery that is just situated opposite Sum’s Kitchen. Sum’s Kitchen don’t exactly offers the most exciting kind of food that makes people go “wow”, but i kinda like the homely taste. And if you want to try their roast duck, remember to call in advance to reserve to avoid disappointment.

Char Restaurant – The Chinese Roast with a Twist

Char Restaurant

Address (Google Map): 393 Guillemard Road Singapore 399790

Opening hours: Thu to Sun 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm, Closed on Mon

Introduction

I first know about Char Restaurant from a post from Mitsueki.wordpress.com. Char is a restaurant selling Chinese food and i was quite excited about it because there is just too many new western restaurants recently and we need to bring back some refreshing eastern flavours.

The restaurant is situated in the middle of Dakota Station, Paya Lebar Station and Aljunied Station. If you are travelling by public transport, the easiest mean is to take a bus. Or you can be like me, to walk from Dakota MRT and it’s actually not that far.

This restaurant offers Cze Char style dishes with their three signature roast dishes – their Char Siew, Roast Pork Belly (Sio Bak) and Roasted Duck at $20.50 (+10% service charge, no GST).

Char’s Dinner Menu: Click to Enlarge

Roasted Char Siew

This Pork Belly Char Siew is quite different from those that we find in Hawker Centre or even Chinese Restaurant. The thick spice-infused caramelised coating makes the Char Siew slightly crispy on the outside and the pork belly cut completes the dish with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

The fragrance of the five spice powder is evidently stronger than the traditional Char Siew and the texture of their fatty Char Siew is one of it’s kind in Singapore. Comparing to a typical Hawker Char Siew, this is much more tender but the thick caramelised coating makes it much sweeter. It’s more like a grilled Kong Ba and is the must-order.

Roast Pork Belly

I was only half convinced that the Roasted Pork Belly is Char’s signature dish until I tried it. The best part of a Sio Bak (Roast Pork Belly) is always about the roasted skin and Char Restaurant’s version is fantastic.

The crusty crackling skin is not tough on the jaw and crumbles easily. The bottom part of the pork belly is less salted and charred comparing to a typical Hawker Centre version. Char is quite generous with it’s portion for it’s price.

Roast Duck

Char’s Roast Duck is also one of the three signature roasts. Among the stack of duck, there are only 3-4 pieces of meaty slice while the rest are the rib parts with millimetres of meat. The skin is actually quite well roasted, well flavoured and crispy and it’s served in it’s stuffing gravy. I would have enjoyed this dish more if the parts served are more meaty.  Overall this duck is actually quite well done but if i only has two votes, i will cast it on the Char Siew and Roasted Pork Belly.

Egg Fried Rice ($5+)

I absolutely love this fried rice. The photo is actually not doing justice to it’s taste. This fried rice is like a combination of Ding Tai Feng’s Egg Fried Rice with Japanese Garlic Fried Rice. If you love Garlic Fried Rice, you will like this. Each grain of rice is well-separated and it’s packed with fragrance of fresh garlic.

The price is also very reasonable for it’s portion and considering that it’s a restaurant. The only complain is they use a little too much oil to prepare this dish as a thin layer of oil remains on the plate after finishing this dish.

Spicy French Beans

I generally like french bean for it’s crunchy texture that goes very well with the fried dried shrimp. Char offers a spicy version which the spiciness has nothing to do with chilli but with a kind of Szechuan pepper (花椒) and unfortunately, I dread the taste of these peppers so this dish is a thumbs down for me.

Conclusion 

I was rather impressed by Char Restaurant’s Char Siew and Roasted Pork Belly. Although there are roast meat stalls all over Singapore, to find one that matches Char is not going to be an easy task. Is the price a little too expensive? Actually the price is about the same as a famous roast meat stall along upper paya lebar for three kinds of meat (Char Siew, Roast Pork Belly, Roast Goose), or it’s even slightly cheaper.

Their Char Siew and Roast Meat are said to be the end product of incorporating western cooking style into Chinese dish and just the preparation of Char Siew takes two days to complete which involves multiple cooking processes to get the melt-in-your-mouth texture. If you are looking for an interesting place to experience a new style of Chinese food, Char may be just the place for you.

Shang Hai Ren Jia – Hidden Gem at Ang Mo Kio Ave 5

Shanghai Ren Jia (上海人家)

Address: Blk 151, Ang Mo Kio Ave 5 #01-3046
Operating hours: 11.30am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm, closed on Monday

Introduction

Shanghai Ren Jia is tucked  at one corner below a HDB flat at Ang Mo kio. There is not much interior and exterior design to talk about and Shanghai Ren Jia only has about seven tables in their shop. They offer mainly small or dim sum dishes with limited selections of noodles. The boss is super sociable and likes to chit chat with his guests and to share some stories behind his menu and to give recommendation on the food that you are ordering. Note that Shanghai Ren Jia don’t charge service fee and tax but charges a table fee of $1.20 per pax

Pan Fried Meat Bun  (生煎包) – $8.40 for 6 pcs

My favourite dish. $8.40 for 6 pieces. This is my third visit and their Pan Fried Meat Bun on my must-order since I tried it for the first time. Basically this is a mini pork bun that is pan-fried till half of the bun turned golden brown and the exterior fried to crisp. I really enjoyed the juicy pork fillings that goes with the crispy and yet fluffy bun.

I remembered on my second visit, the boss surprised me when we requested for a second serving of their Pan Fried Meat Bun but the boss declined as he only has limited quantity and need to save this for guests who are visiting later.

Popiah (薄饼) – $7.20 for 6 pcs

This popiah is what netizen had been raving about and some said it’s one of the best they had. Shanghai Ren Jia uses Chinese Cabbage as the main filling instead of our Singapore version of popiah that is filled with Turnip. Once I had to wait up to an hour until this dish is served. But since Shanghai Ren Jia serves their dishes rather slowly, dish-by-dish at a short interval, the waiting time became not as painful.

The popiah skin is more or less the same as others but the fillings is exceptional. Thick piping hot gravy of braised cabbage with minced meat overflowed into my mouth upon the first bite andddddd I almost got scald. Best if I let it cool down a little before the first bite. $7.20 for 6 pieces. Not expensive isn’t it? This is also one of the must-try.

Xiao Long Bao (小笼包) – $6.00 for 5 pcs

Upon taking my first bite, i am kind of disappointed as the skin of the Xiao Long Bao is rather thick and a little tough, until I tasted the soup and Pork filling. Shanghai Ren Jia don’t serve vinegar and ginger with their Xiao Long Bao. This Xiao Long Bao’s filling already has a light ginger taste so for those who don’t like ginger, you know what to expect. I have friends who are rather sensitive to the “pork taste” but I can proudly say that this has none apart from the sweet natural flavor of the pork. 5 pcs for $6 nett.

Stir-fried French Beans – $7.00

At $7.00, this french bean has a super ordinary appearance but the taste packs a punch. You can’t see from the appearance but this dish is rather spicy and it’s really addictive. Before i know it, this whole plate of french beans had been cleared from the plate like it’s some kind of tidbits.

Mei Cai Pork Belly Bun (梅菜扣肉包) – $11.50 for 5 pcs

Apparently the boss is extremely proud of this dish. He mentioned that in order to present a Shanghai style Pork Belly Bun that suits our local’s taste, he actually went around the island to try out various local Pork Belly Buns and this is his end product. At $11.50 for 5 pieces of bun, i would say the price is quite reasonable. Firstly, I have to mention that this is NOT our Singapore style Pork Belly Bun so I can’t expect the same taste. The method to enjoy this dish is to sandwich a layer of their Mei Cai (Pickled Chinese Mustard) with a few pieces of thin pork belly to go with the sauce.

Frankly, I still prefer our local version which offers a much thicker chunks of pork belly. Shanghai Ren Jia’s version offers thin slices of pork belly that were soaked in a sweeter-than-salty gravy. The fats don’t really melt in my mouth like some of our local version, and i think the Mei Cai do not actually enhance the overall taste and texture. However, I will still order this dish during my visit to have a different taste of a Pork Belly Bun variation.

Handmade Noodle with braised Pork Ribs and Minced chicken cubes (排骨鸡丁葱油面) – $6.00

The boss was really naggy because of this dish. We visited this place in a group of five but only ordered one plate of noodle and the boss was like “a plate is just not enough and you guys will be missing out the good stuff” and is saying this is their signature. The funny thing is, their so-call “signature” dish changes during different visits. LOL. I need to spend some effort explaining to him that we had this for our previous visits and a plate is enough as we are having something else elsewhere so we try not to stuff ourselves.

And for the taste? One of the best Chinese-style handmade noodle that I tried. At $6.00, the noodle is flavored with shallot oil and the braised pork rib gravy with a small portion of minced chicken cubes. This noodle is so simple and yet so delightful. I can finish the noodle even without the pork ribs. The noodle is made fresh on a daily basis and is cooked to the ideal softness. And the soft and tender braised pork ribs just made this dish even better.

Conclusion

I visited shanghai Ren Jia for the third time and from the way the boss speaks, i can still feel his burning passion for cooking. There was a couple of times I told him that “we will order more if it’s not filling enough” but he discouraged it every time simply because all ingredients for the dishes have to be prepared from scratch and would take another 20-30 minutes of waiting time. Only this will ensure his dishes are of the best possible quality.

Therefore I can safely say that I am not  worried about the quality of the dishes here at all. I have to emphasis that this place is not for people who are in a rush for a quick meal. You will definitely leave this place unhappy. Else, perhaps this place may be an ideal place to visit with a small group of friends to spend your morning and to have a decent Shanghai-style dim sum.

Related articles

• Good Food at Hainanese Village Food Centre (chinchaijiak.wordpress.com)
• Ice Edge Cafe (Kovan) – Cosy not-so-little Ice-cream Cafe (chinchaijiak.wordpress.com)
• St. Marc Cafe – Simple and delightful pleasure (chinchaijiak.wordpress.com)
• Au Chocolat – Excellent Truffle Fries and Duck Confit (chinchaijiak.wordpress.com)

8 Days Eat Wish Dish Campaign – Majestic Restaurant

Majestic Restaurant

Address: New Majestic Hotel, 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Road

Opening hours: Tue to Sun 11.45am to 3.00pm, 6.00pm to 10.30pm, Closed on Mon

Introduction

This is my first ever invited food session by 8 Days Eat in supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation‘s campaign. Thank you Priscilla, from Majestic Restaurant and Audrey from 8 Days Eat for hosting us.

As a quick intro, Make-A-Wish Foundation’s mission is to “grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy”. Mediacorp’s 8 Days Eat is supporting this Wish Dish Campaign throughout the month of October 2013.

The objective of this charity campaign is to raise funds for the foundation. Order a Wish Dish here at Majestic Restaurant and 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the charity.

The Wish Dish that they are offering is the Crispy Wasabi Prawn, Sliced Peking Duck and Pan Seared Foie Gras combination plate at S$18.00++

Crispy Wasabi Prawn, Sliced Peking Duck and Pan Seared Foie Gras Combination Plate (S$18.00++)

The Wasabi Prawn is well coated with mayo-wasabi but fear not as the wasabi taste is not overpowering. Prawn is fresh, crispy on the exterior and succulent on the inside.

Although i am not exactly a big fan of Foie Gras, this Majestic Restaurant version is rather well done. Very very tender on the inside.

There is a little fusion of eastern and western style for this Peking Duck. Instead of going with our usual pancake skin and cucumber, the sweet sauce is scattered over the Peking duck to go their salad.

Conclusion

The Wish Dish Campaign will be on till the 31 October 2013 therefore if you have no idea on what to eat for your dinner, or looking for snacks, feel free to drop by Majestic Restaurant to have their Wish Dish – Crispy Wasabi Prawn, Sliced Peking Duck and Pan Seared Foie Gras Combination Plate and to play a small part in this charity campaign.

50% of the proceeds for this dish will be donated to the charity.

I also wish to thank Chef Yong Bing Ngen for arranging other dishes to go with the Wish Dish as well. I will write my reviews on these dishes after this conclusion at a slightly later date.