REVIEW: 5 new dim sum restaurants to check out with your family

KAI GARDEN

1/5

After an illustrious career with the Paradise Group, Hong Kong-born chef Fung Chi Keung - whose clientele is reputed to include celebrities like Chow Yun-Fat and Zhang Ziyi- is finally striking it out on his with the opening of Kai Garden at Marina Square. 

It may be tucked away in a corner of the mall, yet the restaurant is packed every lunch hour in spite of its upmarket price tags, which easily double some of its competitors'. But after sampling the food, we could see why the crowd is so rapt. Chef Fung has spun an innovative menu that is rooted on familiar favourites yet revitalised with a dash of the whimsical. 



Take the juicy parcels of pan-fried siew mai ($8.80) for example. It's still very much siew mai as we know it, only it's bigger in girth now and redolent of wok hei. 



The scallop dumpling ($9.80) is luxe with a chunky piece of abalone, and the dumpling wrap is incredibly silky, unlike any we've tried before.



What sounds like a simple appetiser - deep-fried golden mushrooms and cod fish roll ($10.80) - comes rolled in a lacy rice batter cone that is so crisp and delicate it feels ethereal. It's a wonderful contrast to the plump flakes of buttery sweet cod fish. 



Any time you need a breather, pop some chilled mini tomatoes with sweet plum ($10.80) into your mouth. The sweet plum pickling sauce endows the organic tomatoes a zippy, lively character. 

The porridge selection is rather surprising too, with a choice of brown rice congee with spare ribs ($7.80) and congee with fresh lilybulb and chinese yam ($8.80). We opted for the latter, curious how the two unusual ingredients would fare. Remarkably, it turns out. The seafood porridge is light on the palate yet still brims with flavour, and the lily bulb lends crunch to break up what would otherwise have been a texturally monotonous dish. The stickiness of the Chinese yam was initially bizarre, but it slowly grew on us.

Mind you, this is just a small glimpse into chef Fung's extensive menu of dim sum intrigues. You're going to need return visits to try other signatures, such as the wok-fried cheong-fun in XO sauce ($8.80), seafood fried rice with tobikko fish roe ($28), double-boiled lobster soup with dumpling ($14.80). 

Well-made custard buns are getting ubiquitous, but special mention still goes to Kai Garden's rendition ($5.80). The bun is evenly pillowy all round, generously filled out and oozy, with that lip-smacking salted egg yolk sandiness. 

#03-128A/b Marina Square, 6 Raffles Boulevard, tel: 6250-4826. kaigarden.com.sg

Open Mon-Fri, 11.30am-3.30pm, 6-11pm; Sat & Sun, 11am-4pm, 6-11pm. 

Dim sum available daily during lunch service.

For more reviews and lifestyle news, click here to return to the Simply Her homepage.

 

PARADISE TEOCHEW RESTAURANT

2/5

It took Paradise Group long enough, but they've finally a Teochew restaurant in their stable. The Chinese Swimming Club address may seem an unusual choice, given the group's preference for large shopping malls, but the light-filled ambience has a certain relaxed charm, a change from the usual frantic buzz at other Paradise restaurants.



The dim sum scene in Singapore is largely Cantonese-influenced, so this new destination for Teochew-style snacks is quite a breath of fresh air.



We started off with a porridge of minced pork and dried flat fish ($6). Admittedly, we weren't really fans of Teochew muay, so we were skeptical. But apprehension turned into amazement quickly and we slurped it all up greedily: Unlike the bland, somewhat gooey white porridge, this version has plump, firm grains of cooked rice simmered in a light, addictive broth. There's texture aplenty, with the dried flat fish and morsels of minced pork. The comforting simplicity of it was on mind for several weeks after.



Instead of roasts, the meat platter here takes the form of braised Teochew specialties (from $20 for a combination of two items). The selection includes various duck parts, from sliced duck meat to tongue to web and wings, as well as sliced pork knuckles, pig's intestine and octopus. Of course, there's also the quintessential braised tofu and egg too. The stewing liquid, made with superior stock, is cleaner-tasting than the thick sauces we're used to, but far from lacking depth of flavour.



We welcomed too, the chewy, sticky pockets of steamed Teochew 'fen guo' dumpling ($4.80), stuffed with chopped mushrooms, radish, chives, and peanuts - rustic, reassuring.

The traditional Teochew pork roll ($10) - essentially a meaty ngoh hiang - left an impression with its punchier, complex aroma of spices and crisp exterior.



There are also some too-cute-to-eat dim sum creations: steamed custard buns ($5.80) in the shape of piglets, and Dumbo-like deep-fried abalone dumplings. The former is not the salted yolk variety, but filled with a thicker, buttery and slightly milky custard instead. That makes it kind of an underachiever given our current no-flow-no-go expectations, but the slivers of pine nuts embedded within proved rather fun. 



Still, we prefer the abalone dumplings - paradoxically crispy and mochi-mochi, chockfull of diced abalone, shrimp, and mushroom. 



When the staff suggested the crispy sweet and sour noodles (from $14) for dessert, we raised our eyebrows again. Noodles, really? They explained it's an old Teochew classic, and that in fact, this particular type of noodles has to be especially shipped in from Hong Kong. 

Our curiosity piqued, we gave it a go. The dish arrived at the table pan-fried a golden brown. We broke off a piece, and heeded instructions to dip it first in vinegar, then in sugar. The noodles were simultaneously crunchy and chewy, and the vinegar-and-sugar combination grounded the savouriness with a desserty sweet-sour tang. Noodles for dessert next time? Sure. 

#03-01 Chinese Swimming Club, 21 Amber Road, tel: 6348-7298. paradisegp.com

Open Mon-Fri, 11.30am-3.30pm, 6-10.30pm; Sat & Sun, 10.30am-3.30pm, 6-10.30pm. 

Dim sum available daily during lunch service.

For more reviews and lifestyle news, click here to return to the Simply Her homepage.

 

JOYDEN TREASURES

3/5

It may not have the ritzy fittings of other restaurants, or dainty creations, but then again, those are not what this restaurant is about. The third addition to the F&B portfolio of a 30-year-old family-owned business, Joyden Treasures was opened with the vision of turning the spotlight back on heritage dishes. 

The second generation owners, who were also responsible for establishing the Joyden Concepts brand, researched on Singapore's culinary past, dug into old family recipes and worked with their veteran chefs to recreate forgotten dishes - red grouper steamed in homemade soya milk broth (market price), traditional salt baked crab (market price), for instance.

Unsurprisingly, the concise dim sum menu - available for lunch daily - hones in on the classics, turning out time-honoured choices like har gao ($4.50), steamed yam cake ($4.20) and pork ribs with salted black beans ($4.20). While some might argue that the selection stays too "safe", there's no denying the soothing contentment of tucking into familiar, unpretentious food. And mommies, you'll love the spaciousness of the space, because you can park strollers right by the table without feeling guilty for cramming the walkway. 



A simple dish of glutinous rice ($4.20) - packed with tender chicken chunks, salted egg, dried shrimp and Chinese mushrooms - spoke right to our hearts, as did the textbook perfect shrimp siew mai with fish roe ($4.50). 



We can't stop raving about the Phoenix beancurd skin prawn roll (from $16) either, crunchy and doubly umami with both salted eggs and century eggs mashed and stuffed within. To be technical, it's actually from the a la carte menu rather than the dim sum selection, but so what? You wouldn't regret ordering it. 

Cheong fun with crab meat ($5) is not commonly seen, so we had to order it. The white-on-white dish looked pretty unappealing, but we were pleased to find that it was meaty and plump on flavour. 



The mini egg tarts ($4.50) had the delightful flakiness of Portuguese-styled tarts, with just-set eggy custard in the centre - too easily gobbled up, so take our advice and just order more portions from the beginning. 



If you're in the mood for a traditional local dessert, they've got the likes of ang ku kueh ($4.20) - both crushed peanut and shredded coconut fillings are available - and steamed ma-la gao ($4.20) too. 

#02-42 Leisure Park Kallang, 5 Stadium Walk, tel: 6446-8488. joydentreasures.com.sg

Open Mon-Fri, 11.30am-3pm, 6-10pm; Sat & Sun, 10.30am-3pm, 5.30-10pm.

Dim sum available daily during lunch service.

For more reviews and lifestyle news, click here to return to the Simply Her homepage.

 

EMPRESS

4/5

The Prive Group's restaurants have always exuded sophistication, but this new opening at the Asian Civilisations Museum seems the most stunning of them all.



The floor-to-ceiling windows, the sweeping vista of Boat Quay, the expansive high ceilings all live up to the restaurant's grand name: Empress, a reflection of its Empress Place street address. It's an elegant amalgamation of the oriental, the colonial, and modern design aesthetes - rattan-backed dining chairs, Chinoiserie-inspired mirror screens, minimalist Scandinavian-style light fixtures and jazz music. 

Yet it doesn't take itself too seriously either, retaining the group's trademark laid-back charm. Dining here would feel like a chi-chi holiday, and you can also feel right at ease bringing Junior here because the tables abound with families with toddlers. Did we mention that it's spacious with plenty of room for strollers too? 

The menu is contemporary Cantonese, drawing a mixed crowd of locals and expats. That also means that the weekend dim sum is turned into a champagne brunch affair ($58/adult, additional $48/person for free-flow alcohol with Mumm champagne; $28/child under 12 years, free for children below 5). Think of it as a semi-buffet of sorts, 4-course meal supplemented with unlimited portions of dim sum. The selection is considerably brief in comparison with conventional Chinese restaurants, but there's still plenty to keep patrons full and satisfied.

The 4-course menu comprises a soup-of-the-day, your choice of Singapore chilli king prawns with golden mantou or crispy-battered sea grouper; a roast platter or salt-baked sesame chicken; and either mandarin & calamansi granita or peanut-coated black sesame "mochi" balls for dessert. 



The soup was too light, too healthy to leave an impression, but the chilli king prawns were fat and juicy with a garlicky zing. It's easier to handle and far more accessible than the usual chilli crab, though the portion of one prawn and one mantou per diner meant that its charm was shortlived.

The alternative - battered sea grouper - was fresh and firm albeit slightly overcooked. That's probably a teething problem which we'll gladly overlook, because the bright flavours of the chilli-flecked pomelo sauce stole the show. 



For the third course, the bountiful-sounding roast platter turned out a little middling. The roast pork had a good crackle but the meat was under-seasoned and a little dry; fortunately, both the char siew and sticky ribs were just sweet enough without being cloying, but again they shared the fate of being a tad overcooked.

The salt-baked sesame chicken fared better, tender meat sheathed under crisp skin. 



But it was dim sum that we really came for, and alas, that was a bunch of hits and misses. We loved the steamed seafood and spinach dumplings which were packed with diced scallop, prawn, crab meat and spinach but the har gau, while undeniably fresh, was ensconced in dumpling wraps that were too thick and too starchy.

The preserved egg and pork porridge was another disappointment, as were the doughy steamed pumpkin and pork dumplings.

But we found comfort in the deep-fried garlic and prawn spring rolls, and the steamed liu sha bao with its golden molten egg custard restored our faith. 

Not that the desserts in the 4th course needed help though. The granita wakes the palate with its citrusy tang, and the tiny gems of pop rocks add a playful dimension. But if we really had to choose between desserts, it'll be the sesame mochi option. 



It's a bit of a misnomer really, because what we got was a rather avant-garde presentation with black sesame as the theme. Yes, there was a peanut-coated mochi ball filled with black sesame. But there was also a rich, nutty black sesame ice cream, a pillowy square of black sesame steamed cake, paper-thin sesame wafers. There was also an inky, smoky sesame sauce for garnish, and soft, melt-in-your-mouth clusters of peanut "snow". The attention to detail for this creation was mind-boggling, and contemplating all the flavours and textures was such a delight, that was truly the best sweet ending to a lazy brunch.

#01-03 Asian Civilisations Museum, 1 Empress Place, tel: 6238-8733. www.empress.com.sg

Open daily, 11.30am-3pm, 6-11pm. 

Dim sum available on Sat & Sun, first seating 11.30am-1.30pm, second seating from 2pm. 

For more reviews and lifestyle news, click here to return to the Simply Her homepage.

 

MITZO

5/5

If you did a double take, wondering if you've stepped into the wrong restaurant, we don't blame you. The trippy, kaleidoscopic interior is a major departure from our usual expectations of a Chinese restaurant. 



So don't be surprised too then, that executive head chef Nicky Ng paints bold, modern strokes with his version of Cantonese fare. Take for instance, the Ode to Spring seasonal menu (from $78/person, available till June 30) which works with edible flowers for inspired creations like poached noodles with crab meat in saffron sauce, and zucchini flower tempura stuffed with wasabi shrimp. 

Likewise, the Mitzo Weekend Brunch ($68/person, additional $50/person for free-flow alcohol) turns the concept of yum cha-and-tea on its head, with "tea" taking the form of tea-infused concoctions at the DIY cocktail station. 

The bar is covered in a colourful array of bottles and jars of elixirs - chamomile-scented whisky, gin-spiked chyrsanthemum tea, flowers steeped in vodka - as well as new-fangled mixes and syrups such as hibiscus water and goji berry syrup for you to get shakin' with. But if you'd rather leave it up to the experts, Mitzo also has a rotating selection of tea cocktails for you to order from.

The a la carte buffet menu runs more than 40 items long, fantastic for ravenous appetites. 



Kickstart the meal with the Mitzo special barbecued pork - succulent char siew cloaked in a caramelised crust that crackles readily into sweet, crystalline shards. 



The crispy pork belly sliders, a "dry" remake of kong bak pao, with braised pork substituted by crunchy siew yoke is again proof of chef Nicky's mastery with roast meats.



Even the classic har gau gets a colour pop, with purple radish worked into the dough. While the additional ingredient doesn't have much bearing taste-wise, the steamed crystal prawn dumpling gets the thumbs up from us for its flawless preparation. 

Make time too to check out the mains. We were also very taken with the braised tea-smoked pork belly from the "main course" section, which was just the right amount of fattiness with a lingering smoky aroma. 



The stir-fried osmanthus chicken is another stellar dish in our book for its subtle floral fragrance and the tender chunks of chicken, tossed with leeks, mushrooms and strips of red pepper. And if truffles rock your boat, you'll want to give the braised truffles udon a go too. 



You'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to dessert too, but we say start off with the aloe vera and osmanthus jelly. It's a real palate-cleanser, thanks to the scoop of refreshing lychee sorbet. The chilled mango cream with sago and pomelo hits all the right notes, remarkably without being too rich.

We thought we were too stuffed but when the charcoal-hued custard bun arrived, the oozy sweet custard had us so won over we were scarfing down two pieces each - all complaints of a full stomach thrown out of the window. 

Level 4, Grand Park Hotel, 270 Orchard Road, tel: 6603-8855. mitzo.sg

Open daily, noon-2.30pm, 6.30-1am.

Dim sum available on weekends and public holidays, 11.30am-2.30pm. 

For more reviews and lifestyle news, click here to return to the Simply Her homepage.