Forbidden Duck

"Demon chef" Alvin Leung, known for his three-Michelin-starred Bo Innovation in Hong Kong, opened Forbidden Duck in Singapore. Located where Crystal Jade Prestige used to be, the contemporary Cantonese restaurant is on the 2nd floor of Marina Bay Link Mall. Take the lift, between Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1 and 3, from the 1st floor and turn left upon exiting. Visited on a weekday for late lunch to try its dim sum and was surprised to see many empty tables for a relatively small but spacious place. Though the Pan Fried Turnip Cake with XO Sauce and Steamed King Prawn Dumpling were not recommended items on the menu, we liked them better than its Pesto Duck Spring Roll that my dining companion hated. Could neither rave about its Pork Siu Mai nor fault the thick but tender and a-tad-sweet slices of Iberico Pork Char Siu, except that the latter was too fatty for our liking. Oh, and the accompanying chilli sauce was very salty.

Mui Kee

Not knowing how long the queue will be at Mui Kee, I have put off visiting the restaurant on the 1st floor of Shaw Centre since it opened in March this year. It started in Mong Kok, Hong Kong in 1979 and was first brought into Singapore by the Les Amis Group as a pop-up stall at the Botanical Garden last year. Decided to try our luck as we were in the area around 9pm yesterday and were seated immediately. Probably because the place closes at 10pm (last order at 9.30pm). My dining companion was not impressed with the sliced fish kway teow soup while I could neither rave about nor fault the homemade pork meatballs congee. The silky smooth congee had a consistency more watery than the Cantonese ones I was used to, was a tad bland but perfect when paired with the well-marinated tender meatballs and crispy dough fritters. Add side dishes such as fried beancurd skin and dace fishcake, or chee cheong fun and claypot dishes respectively for lunch and dinner.

Joyden Canton

Having heard rave reviews about Joyden Canton at HillV2, I was looking forward to my visit at its 2nd branch. Located on the 4th floor of Shaw House or Isetan Scotts, this is definitely more convenient for people who do not stay in the west. I was pleasantly surprised that only a few tables at the 140-seater restaurant were occupied for dinner on a weekend. Decided to order two appetisers instead of a main course as they were going for $5.20++ each, in celebration of our nation's birthday (terms and conditions apply for the promotion that is valid 'til 31 Aug). While I could neither rave about nor fault the pan-fried carrot cake with homemade XO sauce, the stuffed chicken wing with glutinous rice did not sit well with me. As both dishes were too salty for my liking and I struggled to finish the latter, decided to wash them down with sago & pomelo in mango puree. Do not expect chunks of mango. And consistency of the "puree" was thin like juice. It was a disappointing end to a barely-palatable meal.

Kam's Roast

Have wanted to try Kam's Roast since its opening last November in Singapore, its 2nd branch and the only outside Hong Kong. Located on the 1st floor of Pacific Plaza beside Michelin-starred Tsuta Ramen, it is in the same building as another Michelin-starred restaurant – Tim Ho Wan on the 2nd floor. Kam's Roast Goose, founded by the 3rd generation of the founder of my favourite Yung Kee (what a mouthful), has been awarded a Michelin star in Hong Kong since it opened in 2014. We were seated immediately when we visited on a weekend for late lunch. My dining companion ordered crispy roast pork rice while I had seasonal vegetable soup noodles and we shared a quarter-portion of roast duck. While I loved the springy noodles, could neither rave about the pork nor fault the tender and succulent duck. If only the skin was crispier.

Tim Ho Wan – Has the Standard Dropped?

3 years have passed since Tim Ho Wan 1st landed on our shores. Now, the Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant has expanded its presence to 8 locations across the island – 112 Katong, Aperia Mall (Lavender), Atrium@Orchard (Plaza Singapura), CityLink Mall, ERA Centre (Toa Payoh), Pacific Plaza, Tai Seng and Westgate. Last weekend, I visited its newest branch at Pacific Plaza and ordered my favourites. The Steamed Egg Cake was as airy-light, soft and fluffy as the 1st time I tried it though the caramelised taste was more muted than the ones in Hong Kong. Skin of the Steamed Prawn Dumplings was not as springy and translucent-thin as I remembered, and a tad mushy but did not stick to the paper on the bamboo steamer basket. I preferred the succulent and well-marinated prawns in Singapore to Hong Kong's. While Spring Roll with Egg White seemed oilier, the skin was still crackling-crispy thin and went well with the egg white, prawns and chopped carrots. By the way, breakfast sets are also available at CityLink Mall's takeaway counter.

What and Where to Eat in Hong Kong (Part II)

...continued from What and Where to Eat in Hong Kong (Part I)

Roast meat and wonton noodles
You cannot go wrong with roast meat and wonton noodles. Have tried at random places on different trips and not come across unpalatable ones. Maybe we were lucky but the one that I like and always go back to is Yung Kee – recommended by a local during our 1st trip to Hong Kong many years back. Its signatures included charcoal roasted goose and crispy roasted pigeon, which I fell in love with and never failed to order. Thin crisp skin with tender meat that was neither too dry nor oily, its taste was accentuated when dipped in the accompanying salt though some may find this combination too salty. Fret not if so since it is just as good as-is. A travel companion found the dim sum here the best that we had during our trip. Hong Kong's wonton noodles are not served with char siu and the wonton consists of prawns, not meat. At Mak's Noodle, the noodles were springy and wonton succulent but a tad salty and of the same standard as Singapore's.

What and Where to Eat in Hong Kong (Part I)

Do not leave Hong Kong without eating at a cha chan teng or dai pai dong. The former can be found everywhere while there are only a handful of the latter left as the government stopped issuing licenses for them due to congestion and hygiene problems. Both, and cooked food centres similar to our hawker centres, sell anything from po lo bao to cart noodles (or instant noodles with egg, ham/luncheon meat/sausage) and rice. In Singapore, we may have shared table with strangers at a coffeeshop, food court or hawker centre. But here, it is normal to be seated with strangers at restaurants especially at crowded places. Now…what should you eat in this former British Colony that justifies the almost-four-hours flight? Having been here a couple of times over the last few years, these are my recommendations:

Royal London Duck

London Fat Duck is was a joint venture between the Fei Siong and Akashi groups when it opened last year. The partners have since parted ways and while London Fat Duck expanded its presence from Scotts Square to VivoCity and Waterway Point in Punggol, Fei Siong has opened Royal London Duck on the 4th floor of Mandarin Gallery where jones the grocer used to be. It can also be found at Centrepoint, Compass One in Sengkang and West Mall in Bukit Batok with plans for another branch at Millenia Walk. When we visited the Cantonese restaurant at Mandarin Gallery for dinner on a weekend, only a few tables were occupied. Could neither rave about its Royal London Duck (do not expect crispy roast duck skin) nor fault the succulent Prawn Wanton Noodle Soup except that its portion was a tad small. Loved the wok-hei and aroma of egg in its XO Sauce Fried Turnip Cake which had a crisp outside with soft, not mushy, insides. A satisficing hassle-free meal right smack in the middle of Orchard Road.

Kay Lee Roast Meat Joint

Started as a stall in a coffeeshop, Kay Lee Roast Meat Joint was put up for sale in 2012. Though the owners received about 70 offers, none met their asking price of $3.5 million. Until two and a half years later when publicly-listed conglomerate Aztech Group bought the roast meat institution in Upper Payer Lebar Road for $4 million. The company's group CE is a long-time customer who wants to preserve a heritage brand and expand the business. Now, it can also be found at Bedok Central, Singtel Comcentre, Tanjong Katong and Ubi. My dining companions and I visited the branch, located on the 2nd floor of Suntec City, for lunch on a weekend. We ordered Three Combination Meats and Canton-style Dumpling Noodles. Tender char siew was the best I have tried (am not a fan of char siew, by the way), though skin of roast duck was not crispy and its meat was a tad tough. Could neither rave about the succulent dumpling and springy noodles, nor fault the roast pork.

Asia Grand Restaurant

Having heard many rave about the good but expensive dim sum at Asia Grand Restaurant, I finally made my way to the Cantonese restaurant at Odeon Towers (opposite Raffles Hotel) recently. Not sure whether it would be packed for lunch on a weekday, we decided to call that morning to make reservations before making our way there. Promptly seated and asked what tea we would like, as the appetiser of assorted pickled capsicum and cucumber with fishcakes was served. Different from the usual braised or roasted peanuts, this was surprisingly addictive even for someone who does not eat capsicum and cucumber. Service was professional, and we did not have to wait long for our orders upon placing them. As mango and prawn go well together, Fried Mango Shrimp Roll is a hard-to-go-wrong dish except that it can sometimes be too oily. But here, it was not too greasy.

London Fat Duck

Do not confuse London Fat Duck with Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant and the acclaimed Fat Duck restaurant in Bray, England, by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal. Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant is a Hong Kong-style restaurant well-known for its roast duck, from London and located on the 2nd floor of Capitol Piazza. While London Fat Duck is a joint venture between the Fei Siong and Akashi groups, located opposite Maison Kayser at the basement of Scotts Square. Fei Siong's stable of restaurants include Eat and Legendary Hong Kong at Jurong Point. Other than the Akashi Japanese Restaurant, Akashi's include Akanoya at Orchard Parade Hotel, Gyoza-Ya and Sushi Goshin at Robinsons Orchard. A chef with experience in Hong Kong's Yung Kee was hired to roast the "wagyu of ducks" supplied by a farm in Ireland.

Noodle Place Restaurant

Queues can be seen at Noodle Place Restaurant during meal times. Shifted from across the road, it is now located on the 1st floor of Orchard Gateway beside 313@somerset. Visited not once but twice for late lunches on different weekends and tried its Shrimp Dumpling & Shrimp Wanton Noodles, Triple Mixed Roast Meat and Noodle Place Special Congee. Interestingly, preserved vegetables and braised peanuts were served only during our first visit. Both were nothing to rave about or fault, just like the shrimp wanton. Loved the springy noodles though could not say the same of its shrimp dumpling with fillings of minced pork (too mushy for my liking) and prawns, mushrooms instead of the familiar crunchy black fungus.

Tim Ho Wan

Now, the world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant has four branches in Singapore – Atrium@Orchard, ERA Centre, Bedok Mall and Westgate. Almost a year since it started offering authentic made-to-order (not pre-steamed and reheated) Hong Kong style dim sum on our sunny shores, the initial hype has died down so queues were no longer as long. We visited this hole-in-the-wall eatery in the west, and queued about half an hour for lunch despite Sunday being perfect for yum cha. How could we miss the legendary Baked Buns with BBQ Pork? My dining companions, who have eaten at Westgate's Tim Ho Wan before, declared that the standard had dropped though it was still delicious albeit smaller. Steamed Egg Cake was a tad moist, not as airy-light and fluffy as the first time I tried it and no longer addictive. Deep-Fried Spring Roll with Egg White and Steamed Pork Rib with Black Bean Sauce tasted largely the same as my previous visits, except maybe the former was a tad oilier.

Tim Ho Wan Revisited

Have you heard the world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant has expanded its presence in Singapore? Tim Ho Wan by Chef Mak Kwai Pui opened a 2nd branch on Thursday at ERA Centre, formerly known as Toa Payoh Entertainment Centre. But until its official launch sometime next month instead of July as initially planned, it is available only to staff of Hersing Corporation and ERA agents who can bring along their family and friends. So my dining companions and I visited the one at Atrium@Orchard, next to Plaza Singapura. More than 4 months have passed since the hole-in-the-wall eatery, offering authentic made-to-order (not pre-steamed and reheated) Hong Kong style dim sum, arrived on our shores. I reached 15 minutes before it was opened for business yesterday and estimated from my position in the queue we would be within the 1st batch of seating. While waiting, order chits were distributed as staff asked for the number of people in each group.

New Kid on the Block – Tim Ho Wan

The world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant has landed on our shores. Tim Ho Wan by Chef Mak Kwai Pui, who hopes to offer authentic made-to-order (not pre-steamed and reheated) Hong Kong style dim sum to Singapore, opened at Atrium@Orchard yesterday. Next to Plaza Singapura, this is the hole-in-the-wall eatery's 1st overseas branch with the 2nd one in Toa Payoh opening in July and another four by year end. Recalled seeing a long queue at the original Mong Kok branch, which was awarded one Michelin star within a year of business and continued to earn the accolade every year since. With its recent move to Olympian City, the only branch with the hard-earned one star now is Sham Shui Po's though Tim Ho Wan also has presence in North Point and IFC Mall. No different from Hong Kong, seating here is on a 1st-come 1st-serve basis but customers can get a queue number and go shopping until they received a notification via SMS that their table is ready.

Chef Chan’s Restaurant

Used to be at Odeon Towers, Chef Chan's Restaurant is now located in a corner at National Museum of Singapore with its entrance up a short flight of steps along Stamford Road. The place boosts high ceiling and lots of space with antiques, owned by none other than Chef Chan Chen Hei, and oriental furniture. Modern chandeliers stood out against ancient Chinese lanterns and wooden signboards reminiscent of traditional medicinal halls. This look is replicated in its table setting of glass teapot and metal cutleries against ceramic wares and wooden chopsticks. Chef Chan has since left the restaurant, now helmed by his discipline. With only a few tables and private dining rooms, it was more cold than cosy. Instead of ordering the set menus, my dining companion and I decided on à la carte dishes.