Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant

I was extremely excited to try yet another dumplings and noodles restaurant which recently opened some new branches, following the success of their first opening at Bugis Junction. I tried the giant soup dumpling with crab roe when I visited Shanghai, and I was eager to try that in Singapore, as well as their steamed buns with crab meat.

I visited their branch located at the 4th floor of City Square Mall. The deco is very well done, with a combination of both modern and classic touches. The walls made up of baskets stand out, as well as the circular motifs around the tables that face the windows.

The Shanghai pan fried dumplings ($5.00) looked a lot better on the menu than they did on the plate. The filling is tasty and releases juice once you bite into the dumpling. The skin was quite disappointing, as it tasted like the typical frozen gyoza you have in most cheap Japanese restaurants. On top of that, the crispy side was too soft and soggy for my liking.

The dish I enjoyed the most was the Crabmeat and pork steamed buns ($9.00). Used to the usual xiaolongbao with pork, this was a refreshing variation to the classic pork filling. I liked the crab texture and delicate flavour of the seafood stock.

One of their signature dishes is without a doubt this Shanghai specialty: the King Sized Nanxiang Crab Roe Steamed Soup bun (6.80). In this case, the bun really just serves the function of holding the steaming hot soup rich with bits of crab roe, which you can pull up by sucking on the straw.

Maybe I'm pretty picky when it comes to zhajiang mien ($7.80), but this was one of the worst I had in Singapore. Most noticeably, what is served is not what's pictured in the menu. The picture shows the tytpical zhajiang mien, with its dense sauce on top. The noodles I was served just had some dry braised pork on top, with some liquid sauce sitting at the bottom. The worst part was that it tasted like what you would be served in a food court. Nothing like the rich and complex flavour of a proper zhajiang mien as it really lacked of a few dimensions.

The same could be said for these beans ($9.80). The worst I had in Singapore, and they also lacked of a tad of salty, or a tad of meaty, or sweet, but anyway something to lift the dish, which had a strong flavour of uncooked beans. It is actually hard to get it so wrong. Quite disappointing.

Out of the dishes I tried, the only good ones were the steamed buns and the signature king dumpling. Everything else was what I would define food court standard, and not worth the cost, especially when you consider that the main direct competitor, Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao is far better and cheaper. Unless you are a fan of crabmeat dumplings, I really see no reason to visit this restaurant. Silk Road or Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao will give you far more for your money.

The best Dan Dan in Singapore?

Dan Dan and Zhajiang mien are without a doubt my two favourite noodle dishes in Chinese cuisine, but unfortunately since they originate from the northern part of China, they are not commonly found in Singapore, and when they are available they are often substandard. After tasting Dan Dan noodles in different places, my favourites are Silk Road (Amara Hotel), and Sichuan Dou Hua (Parkroyal hotel). Having to choose between these two, I would prefer the Silk Road Dan Dan, although it's a very close battle. As you may know, there are two types of Dan Dan, dry or soupy, and some places make one version, some places the other. For instance, Lao Beijing serves Dan Dan noodles in soup. I am generally not a big fan of soupy noodles, so I will only be reviewing the dry version.


I have reviewed Silk Road before, so I won't spend any more words on environment and service, which are of pretty good standard.
Dan Dan noodles at Silk Road only cost $6.00. They come in a decent portion with plenty of minced beef a creamy rich sauce, and an extremely pronounced Sichuan peppercorn kind of spiciness which is guaranteed to numb your mouth by the end of it!
What distinguishes the way this dish is prepared at Silk Road is the lightness of the sauce. Other places make the sauce too rough and robust, resulting in a heavy, unsettling flavour. Well, this is where I come for my Dan Dan fix, and at every visit I make sure I also have the dry beef shaved noodles and a portion of  Sichuan deep fried chicken with dried chilli (this second one is only recommended if you can eat spicy food), which I reviewed in my previous post.
I can only say that if you like Chinese noodles and you haven't tried Dan Dan before, you might be really missing something!

Shin Yeh

Sghin Yeh is a Taiwanese restaurant chain well known in Taiwan, established in Singapore on the second floor of Liang Court. The dining room is spacious and overlooks the Clarke Quay canal. Many private rooms are available for large groups, making it a popular choice for family gatherings.

A couple of their signature dishes are based on Taiwanese bottarga. The bottarga is wrapped into a cuttlefish fishcake, and lightly baked. The slices are then served with fresh leek. Probably due to the light cooking process, the bottarga tends to be drier and more intense in flavour than I am used to.

I prefer their other bottarga dish, which consists in slices of Bottarga sandwiched in-between tomato, turnip and leek and accompanied by black beans. This is for me such a different way of having this delicacy. Although I still prefer to have it Italian style with olive oil and bread, this combination is more healthy and refreshing.

The duck with preserved vegetables in is very juicy and well flavoured by the buillon it is served with.

I liked the pig's trotter with steamed peanuts, although there wasn't much meat in it, and I can have a cheaper, larger and meatier portion elsewhere (see my review of Hiang Ji).

The string beans with mined pork is a Chinese classic and Shin Yeh's version is very tasty and not as oily as others. As a personal preference, the best string beans still remains Silk Road's.

Their signature pan-fried turnip pancake didn't particularly impress me, as it tasted quite like a simple home made egg pancake.

This was the best dish out of all. The sea bass with eggplant and tofu in special stock (S$5/100gr) comes in a large clay-pot with a generous amount of tofu chunks and aubergine strips. But what makes this dish outstanding is the thick, rich stock based on yellow beans. The fish is slightly coated in flour and pan fried first so the skin deeply absorbs the sauce. One portion is only about S$25 (about 500gr) and is just right for about 2-3 people.

It is no surprise that this restaurant is normally busy, despite being located in a shopping mall that is not mainstream. Shin-yeh offers a good variety of specialty dishes that cannot be found elsewhere in Singapore, differentiating itself from the vast majority of Chinese family restaurants.

Shin Yeh
Website: http://www.shinyeh.com.sg/
Address: Liang Court Shopping Centre, #02-19
Telephone: +65 6338 7337

Duo Le

THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED.

I have been patronizing this restaurant for the past few weeks, and not a single dish ever disappointed me. I never visited it with the intention of blogging about it, but since I have become a regular there I thought it would deserve a few pictures and comments.

Duo Le serves authentic Shaanxi cuisine. One of a chain of three restaurants located in China, the Singapore branch opened in Orchard Central. What I love about this restaurant is the attention to detail, the elegance of the dining room, the beauty of the menu, the warm and friendly service, the love for the cultural roots, the pride for creating an establishment that is not just about making money, rather the accomplishment of a deep passion.

The menu is rich with beautiful pictures, an you will find yourself going through it again and again before deciding what to eat. The highlights are clearly displayed, so getting the selection right the first time should not be a problem even for someone who is not too familiar with Shaanxi cuisine.

Amongst the cold dishes, I would recommend the flat noodles with chilli ($6.80) and the chicken in chilli sauce ($9.80). What I love about this place is that they propose a selection that distinguishes it from the majority of Chinese restaurants in Singapore.
The Dong Po pork ($28.80) is a more common dish, but Duo Le serves it in a slightly different seasoning style.

One of my favourite dishes of Chinese cuisine is Zhajiang Mian ($12.80). Duo Le makes an incredibly good version of it. This is one of the dishes that makes me come back to this restaurant again and again! The sauce is milder than the classic style and will be appreciated by most palates, but the real highlight is the firm and springy handmade noodles!

They have an impressive selection of dumplings, both vegetarian and with meat. The different fillings are not all listed on the menu, so most likely the waiter will present the different options, which some might find confusing. I tried the chives and prawns dumplings ($12.80), and I could tell how much care went into them. From the quality of the wrap to the attention put into the juicy filling, these dumplings are quite an experience.

Finally, a Shaanxi all time favourite... the minced pork toasted bun ($6.80). It is fairly large in size, so I would recommend sharing it among 2-4 people. This is not to everyone's taste, but everyone should try it. You can't try Shaanxi cuisine without giving this dish a chance! the toasted bun tastes freshly made and is fairly plain, while the pork inside compensates with a more robust set of flavours and textures, some of which are slightly crunchy.

Duo Le
Website: http://www.duole.com.sg/

Lan Zhou La Mian

This has been one of my top 5 favorite eateries for over a year. I regularly come to eat here every week or so, as I love the simplicity of northern Chinese cuisine.
This place is cheap, authentic and as good as this food can be. It's open until late and you know you can reliably come here anytime for a healthy snack.
Just yesterday I tried for the first time "Qun Zhong", a similar eatery located in Neil Street (5 minutes walk from Smith Street) which has nicer xiaolongbao and zhajang mian very similar to the ones served here. I will blog about it after my next visit.

The highlight, as the name of this eatery suggests, is their lamian. I am crazy for authentic Zhajiang Mian, and theirs certainly is one of the best. Besides the rich sauce, generous with minced pork and thinly sliced cucumber, their hand stretched noodles are something special. They have a firm bite like no others, and according to the master, this is his own secret recipe.

The xiaolongbao is juicy, thin dough, just like it's supposed to be.

I particularly like their fried dumplings (Guo Tie), mild, crispy and juicy. Highly recommended.

Another good reason to try this place is their lime juice, which is the best I had to date. Clean and sharp, delicately sweet, with a subtle bitter flavor. If you like this drink don't forget to try it there, as their version is different from the standard Singapore lime juice.

LAN ZHOU LA MIAN
19 Smith Street
Tel: +65 63271286
Open: Noon to 10.30pm daily

Crystal Jade Shanghai

This is the 3rd time I had lunch at this restaurant part of the Crystal Jade group, located in the new Changi Terminal 3. As the name suggests, their menu brings some of the Shanghai flavours to Singapore.

The Steamed Beancurd with Prawn and Shrimp Roe ($16.80) didn't taste as good as it looked. It was slightly under salted and I just felt that there was nothing there to bind the flavours together.

The Poached Noodles with scallion and dried shrimps ($7) were quite special. These noodles are very simple, but tasty and delicate. Making a parallel with Italian food, they make me think of "spaghetti alla bottarga" for their subtle fishy flavour.

Although they are not a Shanghai speciality, I ordered the Long Beans with minced pork ($12) only to complement the meal with some vegetables. These were well prepared and tasty as I would have expected.

I was particularly interested in the Sauteed Diced Chicken with Diced Asparagus in Spicy Sauce (served with pancake) ($14 ) because of the way it's served. The dish is a fairly normal stir fried chicken with corn and mushroom, with a subtle smoky flavour. Very tasty on its own. This is served with some thin pancakes that look like mini-tortillas, comparable to the ones used for Beijing duck. I felt like I was eating a Chinese version of Mexican fajitas, and a healthier one too.
The total bill was $71.30 for 2 people, including drinks, peanuts and towels.

Overall, this restaurant serves some interesting, well priced food and you wouldn't regret trying it. Obviously the atmosphere isn't the coziest due to its location, in the middle of the terminal, but it is quite relaxing due to the spacious and quiet surroundings.

Website: http://www.crystaljade.com/crystal_jade_shanghai_restaurant.htm

Silk Road

Silk Road, located on the 2nd floor within the Amara Hotel, Tanjong Pagar, has been one of my favourite Chinese restaurants for over 2 years. They specialise in cuisine from Sichuan, Shaanxi, Beijing and Liaoning.
Their menu is incredibly vast, and I must admit that I was almost never disappointed by anything I picked from it. Their cooking is consistently of very high standards, especially their dumplings and noodles. I love the open kitchen concept, which adds a twist of action to a comfortable, softly lit and spacious environment. Service needs a bit of work to match the food, but considering the fairly reasonable prices it's something that most would be prepared to accept.

A snack is regularly served as you sit at the table. It is either steamed peanuts with tofu or this pickled vegetable. I love the steamed peanuts, while I find this pickle slightly salty.

My all time favourite, and one dish I must order every single time I visit this restaurant is the shaved noodles. They are served both dry or in soup with beef or seafood. I recommend the dry shaved noodles with beef ($6). These noodles, as the name suggests, are shaved directly from the dough and they have an irregular, rough texture.

The Shenyang combination dumplings ($8) are filled with vegetables, pork and prawns and they are very juicy and tasty even without the sauce provided, which is quite strong in garlic.

The Fried french beans with pork ($13) is one of my favourite Chinese vegetable dishes, and Silk Road serves a very authentic version of the dish as opposed to the sweeter version that is more commonly served in Singapore. The savoury and crispy pork accompanies well fried and textured green beans.

Out of all, the Sichuan eggplant with bean sauce ($13) is the one I enjoy the least. I find that the flavours are too overwhelming and they cover up the delicate aroma of eggplant. Although the dish might be authentically done, it wouldn't be my first choice.

I ended the meal with 2 Chinese desserts. The Yam paste with Gingko nuts ($5) was very smooth and delicate, served warm and well balanced in sweetness.

I love the cotton cake with coconut ($6), consisting in extremely soft and fluffy textured squares of steamed egg white lightly sweetened and dusted in dry coconut flakes. This dessert is recommended if you are feeling full after the meal and you need to end it with something sweet. It is so light that you won't feel aggravated by it!

The total bill was $102, including an Eight Treasure tea ($3) and 2 soft drinks. There is very little to argue about this restaurant. Their food is consistently top notch, offering a variety of regional dishes that are not commonly served in Singapore, the ambience is pleasant and quiet and it's reasonably priced.

Website: http://www.silkroadrestaurants.com/about.html

Hiang Ji - Char Siu

This place is now CLOSED
Hidden behind the stairways of a pedestrian overpass is this Katong coffee shop that serves amazing Char Siu rice for only $3. Specialised in meats, their Char Siu, pig's trotter, duck and chicken are the recommended choice.

The coffee shop itself is actually very spacious, with some large round tables and air conditioning, and some smaller tables outside.

The Char Siu is absolutely amazing. Sweet, tender and juicy, it melts in your mouth.

The chicken rice perfectly accompanies all their meat dishes and it's fragrant, firm and moist.

The preserved vegetables ($1/$2) are the perfect match for Pig's trotter and rice.

The pig's trotter is very strong in flavour and very lean once you discard the skin. It comes with juicy peanuts cooked in its own sauce.

The menu is primarily focused on meats and vegetables, apart from the curry fish head. Portions are large and very reasonably priced. Their 'Soy Sauce Chicken' is served with ginger sauce as well as the usual chilly sauce.

If you live in Katong you should definitely try this place.

Hiang Ji Roasted Meat & Noddle House
57 East Coast Rd Singapore 428773 (opposite Roxy Square)
Tel : 6440 9171

Dian Xiao Er - Terminal 3

The Terminal 3 branch of Diang Xiao Er opened 1 year ago and its location reinforces the "pit-stop for travellers" philosophy of this restaurant. It is rustically and traditionally decorated and subdivided into two areas with different deco. Their speciality is roasted duck. Their ducks are "Cherry Valley ducks" naturally bred off the lakeside, and they are marinated and roasted daily.

We ordered a 10 wonder herbs roasted duck. Their duck is truly unique for its flavour and texture. The meat is well marinated and flavoursome, non-fat and yet tender and juicy, served in abundant herbal sauce. The skin is paper thin and crispy, so you can have it without ingesting layers of fat. The portion we ordered is advertised for 2-4 people. However, in my opinion this is only enough for one person even if you have it with rice. This duck is so lean and tasty that you will feel like eating more of it than you would normally. The 'superior rice' served with the duck is quite fragrant and above par with other restaurants of this price range.

I highly recommend trying this restaurant if you like duck. They prepare it consistently well and you won't be disappointed.

Restaurant Website: http://www.dianxiaoer.net/

Soup Restaurant - Seah Street

Who doesn't know what chicken rice is. Well, that's what soup restaurant is all about, together with their herbal soups. This is a well known chain of restaurants, with branches all over Singapore. I find that the Seah-street branch has more character. Located within a shop house, it offers that 'old school' environment which perfectly matches their cooking style.
Their philosophy is to serve 'Chinatown heritage cuisine', prepared in a traditional way. The Samsui chicken is their signature dish, and their menu narrates the full story of this truly Singaporean dish for those who haven't heard it before.


The steamed peanut snack ($4) is served as you sit at your table, but it's not complimentary. It's very well done, fragrant and soft.

A 'Samsui Ginger Chicken' portion for 4 people costs $26.80. Two layers of juicy, thick chicken chunks are arranged circularly around a large plate with the sauce served in the middle. This dish is not cheap when you consider that you can have chicken rice for a few dollars elsewhere in Singapore, but in my opinion the price is fully justified. The sauce, made from grated ginger and sesame oil, enhances the succulence of the chicken without obfuscating its flavour. You will find yourself dipping those generous chunks of chicken deeper and deeper into this addictive sauce. Lettuce is served on the side, so that you can wrap your seasoned chunks of chicken as you would do at a korean barbecue.

This beautiful 'Teochew olive rice' ($5.80) is a great substitute for your regular chicken rice. Although I disagree with the theory, every health conscious Singaporean will avoid chicken rice as it's notorious for being high in cholesterol. Olive rice doesn't feel oily, it has a very fragrant aroma, it looks beautiful and healthy and it tastes without covering other flavours (like a fried rice would do). It's the perfect combination to enhance your Samsui chicken experience.

The 'steamed San Yu fish slice' ($10.80) has a typical local flavour. Steamed fish slices, served on a bed of soy based sauce and topped with shredded spring onions and chilly. Although I like this dish, it's not what I would go to Soup restaurant for. I have tasted very similar versions of this dish at various other places around Singapore.

There is only one problem with Soup restaurant: that your neighborhood chicken rice stall will no longer taste the same.

Website: http://www.souprestaurant.com.sg/

Summer Pavilion - Dim Sum

What's better than a sumptuous Sunday lunch Dim Sum. The Summer Pavilion is located at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, and they serve dim sum at lunchtime. Their menu is traditional yet innovative, offering relatively cheap ($30 dollars per person) and delicious dim sum in an elegant setting.

Tapioca crisps - This is what you will find ready at your table as you sit down. It's a snack to keep you busy while you order and wait for your food. It's a well presented snack that sets the theme of the restaurant: innovation within tradition.

Pan-fried shredded yam with pumpkin - I haven't seen this dish elsewhere and I love it as much as I love pumpkin. The crunchy texture of the outer layer is interleaved by two layers of soft shredded yam and one of sweet shredded pumpkin. A must try.

Steamed Lily bulbs dumpling with water chestnut, snow pea and mushrooms (left) - This dumpling has a very delicate flavour, with spikes of sweetness when you bite into the lily bulbs. Water chestnuts just add that crunchiness to the otherwise uniform texture.

Steamed rice skin roll with vegetarian ham, assorted mushroom and vegetable (right) - This is a rather original version of the traditional chow-fun. The unconventional filling is interleaved by vegetables and topped with a crunchy decoration.

Pan-fried crab meat dumpling with prawn, chicken, chives and mushrooms (left) - I didn't think that the ingredients composing the filling were particularly recognisable, but a pan fried dumpling adds variety to your dim-sum selection.

Steamed Squid with XO sauce (right) - This squid is as soft as it can get, delicately engraved to enable the savoury sauce to permeate its slippery surface. Highly recommended to squid lovers.

Steamed lobster dumpling with mushroom, Chinese parsley and onion - This was by far the best steamed dumpling. The meaty lobster texture is quite pronounced, while the shiitake mushroom flavour is quite dominant.

Baked chicken puff with onion in curry sauce (front) - The pastry is quite rich and thick, while the filling lacks of body. This wouldn't be my first choice overall, being quite filling and less rewarding than the other dishes.

Pan-fried chicken dumpling with dried shrimp, mushroom, preserved vegetables and chives (background) - An original version of the dried dumpling, with a string flavour of chives and mushrooms. The dough is dry on the outside but it reveals a moist, soft inner body when bitten into.

Overall, I highly recommend the "summer pavilion" as a dim-sum venue. the luxury of being properly served at a 5 stars hotel standard is accompanied by delicious, inventive food at an affordable price. It's definitely the kind of place that I would love to patronise regularly.