Tuesday 22 March 2016

Summer Pavilion – Excellent Comforting Cantonese Cuisine [MEDIA INVITE]

Welcome to Summer Pavilion

Summer Pavilion is the signature Chinese Restaurant at The Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore. The new Summer Pavilion was re-open at the end of 2015 after rejuvenation project. With exquisite and sophisticated design, dining at Summer Pavilion ('SP') really embodies the feeling of Chinese Summer Outdoor Dining.

Evening View from the Outdoor Garden at Summer Pavilion

SP dining section is divided into two. On the right of the entrance is the dining hall, which combine traditional round table dining as well as private booth space. On the left of the entrance are six private dining rooms, with names inspired by Chinese plants and trees such as Pine, Elm, Wisteria, Plum, Bamboo and the Garden Suite that can hold 30 diners. The elegance of each of the private dining room is just a treat to the eyes.

Part of Common Dining Area with Traditional Seating

Part of Common Dining Area with private booth space

One of the Private Room


The designer attention to details are just excellent, starting with the colourful tables, chairs and furniture; the placement of the mirrors; the selection of cutleries, especially the different colour of plates representing different rooms; and even the natural black and white pictures in each dining room. We also find the soft texture dried wheat centerpiece gave a calming feeling to the surroundings.

Dried Wheat Centrepiece

Waiting Area for Garden Suite

Dining Area for Garden Suite

We started the tasting session with the unique blend of Lychee Oolong tea by Tea Bone Zen Mind ($7 per pax). A more subtle black tea, infused with flavours of lychee, bringing the taste of summer to the dining table. The appetizer of yam coated with caramel and sesame was fragrant, crisp and really set up your palate in anticipating the next dish to come.

Our Private Room

Lychee Oolong tea by Tea Bone Zen Mind

Appetizer:  yam coated with caramel and sesame

Barbecued Spanish Iberico Pork with Honey Sauce (酱烧黑豚肉), Pan-fried King Scallop ( 香煎带子皇) - $16. The Iberico Pork is tender with a nice caramelisation in the honey sauce. Surprisingly, though the meat is tender, it looks lean almost absent of fat. The pan fried scallops has a nice crisp to it, naturally sweet with a little resilient to the texture. The delicate flavour of the chive allow the flavours of the scallops to shine.

Barbecued Spanish Iberico Pork with Honey Sauce

Pan-fried King Scallop

Double-boiled Fish Bone Soup, Fish Maw, Wolfberries (花胶炖鱼骨汤-$38.00). One of the dishes that presented that night, this is definitely my favourite dish in SP. The robust milky white broth is just delicious. You can feel the collagen dangling in your lips. The fish maw was crunchy and soak up the broth quite well. The wolfberries was so sweet like it was just picked in the morning.

Double-boiled Fish Bone Soup, Fish Maw, Wolfberries

Sauteed Dong Xing Grouper Fillet, Shredded Sweet Peas, Bean sprouts ( 千丝万柳东星斑 - $16.00 per 100gram). A new dish in SP. The grouper was fillet and stir fried. Though it might look simple, it is perfectly executed. The breath of the wok (wok hei) exude from the dish. The texture of the fish is springy, slightly resilient while the fish tasted fresh and sweet. The use of superior soya sauce in this dish really accentuate the flavour of the fish.

Sauteed Dong Xing Grouper Fillet, Shredded Sweet Peas, Bean sprouts

Once the meat and vegetables are served, the service staff assemble the fish together which looks like mini grouper.

Sauteed Dong Xing Grouper - assemble

To help us digest better and clear our palate for the next dish, our Lychee Oolong was replaced with Momo in Black ($7 per pax)

Marinated Smoked Duck, Chinese Tea Leaves (秘制樟茶鸭 - $38 (half), $76 (whole)). An all-time favourite dish at SP. When the duck is served, the aroma of the infused tea leaves made you whet your appetite. The duck is tender and succulent and the skin is thin, crispy and almost absent of fat. The tea leaves also did a good job to cover the gaminess in the duck.

Marinated Smoked Duck, Chinese Tea Leaves

Poached Lobster Rice (龙虾西施泡饭 - $20.00). A clear seafood broth poured over poached rice infused with lobster. The hot robust broth poured over a rice, together with the scallion and crispy rice just add different flavour and texture to the dish. Definitely a comfort food and a good dish to round up the meal for the night. It also goes well with the superb XO sauce.

Poached Lobster Rice

Poached Lobster Rice with the broth

Summer Pavilion - XO Sauce

Dessert - Chilled Cream of Sago, Mango, Pomelo (杨枝甘露 - $12.00). A mango sago dessert done right. There is the freshness of the mango, the tangy and bitterness pomelo and the soft and smooth texture of the sago. If I am not full, I can have another bowl of this dessert.

Chilled Cream of Sago, Mango, Pomelo 

For this tasting event, Executive Chinese Chef Cheung Sui Kong also present the red bean kueh and coconut tart. The red bean kueh is slightly dense and velvety, with a good mixture of red bean with coconut milk. The coconut tart pastry is light and flaky, while the fillings are just moist and crumbly.

Red Bean Kueh & Coconut Tart

While I don't normally comment for service in a tasting session, it is hard not to mention it here. They are just impeccable and first class.

The bigger private room

Overall, it was an excellent dining experience in Summer Pavilion. In typical Cantonese style, Chef Cheung presented the dish where the ingredients to speak for itself. I personally like the Double Boiled Fish Bone Soup and Poached Lobster Rice. Cheers!!

Thank you very much to HungryGoWhere and Summer Pavilion team for the tasting invitation.

Food & Drink: 9.5/10
Value: 8.75/10
Service: n/a (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance: 10/10
Budget per Person: $51 - $80; $81 and above.

Summer Pavilion
7 Raffles Ave
The Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore
Singapore 039799

T: +65 6884 6884 / +65 6434 5286
IG: #DiningatSummerPavilion #RCMemories
OH:

Daily 11.30 – 14.30; 18.30 – 22.30

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