Mott 32 – Exquisite Chinese Dim Sum

Mott 32 at Marina Bay Sands Singapore (“Mott 32”) is an authentic Chinese restaurant that utilises modern & innovative cooking techniques from around the world to bring out the best of authentic Chinese recipes. The name Mott 32 pays homage to 32 Mott Street in New York, where the city’s first Chinese convenience store opened in 1891. Mott 32 Singapore is the 4th Mott 32 restaurant globally, including Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Vancouver and Bangkok.

Mott 32 Entrance
Image Credit: Mott 32

When I first step into Mott 32, I was impressed by the décor of the restaurant. A classy oriental design, complete with flora motifs around the dining area of the restaurant. In line with the current trend, the sight of the grand Mott 32 bar is not to be missed, where the mixologist will prepare drinks inspired by the Chinese culture and the flavours of Asia.

Part of Dining Area

Partial View of the Grand Bar

We started our meal with a bowl of soup. I choose Fish Maw, Conpoy, Garoupa Soup ($25). The milky colour broth is creamy, tasty yet subtle. It is infused with collagen from the fish maw and umami from the conpoy.

Fish Maw, Conpoy, Garoupa Soup

Signature Crispy Sugar Coated Peking Duck Bun ($12, 3pcs). The baked bao has a nice and crispy skin. The duck fillings are juicy and not too sweet. Although the charcoal bun is coated with icing sugar on top, the sweetness is almost unnoticed, instead, it binds the bun and fillings nicely.

Signature Crispy Sugar Coated Peking Duck Bun 

Dim Sum Platter ($13), consisting of South Australian Shrimp, Prawn, Hot & Sour Shanghainese Soup Dumpling; Black Truffle Siew Mai; and Wild Mushroom, Water Chestnut Crystal Dumpling. A lovely combination on the basket. The mushroom crystal dumpling is chewy and bursting with flavour. The siew mai is juicy, with quail egg inside it and a hit of truffle. The mala XLB is very good, filled with hot and sour soup that was subtle, enough to entice your palate instead of numbing it.

Dim Sum Platter / Basket

King Prawn Har Gow ($12, 4pcs). The barometer of dim sum standard in a restaurant. The Mott 32 passed with flying colours. The har gao is big, plump and juicy. The skin has a nice bouncy texture and holds the prawn fillings very well.

King Prawn Har Gow 

Australian Wagyu Beef Puff ($12, 3pcs). The layered pastry skin reminds me of deep-fried prawns in vermicelli noodles. However, instead of crispy noodle, the filo pastry is crispy and crumbly, filled with black pepper wagyu beef. It was so good; I can finish the whole plate of this puff.

Australian Wagyu Beef Puff

Australian Wagyu Beef Puff

Cold Free-Range Chicken, Szechuan Peppercorns, Chilli Sauce ($26). Served chilled, the chicken is firm and tasty. While the sauce looks fiery, the taste of the mala is very subtle. It delivered controlled and complex mala flavour without numbing your tongue. The crunchy fried garlic on top adds a different texture to the dish and breaks the “mala spell” on your palate.

Cold Free-Range Chicken, Szechuan Peppercorns, Chilli Sauce 

Chicken, Prawn, Taro Croquette ($13, 3 pcs). The exterior of the taro croquette is light, crispy and fluffy. The fillings of chicken and prawn are packed with flavour and paired well with the taro pastry.

Chicken, Prawn, Taro Croquette

Pan Fried Turnip Cake, Dried Scallops and Japanese Sakura Shrimp, Dong Guan Sausage and Shrimp ($13, 4 pcs). Without a doubt, it is the tastiest turnip cake I have tried so far. The exterior is crispy and full of the crunchiness and umami flavour from the Japanese Sakura Shrimp. The take itself is a blend of softness and bouncy texture, filled with dried scallops and Dong Guan sausage. Yum Yum.

Pan Fried Turnip Cake, Dried Scallops and
Japanese Sakura Shrimp, Dong Guan Sausage and Shrimp

Crispy Egg Noodle, Stir-Fried Egg White with Prawn, Scallop, Conpoy ($38). LD’s favourite noodle. The egg noodle is crispy and springy, covered in egg white gravy and full of the bounty of the sea. The scallops are juicy and the conpoy gives the umami OMPH in this dish. A must-order dish here.

Crispy Egg Noodle, Stir-Fried Egg White with Prawn, Scallop, Conpoy 

Crispy Egg Noodle, Stir-Fried Egg White with Prawn, Scallop, Conpoy 

Desserts were Lotus Seed Paste Puff, Red Bean Curd ($10) and Coconut, Water Chestnut, Glutinous Rice Roll, Crushed Nuts ($10). The lotus seeds puff exterior is crisp and crumbly, topped with aromatic roasted sesame on top. It is a modern twist to the traditional red bean paste pancake.

Lotus Seed Paste Puff, Red Bean Curd

The Coconut, Water Chestnut, Glutinous Rice Roll, Crushed Nuts shows the creativity of the team at Mott 32. The water chestnut glutinous rice roll is chewy and tasty, coated with finely grated coconut shavings and rich coconut milk. The crushed nuts sprinkled on top added a crunchy texture to this awesome dessert.

Coconut, Water Chestnut, Glutinous Rice Roll, Crushed Nuts

Service is meticulous, professional and slick. They make sure that you are taken care of from start to finish.

Private Dining Area

Overall, it was a great dining experience. While the dim sum menu is limited, they ensure each one of them is to the highest standard. I recommend the Signature Crispy Sugar-Coated Peking Duck Bun, Australian Wagyu Beef Puff, Pan-Fried Turnip Cake, Crispy Egg Noodle, Stir-Fried Egg White with Prawn, Scallop, Conpoy and Coconut, Water Chestnut, Glutinous Rice Roll, Crushed Nuts as dessert. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 9/10

Value: 6/10

Service: 8.5/10

Ambiance: 9.5/10

Budget per Person: $81 and Above

Mott 32

10 Bayfront Ave

B1-42-44, Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Singapore 018956

T: +65 6888 9922

W: https://www.marinabaysands.com/restaurants/mott32.html

F: https://www.facebook.com/mott32sg/

IG: @mott32sg

OH:

Lunch, 11.30 – 14.15 (Last Seating)

Afternoon Tea, 15.00 – 17.00 (Sat, Sun & PH)

Dinner, 17.00 – 21.30 (Last Seating)

Drinks, Last order 22.30

Menu available Online

Victor’s Kitchen – The Best Casual HK Dim Sum in Singapore

My first review of Victor’s Kitchen (“Victor”) was way back in 2013. Since then, Victor’s has opened up another branch at Chinatown Point, survived the C-pandemic and even has island-wide delivery with oddle. I guess it is time to review the restaurant again.

Menu / Order Sheet 1

We visited after it pass the busy lunch hour, so we almost have the place to ourselves. Once you step into the shop, you can help yourself to the order sheet, 1 for the food and another A4 size board to order the drink. Once you are done, just submit the order to the counter.

Menu / Order Sheet 2

The drinks are the first to come. I ordered H.K. Summer Iced Ying Yang (Milk Coffee with Tea, $3.80). I decided that I need a bit more kick instead of the usual milk tea. The Ying Yang is silky and smooth with a touch of bitterness and kick from the coffee. Victor is probably the first establishment in Singapore that put ice outside the drink, to ensure the purity of the H.K. Summer Iced milk tea / ying yang. LD ordered the H.K. Summer Iced Milk Tea ($3.80) and they are still as good as before, 100% HK taste.

H.K. Summer Iced Ying Yang (Milk Coffee with Tea)

“Bo Lo” Butter Buns (2pcs, $5.50). It is served warm with Lurpak butter on the side. The fluffy bun is coated with crispy and delicious pineapple crust. It was comforting and yummy. Perfect for any time of the day. The best part is no need to queue or wait very long for the bun to be ready.

“Bo Lo” Butter Buns 

“Bo Lo” Butter Buns 

Victor’s King Prawn Dumpling (3pcs per set, $5.90). The Har Gao is still jumbo in size. It is plump and juicy, while the skin is smooth and a bit sticky, with a bit of bounce to it.

Victor’s King Prawn Dumpling (Har Gao) 

Tasty Queen Size Siew Mai (4pcs per set, $5.50). The diced pork is firm and solid. When I bit into it, I can taste the fatty part of the pork used, to ensure the fillings remain juicy. Yummy.

Tasty Queen Size Siew Mai 

Xiao Long Bao (3pcs per set, $5.50). The skin is soft, while the pork filling is juicy and filled with broth as well. The taste is good, but not to the level of their har gao or siew mai.

Xiao Long Bao

Fish Porridge with Century Egg ($7.80, subject to availability) An unusual combination, but it works. The congee is silky, yet gooey and tasty. The fish is fresh, thickly sliced and firm. I like, that they did not put too many century egg in the porridge therefore not overpowering the fish.

Fish Porridge with Century Egg 

The Sliced Fish

Chicken Feet in Abalone Sauce ($5.50). If chicken feet are not your thing, I suggest you still try the abalone sauce. It is robust and packs with umami flavour. It is so good, I mixed it with the congee and the vegetables that we ordered. The skin on the chicken feet is sticky, as it absorbs the abalone sauce, I enjoy sucking it off the bones.

Chicken Feet in Abalone Sauce

Seasoned Vegetables ($5.20). The kailan is soft, yet it retains the crunchy texture of the vegetables. I don’t know how they do it, but I find the vegetables serve here are sweet.

Seasoned Vegetables

Crispy Golden Shrimp Rolls ($5.30). Crispy and crunchy. It is very tasty and you can enjoy it without the dipping sauce.

Crispy Golden Shrimp Rolls 

King Prawn Cheong Fun ($5). The jumbo size prawns are wrapped in thick yet a smooth rice sheet. Due to the thickness of the cheong fun, the sauce was not absorbed well into the skin.

King Prawn Cheong Fun

Chicken & Sausage in Glutinous Rice ($6.20). It took longer to steam, so the rice only comes when we are almost full. The glutinous rice is soft, yet sticky, while the chicken and sauce fillings flavoured the glutinous rice although it was very light.

Chicken & Sausage in Glutinous Rice 

Chicken & Sausage in Glutinous Rice 

I ate it with the complimentary XO sauce given at the start of the meal. The spicy and solid flavour of the XO sauce provided another dimension to the lighter dishes.

XO Sauce

Golden Egg Yolk Lava Bun (3pcs per set, $5.30). The signature dish that made customers flock down to Victor. They are one of the pioneers and still the standard-setter for Liu Sha Bao in Singapore. The bun is soft and fluffy, and the golden egg yolk lava just oozes out from the centre of the bun. The blend of the golden egg yolk is just superb, thick, rich and packs of punch. Yum Yum!

Golden Egg Yolk Lava Bun 

Golden Egg Yolk Lava Bun 

LD ordered Steam Ginger Egg Custard ($5) for dessert. It is not on the paper menu, but it is displayed on the poster at the restaurant. It is smooth and eggy followed by a slight ginger aroma and taste. I was hoping the ginger taste to be stronger.

Steam Ginger Egg Custard

Steam Ginger Egg Custard

The service staff are friendly, however, don’t expect restaurant standard. No décor in the shop, it is functional and they maximise the seating space in the limited environment

CBK Verdict: The changes at Victor’s have been very minimum. They still served solid dim sum, with minimum fuss. I must say for the quality of the food, Victor still kept their price increase to the minimum. Definitely, a must-visit HK-style Dim Sum in Singapore. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 8.5/10

Value: 8.5/10

Service: 6/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25

Victor’s Kitchen

91 Bencoolen Street

#01-49, Sunshine Plaza

Singapore 189652

T:+65 9616 6077

W: https://www.victors-kitchen.com/

F: https://www.facebook.com/victorskitchensg

IG: @Victorskitchensg

OH:

Mon – Thu & Sun: 10.30 – 22.00

Fri – Sat: 10.30 – 21.00

Other Location

133 New Bridge Road

#B1-33 Chinatown Point

Singapore 059413

Menu Available Online + Online Order

Shang Social MRKT – Casual Dining by Shangri-La Group

Dry Bamboo Noodle with Dark Soya Sauce and Crispy Pork Lard

Shang Social at Jewel is the Shangri-La Group first venture in standalone dining establishment outside of a hotel setting. The menu is curated by three Shangri-la’s Master Chef, specialised in Cantonese, Huaiyang and Sichuan cuisine. Shang Social is divided into three sections: formal DINING space, the casual MRKT and BAR to cater to every dining occasion.

Shang Social MRKT

LD and I have eaten at DINING and MRKT a few of times. This review is focused on Shang Social MRKT (‘MRKT’). Our last visit to MRKT is during the last week of March 2020, where MRKT is offering 50% discount for dim sum and dessert.

Shang Social MRKT

MRKT is focused on casual dining and retail market place. The menu consists of dim sum menu, Cantonese Roast, Comfort food of noodle, congee and rice.

The Menu Part 1

The Menu Part 2

Let’s begin the review from the dim sum selections:

Har Gow ($5.80, 3 pcs) & Siew Mai ($5.80, 4 pcs). The har gow has a nice crystal skin, supple with refreshing crunchy shrimp. For current restaurant standard, the size of the har gow can be considered small and it is easily consumed with one bite. The Siew Mai is juicy and succulent, topped with tobiko like the traditional way.

Har Gow

Siew Mai

Char Siew Bao ($5.80, 3 pcs). Fluffy bao with juicy and sweet char siew fillings.

Char Siew Bao

Pan-Fried Turnip Cake with Chinese Sausage ($5.80, 3 pcs). Crispy externally, moist internally and bursting with flavours from the lap cheong.

Pork Rib and Taro with Black Bean Sauce ($5.80). The pork ribs are tender and tasty, while the taro has a slight crunchiness to it. The black bean flavour is very subtle, you won’t notice it unless you see the black bean on top.

Pork Rib and Taro with Black Bean Sauce 

Chicken Feet with Bean Sauce ($5.80). A well balanced marinated which is sweet with a hint of spicy. The skin easily comes off the bones, allowing you easy access to devour it.

Chicken Feet with Bean Sauce

Pan-Fried Beancurd Skin Roll with Prawn ($5.80, 3 pcs). A thin layer of beancurd skin, filled with prawn paste. The prawn paste is bouncy and tasty; however, I find the beancurd skin is too thin & light, and it was slightly burnt for my liking.

Pan-Fried Beancurd Skin Roll with Prawn

Pan-Fried Beancurd Skin Roll with Prawn

Signature Pan Fried Bun with Pork ($2.50 per pc) and Suzhou Baked Minced Pork Bun ($2.50 per pc) are supposed to be the signature dim sums here. However, during our last visit, both these dishes were disappointing. The baked pork bun filling is sticky and lumpy. The skin is thin and fluffy, almost like tau sar pia.  For the pan-fried bun, the fillings also lumpy, missing the bursting meat jus. It seems the buns are overcooked and the jus dissipate.

Signature Pan Fried Bun with Pork

Signature Pan Fried Bun with Pork

Beng Hiang Kong Bak Bao ($7.60 for 2 pcs). The lotus bun is soft and fluffy. The pork belly is well seasoned and braised till fork tender. The ingredients for a delicious Kong Bak Bao is there, however, my peeve is with the size of the pork belly. Usually, the thickness of the pork belly should be the same as one side of the bun. This time around the pork belly is very thin, the thickness is less than one side of the bun. It is so thin, easily fall apart and easily cover by the lotus bun.

Beng Hiang Kong Bak Bao 

Moving on the rest dishes and noodles.

Four Treasures – Meat Ball, Pig Liver, Intestines, Stomach ($18.00). The first time LD and I tried this; we were impressed. The liver is smooth and velvety, the meatball is tasty and crunchy, the stomach and intestines are clean. The superior soy sauce and spring onions are simple yet produced an excellent taste of the four treasures. Impressed with the taste during the previous visit, we order the Four Treasure again during our last visit; but we were let down by it. The liver is stiff and hard, while the meatball is tasteless, pale in comparison to the previous visit.

Four Treasures - Previous Visit

Four Treasures - Last Visit

Pork Liver

Meatball

Soya Sauce Chicken ($16). The soy sauce well infused into the succulent flesh. The skin is glistening and bouncy, while the ginger spring onion oil dip is very solid. The crunchy peanut served with the chicken provided a contrasting texture compare to the chicken. A superb soya sauce chicken.

Soya Sauce Chicken

Drunken Chicken with Yellow Wine ($10). This entrée dish is served chilled, packs with succulent meat infused generously with the yellow wine. On the earlier visit, it was lacking the wine flavour; however, during the last visit, the wine taste just hits you. Yum.

Drunken Chicken with Yellow Wine

Another entrée that we tried is their Jellyfish and Cucumber Salad ($9.80). We like the crunchy, clean texture from the cucumber and jellyfish. The touch of tanginess together with a mini kick of chilli helps to open up your appetite.

Jellyfish and Cucumber Salad 

Dry Bamboo Noodle with Dark Soya Sauce and Crispy Pork Lard ($5.80). This simple version of egg noodle is just delicious. The noodle is thin, springy, seasoned with superior dark soy sauce and pork oil. This type of noodle can be dry and difficult to swallow, but the version here has the moisture spot on. It is topped with pork lard, spring onion and some kai lan. I just wished that they were more generous with the pork lard.

Dry Bamboo Noodle with Dark Soya Sauce and Crispy Pork Lard 

The same noodle is also used on their version of wanton mee. Dry Bamboo Noodle with BBQ Honey Pork Belly and Shrimp Wanton ($13.80). The shrimp wanton is juicy and crunchy, while the delicious fatty pork belly is a #Porkgasm experience.

Dry Bamboo Noodle with BBQ Honey Pork Belly and Shrimp Wanton

Moving to desserts, we tried Soft Serve Ice Cream Yunnan Pu Er ($5) previously. The tea flavour is strong, yet delightful. We wanted to order it during the last visit, but it is disappointing unavailable.

 Soft Serve Ice Cream Yunnan Pu Er

We then decided to order Chilled Wolfberry Osmanthus Layer Jelly with Coconut ($6.80, 3 pcs). The layer of Osmanthus jelly is sweet and flowery, while the coconut layer added a rich creamy texture to the dish. The wolfberry added the distinct oriental sweetness to this dessert.

Chilled Wolfberry Osmanthus Layer Jelly with Coconut 

Traditional Almond Cream with Peach Gum ($6.80) is just awesome. The hot thick almond cream is tasty and packs of almond flavour, while the mini bits of peach gum gave a slightly crunchy texture and vegetarian collagen benefits to our body.

Traditional Almond Cream with Peach Gum

Traditional Almond Cream with Peach Gum

For the drinks, do try their signature iced tea. It is light, with a floral taste and refreshing.

Service is very good. The service staff are friendly and knowledgeable. We were politely informed on the dishes that are on promotion and those that are not. On our last visit, the food came very fast as it was during office lunch hour. The décor of the restaurant is casual, yet classy at the same time. We were seated facing the Shang Social Bar. It is unfortunate that the Shang Beer is also not available currently, as one of our “makan kakis” was looking forward to trying it.

Part of Dining Area at Shang Social MRKT

Overall, the food at Shang Social MRKT is very good. There is some consistency issue that needs to be iron out, especially those dishes that are not up to Shangri-La standard. Hopefully, they can do it soon. The noodles, soya sauce chicken, entrée and desserts are exceptionally good. LD and I will definitely come back in the future, but not sure when. Need to support other F&B as well. Cheers!!

Food & Drinks: 7.25/10

Value: 6.5/10

Service: 8.25/10

Ambiance: 7.75/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Shang Social

78 Airport Boulevard

#01-219 to 222, Jewel

Singapore 819666

T: +65 6346 0260

W: http://shangsocial.com/

F: https://www.facebook.com/shangsocialsg/

IG: @Shangsocial

OH:

MRKT 11.30 – 22.00 (LO 21.30)

DINING 11.30 – 14.30; 18.00 – 22.00 (LO 21.30)