Jia He Grand - Exquisite CNY Set Menu 2024 [MEDIA INVITE]

Enter the auspicious Year of the Dragon with Jia He Chinese Restaurant and its sister establishment Jia He Grand. From 21 January 2024 to 24 February 2024, both establishments will dazzled the guests with meticulously curated menus tailored for families, friends and business associates. What better way to celebrate the Lunar New Year than with Jia He Chinese Restaurant and Jia He Grand.

For this Media Tasting session at Jia He Grand, we tried their Jia He Exquisite CNY Set Menu 2024, priced at $2688++ for 10 persons.

Jia He Prosperity Five Auspicious Blessings "Yu Sheng”

The feast commences with Jia He Prosperity Five Auspicious Blessings "Yu Sheng” (嘉和五福彩玉捞生). This Yu Sheng contains 5 key ingredients with Auspicious Blessings: Fish Maw, Sliced Roast Duck, Shredded Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Salmon. Served together with Bellpeppers, Juliene of Radish, Salads and Special sauce.

Jia He Prosperity Five Auspicious Blessings "Yu Sheng”

After the fun session doing the “Lo Hei”, the Yu Sheng is plated individually and the service staff ensure we got all the ingredients on our plate. As each of the ingredients contributed their unique texture and flavour, it is like having a party in your mouth. On top of that, the special sauce from Jia He added fireworks in the mix, as it contains Sichuan chilli sauce and yuzu. WOW. (Do note that for those who do not or are unable to take spicy stuff, you can request the non-spicy version)

My Yu Sheng Plate

Sea Cucumber

Double-boiled Buddha Jump Over the Wall with Red Ginseng (红参佛跳墙). This sumptuous yet nutritious double-boiled Buddha Jump Over the Wall is unique, especially with the extra ingredient of Red Ginseng.

Double-boiled Buddha Jump Over the Wall with Red Ginseng
(红参佛跳墙)

First serving, Fish Maw and Shark Fin. For this first serving, I enjoy the crunchy texture of the shark fin and the bouncy & collagen of the fish maw. While the clear broth looks light, it contains the essence of all the ingredients, including the red ginseng in the broth. Usually, when we see the shark fin, we automatically reach for the vinegar, in this case, there is no need for it. There is no fishy smell from the shark fin and the fish maw.

First serving, Fish Maw and Shark Fin

Second serving, sea cucumber, mushroom, pork tendon & dry scallops. The broth of the second serving is thicker, more robust and filled with umami flavour. The sea cucumber and pork tendon are soft, but crunchy. While the mushroom soaks up the essence of the ingredients beautifully. A lovely and fulfilling broth.

Second serving, sea cucumber, mushroom,
pork tendon & dry scallops

Steamed Australian lobster with Sea Urchin in Egg White and Chinese Wine (海胆威龙). An Exquisite bowl of Chawanmushi. When this dish is presented, a serving of Singapore whisky is lit on fire and poured over each bowl. The lobster is cooked to perfection, delivering a sweet, smooth and silky texture that pairs nicely with the sea urchin. The pillowy egg white and Chinese Wine added a delicate flavour, while the whisky gave a contrasting flavour of oak and smokiness.

Steamed Australian Lobster with Sea Urchin
in Egg White and Chinese Wine (海胆威龙)

Poached Sliced Spotted Garoupa with Wild Mushroom and Superior Lobster Soup (野菌龙虾汤堂灼星班). While the preparation is done in the kitchen, the cooking and plating are done table side. The sliced fish and wild mushrooms are pan-fried table side with oil and butter. Once cooked, lobster stock is added to complete the dish. The result is soft, silky smooth garoupa slices, accompanied by robust stock complete with umami flavour. A very comforting dish. Yummy!!

Poached Sliced Spotted Garoupa with Wild Mushroom and
Superior Lobster Soup (野菌龙虾汤堂灼星班). 

Roasted Suckling Pig with Australia 3 Head Abalone, Fried Rice with Yam and Sakura Shrimp (香芋櫻花虾3头鲍鱼有米乳猪). This dish can also be considered as the third serving of Buddha Jump Over the Wall, as the abalones used here were cooked inside the broth.

Roasted Suckling Pig with Australia 3 Head Abalone, Fried Rice with Yam and Sakura Shrimp (香芋櫻花虾3头鲍鱼有米乳猪).

The suckling pig has a paper-thin crispy skin, followed by juicy and fatty flesh. The fried rice is fragrant, filled with the flavour of the Sakura shrimp and the drippings from the suckling pig. The abalone is soft and flavourful. Don’t forget about the pickled Roman tomato and cucumber on the side, not only they are very yummy, it will help to balance the richness of this dish.

My Serving of Suckling Pig

Desserts are Daifuku filled with Mandarin Orange and Cream Served with Bird's Nest-Ginseng Xiao Long Bao (橙香雪梅拼泡参小笼包燕窝). The Bird’s Nest-Ginseng Xiao Long Bao is best eaten when it is hot. It is refreshing, while the broth is medium sweet, offset with a touch of bitterness from the ginseng.

Bird's Nest-Ginseng Xiao Long Bao (泡参小笼包燕窝)

Meanwhile, the Daifuku is packed with orange flavour, refreshing and just bursts in your mouth.

Daifuku filled with Mandarin Orange and Cream (橙香雪梅拼)

We had an additional treat of Nian Gao from our host. It is pan-fried without coating, resulting in a crispy exterior, with a nice caramelisation. It has a medium sweetness followed by a warming taste of the ginseng.

Nian Gao

Overall, Jia He Grand Exquisite CNY Set Menu 2024 exceeded my expectations. It is packed with flavour, nutritious and tantalises your palate. Jia He Exquisite CNY Set Menu 2024, priced at $2688++ for 10 persons and advanced booking are required. Ganbei! Cheers!

Thank you very much Sharon & Jia He Grand Team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 9/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 8.5/10

Budget per Person: $81 & Above.

Jia He Grand @ One Farrer Hotel

One Farrer Hotel, Level 1

1 Farrer Park Station Road,

Singapore 217562

T: +65 6538 9688 / 6538 2788

W: https://www.jiahe.com.sg/jiahe-grand

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

IG: @Jiaherestaurant

OH: Daily 11.00 – 14.30 (LO 14.00); 18.00 – 22.00 (LO 21.00)

CNY Menu and other information is available online

Sister Restaurant

Jia He Chinese Restaurant

1 Farrer Park Station Road,

#01-14/15/16 Connexion,

Singapore 217562

T: +65 6694 8988 / 6694 9466

W: https://www.jiahe.com.sg/jiahe-chinese-restaurant

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

IG: @Jiaherestaurant

OH: Daily 11.00 – 15.00 (LO 14.30); 18.00 – 22.00 (LO 21.30)

Online Shop: https://shop.jiahe.com.sg/cny

Yummy Palace – Authentic Chinese Cuisine

Yummy Palace is an Authentic Chinese Cuisine, hidden in Defu Industrial Area. LD and I visited this restaurant during the Chinese New Year and we enjoyed the CNY dishes very much. Therefore, this round, we suggested to our friends for our “makan session”.

Yummy Palace

Instead of a set menu, this round we ordered a la carte. Started with Crispy Fried Fish Skin Coated with Salted Egg Yolk ($13.80). The crispy fried fish skin is coated with salted egg sauce and pork floss. It is crispy, crunchy followed by a mix of savoury, umami salted egg yolk and sweet pork floss plus a bit of kick from the chilli padi. A crowd pleaser dish.

Crispy Fried Fish Skin Coated with Salted Egg Yolk 

Ice-Vegetable Salad with Japanese Sesame Sauce ($12.80). One of LD’s favourite vegetables. The ice vegetables are crunchy and refreshing, the creamy and fragrant sesame dressing works nicely in the salad together with the juicy tomato.

Ice-Vegetable Salad with Japanese Sesame Sauce

Crispy Roast Pork Cube ($13) – served with mustard. The roast pork skin is crispy and crumbly, while the flesh is moist and tasty. The peanut adds another crispy texture to the dish.

Crispy Roast Pork Cube 

Crispy Roasted Duck ½ ($30). Crispy skin followed by juicy and succulent flesh. The duck is very tasty and well marinated, thus the plum sauce that is served with the duck seems unnecessary.

Crispy Roasted Duck - Half

Yummy’s Signature Chicken Stuffed in Pig Stomach Soup ($68). It is served in a whole pot. At the table side, the service staff cuts the pig stomach and portions the soup. The broth tasted creamy, robust, peppery and infused with the flavour of the chicken and pig stomach. The pig stomach and the chicken are fork-tender. The portion is enough for 10 pax, so most of us get a second serving of the soup. It is recommended to order this dish in advance.

Yummy’s Signature Chicken Stuffed in Pig Stomach Soup 

The Chicken in Pig Stomach

Braised Home-Made Beancurd with Golden Mushroom & Fresh Crab Meat in Pumpkin Sauce ($18). The exterior of the homemade beancurd is slightly chewy as it was deep fried, while the interior is smooth and silky. However, the star of this dish is the rich pumpkin gravy. It is sweet and packed with lots of umami flavour. I like the golden mushroom and the fresh crab meat in it. A “rice thief” dish for me.

Braised Home-Made Beancurd with Golden Mushroom & Fresh Crab Meat in Pumpkin Sauce 

Stir-Fried Scallops with Asparagus in XO Sauce ($28). The scallops are plump and juicy, complimenting the crunchy asparagus. The flavour comes from the XO sauce; however, it lacks the OMPH factor.

Stir-Fried Scallops with Asparagus in XO Sauce 

Crispy Sweet & Sour Pork Served on Ice Cubes ($36, Medium). When this dish was served, our first reaction was, WOW, this looks cool. The cube of fatty pork is coated with a thick batter and deep-fried before it is tossed with the sweet and sour sauce. Usually, the batter can become a bit soggy due to the sauce and lose its crispiness. By serving it with ice, the batter remains crispy while it soaks up the sauce. There is a stand with holes on the plate, to segregate the melted ice and keep the crunchiness of the pork. The diced cucumber, pineapple and cherry tomatoes added different texture and flavour to this dish. Yummy.

Crispy Sweet & Sour Pork Served on Ice Cubes 

Sea Prawn cooked in Superior Soy Sauce ($48, $8 /100g). This style of cooking is not on the menu. We tried it during CNY and we decided to order this dish again. The prawns are initially deep-fried and then coated with Superior Soy Sauce. They are fresh and crunchy. The soy sauce is filled with umami and nicely paired with the prawn; however, I find the taste not as good as during the CNY. Missing the “kick” that brings this dish to another level.

Sea Prawn cooked in Superior Soy Sauce 

Sauteed E-Fu Noodle with Fresh Crab Meat ($26). The E-Fu Noodle is infused with robust umami stock. Each slurp of the noodle is like an explosion of flavour and you can’t just wait for that next slurp. The crab meat and mushroom add a delicate sweetness and a touch of al-dente in the noodle. One of the tastiest E-Fu Noodles I ever tried. Yum!!

Sauteed E-Fu Noodle with Fresh Crab Meat

For desserts, we ordered Crispy Fried Pan-Cake with Red Bean Paste ($12) and Steamed Mashed Taro with Ginko Nuts & Pumpkin / Orh Nee ($20). The red bean paste pancake is disappointing. Although it was crispy externally, the skin tasted doughy. A longer time in the wok should solve this issue.

Crispy Fried Pan-Cake with Red Bean Paste

Meanwhile, the Orh Nee is just awesome. It is thick, dense, a bit rough yet packed with a solid yam taste. Usually, I will give the ginko to LD, but the taste is well hidden by the yam. Although the top part of the Orh Nee is covered with sugar syrup, the sweetness is just right.

Steamed Mashed Taro with Ginko Nuts & Pumpkin / Orh Nee 

When you arrive at the restaurant, you will be welcomed by the traditional look of a Chinese restaurant, complete with a big Chinese signboard. In the dining area, different types of lanterns are used for the lighting and the wall is decorated with Chinese paintings and Chinese antiques or collections. The tables and chairs followed the traditional style of furniture, big round table for big groups (table for 8 or more) with lazy susan, complete with the yoke back chair. For smaller groups, they use square tables with yoke back chairs.

Part of Dining Area

Part of Dining Area

We went on a weekday and the restaurant was not crowded. Service was friendly and attentive.

Small Dish & Sauce

Overall, we enjoy the food, service and ambiance of the place. We recommend the Yummy’s Signature Chicken Stuffed in Pig Stomach Soup, Crispy Sweet & Sour Pork Served on Ice Cubes, Braised Home-Made Beancurd with Golden Mushroom & Fresh Crab Meat in Pumpkin Sauce, Sauteed E-Fu Noodle with Fresh Crab Meat and Steamed Mashed Taro with Ginko Nuts & Pumpkin. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 8.25/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7.75/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Budget per Person: $51 – $80

Yummy Palace

87 Defu Lane 10

#02-01

Singapore 539219

T: +65 6343 1818 / 9735 0048

W: https://www.yummypalace.com.sg/

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

IG: @Yummypalace

OH: Daily 11.00 – 15.00; 18.00 – 23.00

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