Forbidden Duck – Signature Slow Roast Duck

Forbidden Duck (“FD”) is the first Singapore restaurant by Three Michelin-starred Chef Alvin Leung. Nestled at Marina Bay Financial Centre, the Demon Chef and his team will be serving two versions of the Peking Duck. One is the classic Peking Duck, known as Forbidden Duck on their menu. The other is the Signature Slow Roasted Duck, a slow-cooked Pecking Duck that is dry-aged to intensify the flavour while retaining all the natural jus. It is then roasted on high heat to sear and crisp the skin.

Since it is only LD and I dining, we ordered Signature Slow Roast Duck ($58, half). I was expecting the duck to be sliced tableside, however, that was not the case. The roast duck set is brought to the table already sliced. It is served with calamansi buns, roast duck sauce, sliced cucumber, spring onion, rock salt and Dijon mustard.

Signature Slow Roast Duck - Half

Roast Duck Sauce, Sliced Cucumber, Spring Onion,
Rock Salt and Dijon Mustard. 

I like the glistening golden brown colour of the duck skin as it just looks perfectly roasted and very appetizing. Unlike the traditional Pecking Duck, where they slice the duck in three parts, breast skin, breast meat and thigh meat; FD sliced their duck in Cantonese restaurant Peking Duck, where the skin and the flesh are still attached and sliced together.

Crispy Skin - Front

I found one slice of the skin that almost void of the meat, it was crispy and tasted like duck crackling. I also noticed that due to the slow roasting method, the duck seems less fatty as the fats have rendered into the flesh.

Crispy Skin - Back

For the rest of the plate, the skin is crisp with a layer of fat between the skin and the pinkish flesh. The sauce reminds me of regular roasted duck sauce instead of the usual hoisin sauce. It is savoury and binds the meat together with bun and garnish. The calamansi bun is soft, with a refreshing Asian citrus flavour.

Calamansi Buns

My Peking Duck

Do take note there is no second serving for the duck here.

Jellyfish with Green Onion ($18). The jellyfish is crunchy and coated with the fragrant sesame oil flavour. It is lightly salted together with the spring onion delivering a refreshing taste.

Jellyfish with Green Onion

Diced Chicken Tofu & Salted Fish ($24). A must-order dish for LD in a Cantonese restaurant, also her “rice thief” dish. We can smell the lovely aroma from of the dish when it was brought to our table. The tofu is soft with a slight caramelisation externally, while the chicken is juicy and succulent However, the salted fish were chopped too finely, it melted into the gravy. For us, it is the bits of fried salted fish that are considered as one of the important characteristics of this dish.

Diced Chicken Tofu & Salted Fish 

Duck Meat and Rice Noodle with Five Willow’s Sauce ($22). We ordered this dish because of its catchy name and something that we never tried. The shredded duck has a lovely caramelisation and the bee hoon is packed with sweet before, tangy and savoury flavours from the Five Willow Sauce. A nice dish to end the savoury dishes.

Duck Meat and Rice Noodle with Five Willow’s Sauce 

For dessert, we ordered Vanilla, Lemongrass and Aloe Vera Grass Jelly ($7) and Chef’s Recommendation Sweet Soup ($7). The Chef’s Recommendation Sweet Soup has a similar taste to our local Cheng Teng. While the Aloe Vera Grass Jelly remind me of Aiyu Jelly. Both desserts are light and refreshing.

Vanilla, Lemongrass and Aloe Vera Grass Jelly

Chef’s Recommendation Sweet Soup

The décor of the restaurant is Modern Chinese Restaurant theme. The signature Forbidden Duck design is mainly focused at the entrance of the restaurant. Service is professional but almost robotic.

Forbidden Duck

Overall, Forbidden Duck served a nice Peking Duck. Although we only tried their Signature Slow Roasted Duck, we find the it very promising plus we get to taste the flair of the Demon Chef. We’ll make a return visit to try their Peking Duck and the dim sum here. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7.75/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 7.75/10

Budget per Person: $81 & Above

Forbidden Duck

8A Marina Boulevard

#02-02 Marina Bay Link Mall

MBFC Tower 2

Singapore 018984

T: +65 6509 8767

W: https://www.forbiddenduck.sg/

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

IG: @Forbiddenduck.sg

OH: Daily 11.30 – 15.00; 18.00 – 22.00

Menu available Online

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

Dian Xiao Er – Premium Set

Dian Xiao Er (“DXE”) is a casual Chinese dining establishment famously known for its herbal roast duck and its pocket-friendly set meal. This time around we decided on Premium Set for 4 pax, priced at $148++ instead of the ala-carte option.

Dian Xiao Er Jewel

Once we placed our order, the first dish come within 5 minutes. I guess, since the set menu is such value for money, most of the diners will just order it, the kitchen is set and have the ducks all line-up.

Herbal Roast Duck Angelica Herb. It has crispy skin, followed by juicy and succulent flesh. The herbs are well infused into the duck and the sauce is rich and robust. We prefer the Angelica herbs instead of the ten wonder herbs because the angelica herbs version has a flowery sweetness in the sauce. Since DXE uses combi ovens all across their outlets, the quality of the roast ducks is always consistent. The portion served is about a quarter of the duck.

Herbal Roast Duck Angelica Herb

Braised Shark’s Fin with Crabmeat in Superior Broth. I was a bit pessimistic that we will find any shark fin at all. I am glad that I was proven wrong. DXE uses the small fins, crab meat and fish maw generously in their thick and gooey soup. I won’t say that it is awesome, but it is decent. The crab’s fishy taste is very strong, so you need black vinegar to cover it.

Braised Shark’s Fin with Crabmeat in Superior Broth

Braised Shark’s Fin with Crabmeat in Superior Broth

Pan-Fried Cod Fish in Superior Soy Sauce. A generous portion for four persons, the cod fish is deep-fried and basked with superior soy sauce. I like the crispy exterior and fatty flesh of the cod fish. The fried garlic and spring onions help to balance the jelakness from the cod fish.

Pan-Fried Cod Fish in Superior Soy Sauce

Mongolian Spare Ribs. Boneless pork ribs, deep-fried and cooked with Mongolian sauce that is tangy and peppery. It is well-executed, though I think they can be more generous with the portion here.

Mongolian Spare Ribs

French beans with XO Sauce. Crunchy French beans stir-fried with XO sauce, delivering the rich and umami flavour. The XO sauce is so good, you can finish a bowl of rice with this dish alone.

French Beans with XO Sauce

Signature Wheatgrass Tofu with Seafood. Smooth and creamy tofu. Although the tofu is mixed with wheatgrass, it does not have a strong earthy taste. The sauce is cooked with mini prawns and scallops, bringing all the components of the dish together nicely.

Signature Wheatgrass Tofu with Seafood

Wheatgrass Tofu

The premium set menu is served with Superior Steamed Rice. Since we choose the set for 4 pax, it comes with 4 bowls of rice.

For the desserts, we can choose from the following Snow Fungus with Peach Resin (Hot / Cold), Collagen Jelly with Black Sugar and “Gui Ling” Herbal Jelly.

Snow Fungus with Peach Resin - Cold 

Collagen Jelly with Black Sugar

My MIL was in the mood for a soupy dish, so we decide to add Prawns & Vermicelli in Creamy Vietnamese Style ala-carte. The broth is creamy, peppery and robust. There is a touch of sweetness from the prawns and frog legs. Meanwhile, the ginger and pepper make this dish warm and comforting.

Prawns & Vermicelli in Creamy Vietnamese Style ala-carte

Prawns & Vermicelli in Creamy Vietnamese Style ala-carte - Frog Meat

The service is friendly and professional. The décor of the restaurant is modern and casual.

Overall, it was a comforting and delicious meal. The Premium Set menu is value for money and more worth it compare to the ala-carte option. Cheers!

Food & Drink: 7.25/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 7.25/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Dian Xiao Er

78 Airport Boulevard

#B2-229, Jewel Changi Airport

Singapore 819666

T: +65 6542 3789 / WA: +65 8697 0578

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

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

IG: @Dianxiaoersg

OH:

Mon – Thu: 11.30 – 21.30 (LO 21.00)

Fri: 11.30 – 22.00 (LO 21.3 0)

Sat, Sun & PH: 11.00 – 22.00 (LO 21.30)

Menu Available Online

For other locations, please refer to their website.