Showing posts with label mala. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mala. Show all posts

Saturday, 7 January 2023

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
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

Thursday, 10 March 2022

Fu Lin – A Modern Chinese Local Street Bar [MEDIA INVITE]

Fu Lin Bar and Kitchen (‘Fu Lin’) is a unique dining concept. By day, it serves their ever-popular Fried Yong Tofu since 1995, when the sunset, Fu Lin transforms into a modern Chinese local street bar. Accompanying the extensive list of alcohol, are the menu filled with delectable Asia cuisine and Sichuan creations, on top of their signature Fried Yong Tofu.

The Bar
We started the tasting with Crispy Pork Belly ($14). This deep-fried pork belly has a crispy exterior, followed by a juicy and rich blend of fats interior. It is absolutely delicious, #porkgasm. It is served with a mustard dip, to balance the richness of the pork belly. This reminds us of the Bangkok Street food, though a bit pricey.

Crispy Pork Belly
Crispy Pork Belly
Smoked Duck Peking Wrap ($16, 6pcs) - Grilled duck breast slices, spring onion and popiah skin. The duck breast has a nice smoky aroma, followed by a tender and juicy texture. You suppose to eat it with popiah skin, shredded spring onion and sweet sauce. It is similar to eating Peking duck wrap; however, I feel the popiah skin is too dry and the flour taste is very strong.

Smoked Duck Peking Wrap 

Smoked Duck Peking Wrap
Chili Sauce, Duck Sauce & Mustard
Baby Back Ribs ($15, 5 pcs). The ribs are marinated with cumin powder, similar to Xinjiang bbq spices. The meat is tender, with a nice resilient bite in it. Watch out for the spicy kick in the rub, it was a bit too spicy for me, but LD enjoy the pork ribs very much.

Baby Back Ribs
Baby Back Ribs
Fulin Sling, the signature cocktail of Fu Lin. The presentation is bright and inviting. LD says it has a rose flavour, which is aromatic and refreshing. Kind of remind you of the famous Singapore Sling.

Fulin Sling
The dishes above are part of the Media Tasting. However, LD and I want to explore their menu further. So, we decided to order more and pay for ourselves.

Fried Yong Tofu ($10, 8 pcs). The signature Fu Lin Fried Yong Tofu. 8 different types of yong tofu, deep-fried and bask in signature minced chicken and mushroom gravy. LD tried the stuffed chilli, she said it is super spicy. While the stuffed lady finger is well executed. I like those with beancurd skins and also the fish cake version. They are very tasty, bouncy and the gravy accentuate the flavour of the fish nicely.

Fried Yong Tofu
Fu Lin Noodles ($4.5). The thick and chewy bee hoon is swimming in the minced chicken and mushroom gravy. The gravy is robust and packed with Umami flavour, however, it feels a bit water down compared to the yong tofu gravy. Plus, if they are more generous with crispy silverfish, it will be awesome.

Fu Lin Noodles
Fu Lin Noodles
Xiao Long Bao ($9). Let’s put aside of familiar texture of Din Tai Fung xiao long bao. The version at Fu Lin has a thicker skin; however, the fillings are juicy, succulent and come with that burst of the meat juice. It reminds me of the version that we usually eat for breakfast in the Northern part of China. It is served with thinly sliced ginger and vinegar dip.

Xiao Long Bao
Fresh Whole Squid ($17) – Chargrilled, garlic breadcrumbs, teriyaki glaze, garlic oil. The texture of the squid is just perfect, tender with a bit of bounciness. The fine texture of garlic breadcrumbs, together with teriyaki glaze and garlic oil, accentuate the squid flavour nicely. Yummy.

Fresh Whole Squid - Chargrilled
Do note that Fu Lin is also popular for their Sichuan and Mala dishes. We did not order them as we are not a big fan of Sichuan and Mala dishes.

Menu P1
Menu P2
The service is friendly and efficient. The décor of the restaurant is industrial mixed with a variety of themes; however, black, dark wooden brown and red are the dominant colours. The tables and chairs are black. The 2 columns of the dining section walls are displaying Mao Ze Dong pins and plagues collections, where red is prominent. The bar has a red tabletop and mural of happy children at the bottom. Fu Lin was packed during our visit on a weekday and we were told they are usually fully booked on the weekend.

Part of Dining Area 1
Part of Dining Area 2

Part of Dining Area 3
Overall, it was a good experience dining at Fu Lin Bar & Kitchen. The fried yong tofu is one of the best that we ever tried and their evening menu is well executed. The crispy pork belly, fresh whole squid and baby back ribs are a must-order. Cheers!!

Thank you very much Protegie PR and Fu Lin Bar & Kitchen for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 7.5/10
Value: 7.25/10
Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Budget per Person: $11 - $25; $26 - $50

Fu Lin Bar & Kitchen
127 Telok Ayer Street
Singapore 068596

T: +65 6423 0311
IG: @Fulinkitchen
OH:
Mon – Fri: 11.00 – 22.30
Sat: 16.00 – 22.30
Closed on Sunday

Sunday, 12 September 2021

Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang – Jalan Besar [MEDIA INVITE]

Chong Qing Style Skewer Hotpot @ Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang

Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang (“LJCCX”), a renowned Chinese hotpot restaurant serving Chong Qing style skewer hotpot. The LJCCX brand in China already has over 500 outlets in China and its 1st Singapore outlet opened its doors in 2017.

Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang @ Jalan Besar
LJCCX Singapore has just launched its second outlet in Jalan Besar. In this outlet, LJCCX will also serve signature private dining dishes by the distinguished Chef Ng Sen Tio. Chef Ng has more than 30 years of Chinese culinary experience, including his last stint at Yàn, National Gallery.

1st Floor, dining area
We started the tasting session with Chef Ng signature Lobster Noodle (龙虾伊面, $120 for 1kg). The lobster is fresh and perfectly cooked. The flesh is bouncy and packed with flavour. The best part is the ee-fu noodles, smooth, silky and infused with the essence of the lobster and seafood broth. Yumz! A great start to the meal.

Lobster Noodle

Lobster Noodle
While we were enjoying the lobster noodles, our hotpot broth slowly simmers and reach the boiling point. We have 4 flavour soup base ($18); Mala 麻辣锅底 (清油), Green Pepper Chilli Mala (李记独特青一色锅底, plus $2), Chicken Broth (三鲜鸡汤锅底) and Tomato Broth(番茄锅底).

The Hotpot Broth (Clockwise from top left):
Tomato, Green Pepper Chilli Mala,  Mala, Chicken
The soup bases have been fine-tuned to suit the Singaporeans’ lighter palate; if needed, they can also be adjusted to suit your taste. For example, the version of the mala here is less salty and less “mala” compared to those in China. However, they can bring up the “Power” like those in China upon request. On top of the normal mala, the popular Green Pepper Chilli add a unique touch of sourness that will open up your appetite. Like Mala X Tom Yum. Frankly, LD and I are not a fan of mala, so we are glad the flavour is less spicy.

Cooking the Skewers
In most of the hotpot restaurants that we have been to, we notice that the broth is usually very flavourful at the start, then it will become diluted after a few top-ups. The surprising part about the chicken and tomato soup base at LJCCX is that the flavour becomes more intense and robust after a few top-ups. We really enjoy the flavours at the end. Plus, we notice we did not get any MSG attack after the meal. This is a plus point here.

Pork With Corriander Skewer
Into the pot are the skewers (50 cents each). This kind of reminds me of lok lok, the stick hot pot that is famous in Melaka. We have Beef with Coriander Skewer (香菜牛肉), Pork with Coriander Skewer (香菜猪肉), Special Recipe Beef (秘制鸡肉) and Special Recipe Chicken. The beef and pork on the skewers are tender, spicy with a strong hint of cumin. To my surprise, the Special Recipe Chicken are juicy and succulent, although it uses breast meat.

Special Recipe Chicken Skewers

Special Recipe Chicken Skewer
Not limited to meat, vegetables also come in skewers, such as winter melon, broccoli, lotus root, potato, pumpkin and mushrooms.

Vegetable Skewers
For the plate ingredients, we tried Signature Beef Slices ($8), Chinese Yam ($6), Pork Belly ($8), Fresh Prawn Paste / ball ($10), Sweet Potato Noodle ($5), Fatty Beef Slices ($8), Ring Roll ($4), Pork Collar ($8) and Tang Oh ($5). Don’t expect the super high-end ingredients, considering the price, but the quality of the ingredients that they used are very good.

Part of their Wine / Spirit Menu
We ended the meal with 3 Treasure Dessert Plate (三宝金典甜品, $8) from Chef Ng. It is a red bean and banana paste wrapped in pastry, accompanied with watermelon and refreshing ice jelly topped with diced hawthorn flakes. It is a nicely plated Chinese dessert that showcases the skill of Chef Ng and also hoses down the heat from the hot pot. LD is not a fan of red bean but she is pleasantly surprised that the banana in the pastry actually covered the taste of red bean so well.

3 Treasure Dessert Plate 

The Banana Red Bean Pastry
The décor is spacious, bright and Oriental setting. There are two-level seating areas and private rooms located on the 2nd floor.

2nd floor dining area
Overall, Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang at Jalan Besar showcased the perfect reunion between private dining and hot pot. The culinary experience of Chef Ng plays a big part in serving up exquisites private dining menu and we also find the LJCCX hot pot has a diverse range of offerings for mala and non-mala lovers as well. Looks like LD and I will return to try out their other dishes. Cheers!!

Note: Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang also offer a delivery service for the steamboat. We find the price is very reasonable and the offerings are extensive. Check out their menu and order online from www.lijichuanchuan.sg

Thank you very much Jennifer Yeo Consultancy and Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang Team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Service: N/A (Media Invite)
Ambiance: 7.75/10
Budget per Person: $26 - $50; $51 - $80

Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang 李记串串香
206 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208892

T: +65 6291 2289
IG: @lijichuanchuanxiang
OH: Daily 12.00 – Midnight
Full Menu for Dine-In and Delivery are available online

Flagship Restaurant
295 South Bridge Road
Singapore 058838
T: +65 6221 9629
OH: Daily 12.00 – Midnight

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