Royal China at Raffles

Feel free to visit my site: http://thedessertprince.com/royal-china-raffles-hotel-dim-sum-on-a-sunday-brunch/A few scoops here. Some quick nips there. Then wash everything down with a couple of sips and start the process of scooping and nipping all over again. That’s what having dim sum with family or friends is all about! Some people like their affair plain and simple while others enjoy something a little more elaborate. It’s just a matter of choice isn’t it?

A quick walk up the colonial stairs of Raffles Hotel and you will find the unmistakeable sky-blue signboard of Royal China from across. Honestly speaking, this ain’t my first time visiting such a posh place for weekend dim sum considering that it used to be my family past time when I was young.

But I have to say out of so many places I’ve been so far, I daresay Royal China is one of those better dim sum restaurants in Singapore.It was a tough decision to decide what to order especially when you read each and every one of those descriptions. My brunch partner and I were close to ordering everything on the menu but we reckon that would be doing dishes after that just to pay up our tab.

If you’re thinking that dining at hotels equates to paying exorbitant prices, well I’m telling you, it’s much lesser than what you think. That is you don’t order as if you’re in a buffet of course…To kick start my tasting buds, I always like to start my dim sum on a lighter note. It’s just a personal preference. How about a bowl of Century Egg Porridge ($6.80)? Honestly speaking, ever since I went to China and had really good and smooth congee, I just can’t find another place that could rival that taste. I’m guessing the best Chinese dishes can only be found back in the mainland?

On the contrary, their basket of siew mai or Pork Dumplings ($5.60) as it was called left me wishing I ordered more baskets and come alone instead of sharing with my partner.I am always seeking for the best har gaus in Singapore. It’s almost like an obsessive-compulsive disorder if you really want to know. Four big juicy Prawn Dumplings ($5.60) might just do the trick but otherwise, I would continue my search for better lookings one.It’s been quite a while since I had a plate of Char Siu Sous ($4.30) and with Royal China’s rendition being so flaky, buttery, sweet and savoury all in one pastry. What more could you expect?Maybe a plate of Egg Tarts ($4.90) perhaps?Behold! The glorious Liu Sha Bao ($4.80) with molten gold liquid. Easily the ideal salted egg yolk buns you can ever have in Singapore! As a rule of thumb, NEVER EVER put the whole bun in your mouth. Trust me, you will bound to regret it when the hot scalding custard touches the walls of your mouth.

A little tear into the bun to keep the liquid oozing and dip the contents with the pillow-like buns. That’s how you eat custard buns safely.After talking about their custard buns, the rest seemed to be like history. I’m not saying they aren’t that fantastic. Let’s just say I expected more than what it suppose to be.

Our bill worked out to $66.50 (Including GST & Service Charge). I thought it was a steal considering we ordered almost 10 baskets worth of food which is more than enough for four person but in actual fact is just two person eating everything. I’m guessing you must be shocked to imagine a table full of food with only two person wolfing everything right?

Royal China is one of those posh restaurants that I personally recommend to my friends when they’re seeking somewhere nice for dim sum. Come on a weekday if you want to avoid the weekends family crowd. It does get a bit irritating when the babies start crying.

Am allergic to beans thus i hardly eat dou sha bao, cant sacrifice myself for food that is not good. Until i came across the dou sha bao at Royal China, it is so good that i ate more than 15 baos in a seating. And i neglected the rest of the dim sum.

The texture is flowy and it explodes in your mouth, unlike the usual dou sha bao where the filling stays in the bun. It is neither sweet nor grainy. Didnt have a chance to try their liu sha bao at all, since the dou sha bao took away the glory!

Oh one annoying thing in Royal China, the dress code... no slippers and shorts i think. Its a dressed up meal.

And i have no idea how much it cost... as i didnt pay for my meal again.

Getting home at 5am was not funny when I had a dim sum appointment at 130 the next day.They have three seatings for their dim sum menu.
1130h -1230h
1230h - 1330h
1330h - 1500h
If you didn't want to rush, it'd be best to take the last slot.
But do not that last order is at 1445h.
And book in advance.
Walk-ins are entertained but be prepared to wait if you're lucky and disappointed if you aren't.Prawn wrapped in beancurd skin.
This would not be something I'd order.
But he wanted it.
It was well, fried.Scallop porridge.
I like the crispy biscuits atop but I'd rather have it on the side to add when I want it.Prawn dumplings.
Siew mai.
One of the quintessential orders on a dim sum menu.
Full on flavour.
A shrimp on top and deliciously satisfying minced pork filling.
The wolfberries had by now lost their color and there was no added value to this.
Definitely not aesthetics.Now this, I really love.
The pastry.
Brings out the worse in me.
Greed.
And selfishly wanting the entire portion to myself.
The barbecued pork within was lean slices of meat coated in a sticky red honey sauce.
I really should not be doing a post at 1am.
How am I going to fall asleep in peace later?And if you love prawns.
This crystal shrimp dumpling would be the other habitual order in a dim sum dining experience.
Thin yet packs a bite.

We had add-ons of a prawn cheong fun that had 3 rolls filled with juicy fresh crystal prawns.
The rice flour rolls were just thick enough to hold the filling together and their blandness was enriched by the salty gravy.
That's value for money indeed.
The other item was a fried yam and minced pork dumpling.
Wu kok.This came as a surprise.
It's usually a closed dumpling.
Nonetheless, this was deliciously delicate.
The yam held the fat fillings of minced pork and diced mixed vegetables topped with chopped scallops.

And no it wasn't costly.
Between the two of us and 7 items,
the bill came up to $56 ish.
This might actually be cheaper than dining at Peach Garden.

So dine in with the royalties.
You don't have to use your royal treasures to pay here.
But you do have to make reservations in advance.

2013-01-06

SGD 28(Tea)

One of the more popular dim sum places in Singapore. Despite making reservation, you probably have to wait for a little while to get seated. It was myt 2nd time here and the place where I was seated is blocked and it was quite difficult for us to get the waitresses' attention. Avocado puree with pearl in coconut, with a scoop of chocolate ice cream.
While avocado and chocolate is quite a common combination. Bringing in the coconut as a third party is unusual. The avocado puree is very smooth and creamy. I thought the coconut is quite a calafare and complicates it without giving it anything special. Just the puree and chocolate ice cream is nice enough!Deep-fried Beancurd Skin. Dou kee is quite common and some don't have impressive filling. This one is good!Smooth, velvety chee cheong fun (3 fillings- scallop, char siew, prawn) that glides down your throatBaked Char Siew Puff
Thin, fluffy and buttery crust with a flavourful char siew filling in its core... Yummy!Liu Sha Bao was a disappointment. The buns were not very fluffy and the taste wasn't very distinct. Maybe because it was infused with mango flavour? But I couldn't taste it despite it being mentioned in the menu ):

The only disappointment was the custard buns. I heard and read that it was good but it didn't impress me. The custard filling was not flowy enough.
Nonetheless, most of the dishes were good! Do try the dessert as well as there are some unique ones. Some items are only available on Sundays (:

For more photos do visit: http://drunkene.blogspot.sg/2012/11/royal-china.html

SGD 50(Lunch)

Royal China Dim Sum is definitely one of the best Dim Sum places in Singapore. The prices are rather affordable as well; around $20 per person depending on how much you eat. The custard bun is very tasty and fluffy. The desserts are also very tasty, especially the egg tarts. The pan fried carrot cake is really very crispy, can't stop eating away. Highly recommended.

2012-03-13

SGD 50(Lunch)

For more details and pictures, please visit: http://cheesemafia.blogspot.sg/2012/08/royal-china-raffles-hotel.html

Royal China has two seatings for lunch, 11.30am and 1.30pm. We were surprised to find the place still closed when we arrived at around 11.25am. Apparently, the restaurant opens at 11.30am sharp, so don't bother going too early if you have made reservations for the first seating.

Steamed Glutinous Rice wrapped in Lotus leaf $5.50

The steamed glutinous rice was soft, moist and flavorful. It was gone before I could have a second look at it.

Steamed Bun with Salted Egg Yolk and Fresh Mango Juice $4.80

The delicate buns explode with a burst of salty-sweet medley once you break open it's soft exterior, and it can get messy if you are not careful. This dish is a must have!

Pan-fried Beancurd Skin Roll stuffed with Minced Prawn $5.60

Crisp beancurd skin with minced prawn that went well with the sauce at the side.

Deep-fried Mango Roll with Seaweed $5.40

The deep-fried mango rolls were not spectacular and would probably resemble your typical fried spring rolls if not for the dollop of mango inside.

Barbecued Pork Cheung Fun & Royal China Special Cheung Fun $5.60

The Cheung Fun at Royal China was stellar with its silky smooth rice sheets layered with savories like barbecued pork, scallops and prawns. Go for the Royal China Special Cheung Fun that gives you a mixture of ingredients. This dish was the first to be wiped out at the table.

Steamed Dumpling with Vegetable and Wild Mushroom $5.40

I liked the unique texture of this dish, I thought the chestnut-like bits added a very good crunch to the wholesome dumplings.

Deep-fried Yam Puff with Scallop in Portuguese Sauce $5.60

The deep-fried yam puffs proved to be interesting with its unique portuguese sauce. Definitely a must order if you love yam.

Steamed Minced Pork Dumpling with Wolfberry $5.60

I liked their rendition of siew mai with hearty pieces of pork and shrimp and topped with a sweet wolfberry.

Steamed Prawn Dumpling $5.60

Steamed prawn dumplings were decent, nothing too outstanding.

Sliced Fish and Conpoy Congee $7.80

Nothing beats having a bowl of comfort food to go with your dim sum.

We had the Chinese herbal jelly with pearl powder ($8) and Chilled Japanese Pupkin Puree with Black Glutinous Rice in Coconut Ice Cream ($9). The desserts were mediocre and not memorable. Not worth the price if you ask me.

Royal China is a good place for dim sum, but skip the desserts.

2012-08-04

Celebration: Birthday

Get the full review with photos at http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2010/12/royal-china-at-raffles.html

Having tried Royal China, I would say that it's good, definitely one of the better dim sum restaurants but I wouldn't gush about it. The standard at Royal China's like Hua Ting or Wah Lok, mostly hits, with very few misses and a couple of truly stellar items. It was a pleasant surprise that prices here are reasonable and not too hefty, with most dim sum items priced not more than $5.

We had:

1) Steamed Pork Dumplings ($4.80) Siew Mai, which had a flat-leaf parsley and wolfberry on top for decoration. I hate flat-leaf parsley. The one thing unusual about Royal China's dim sum is that they add parsley to a lot of their dim sum.

2) Steamed Prawn Dumpling ($4.80) Har Gow - one of the stellar items. Soft, thin, chewy skin, with a crunchy prawn inside

3) Beancurd Skin Rolled with Prawn ($4.80) - also another dim sum laced with parsley. The parsley was everywhere! This would have been a good dish if not for the parsley

4) Steamed Glutinous Rice with Chicken in Lotus Leaf ($4.80) - another stellar item, rice was incredibly moist and flavoursome, with lots of chicken cubes and mushroom bits adding texture and flavour. Easily one of the best ones around, I still salivate when I think about this

5) Steamed Flour Roll with Scallops ($4.80) - well done, the scallops were succulent and fresh. And the soy marinade was very light, so it didn't overwhelm the delicate taste of the scallops. However, the flour roll was a tad too thick. I would have preferred it thinner

6) Peking Duck ($65) - luxuriously served with caviar and a freshly-made flour wrap that wasn't too thick.

7) Lobster Noodles ($88, serves up to 5 persons) - although raved about was only just alright. They were very generous with the lobster, but I didn't understand the prevalence of ginger as a seasoning ingredient. This would have done very well with just garlic and spring onions. The addition of ginger was one ingredient too many

Father’s Day is perfect because dad is here with us, and to add a little extra bonus, it’s because we get to eat great ‘Imperial’ food with daddy! Mum made a reservation at Royal China at Raffles Hotel. It had this tinge of blue so sweet and calming, and my brother calls it the colour of ‘Tiffany & Co.’. The restaurant had its table setting placed so far apart, it was really spacious and out-of-the-norm where I believe the owners have carefully thought over what is the best seating plan. At the far side of the restaurant hangs a huge wide mirror that livens up the restaurant and making it look really spacious. I love the white chairs and the sweet tiffany blue curtains that drape over the cozy little restaurant.This is definitely the BEST Har Gao (Steamed Prawn Dumpling) I ever had！Costing only $4.80, the freshness and juiciness of the prawn is simply mind-blowing. The translucent skin wraps the juiciness that it just tasted like I was eating a bomb of exciting flavours bursting in my mouth. The best thing is that the skin is not as sticky as most prawn dumplings usually are so it doesn’t stick to the paper (and therefore you won’t waste any of it!).The porridge had a smooth texture that was easy to chew on, and it was neither bland nor too salty. The crunchiness of the biscuit added in is something rarely added into porridge, but it makes a lot of difference to having a uniquely Royal China porridge and those that are of outside.

The Siew Mai (Steam Minced Pork Dumpling) is really different from what we usually eat outside. Costing $4.80 as well, this is made up of lean meat which I found it more difficult to chew. According to my mother, it’s because other restaurants or dim sum places use fat pork rather than lean meat. Interestingly, this siew mai does not have a porky taste and it is sandwiched in between prawns. I didn’t really enjoy this healthier choice of my siew mai but my whole family have differing opinions of it.

The Cha Siu Bao (Barbecued Pork Bun), which costs $3.60, is my favourite dish. There was this sweet fragrance in the slightly thick but soft bread. Usually I would like to empty the contents of cha shao in the bread because it taste kind of disgustingly sweet and a mash-up of meat, but this pork bun had a perfect combination of its sweet meat, something that I was not usually used to. Most of the times, we Chinese would eat the bun sipping a cup of tea because it’d be too dry, but because of the juicy filling in the bun I didn’t had to do that.My mother’s favourite was the Steamed Custard Bun. This $4 buns are really the killer. I had to squeeze the custard with egg yolk out into the plate because of the over-sweetness (I don’t have that kind of sweet tooth). My mother really enjoyed it though! I’ve heard that it’s a dish popular with the older generation because it’ll trigger their taste buds. Eating one bun alone made us felt really full, there is this dialect which we called ‘gao-wei’ (eat to the point where we felt it tasted disgusting). So if you’re ordering this, I think it’d be great if you can share a bun with two people.The Steamed Layer Cake with Salted Egg Yolk is something unique that we’ve not tried or seen anywhere before. It cost ($4) and felt like eating bread with kaya with a bit of saltiness in it. Light and fluffy, it was kind of dry so we didn’t finish it. We passed a verdict into not ordering it again.The best dish in Royal China? The freshly made, soft, smooth and silky rice roll! With generous fillings and sweet soy sauce (perfect blend of sweetness and saltiness), I won’t be surprised to see you drooling. We tried the Barbecued Pork Cheung Fun ($4.80) and Fresh Prawn Cheung Fun ($4.80).We had two desserts as well, the herbal jelly ($5) which was really bitter and we spammed honey sauce (practically poured the whole jar of it) and also the black sesame mochi ($4). I really love the black sesame mochi, it's something so unique, a warm hot dish rather than cold dish that you expect mochi to be.I really love to see the enthusiastic 'aunties' in Royal China serving us, they just represent the Chinese as hardworking and lovable and serious at work. I think they could put on better uniforms though, the light brown uniform really doesn't fit in the royal ambience because it looks like brown cheongsum bought cheaply.

All in all, it was a delightful experience with family and we really enjoyed it

Celebration: Father's Day

SGD 20(Lunch)

Royal Cheong fun! The Royal Cheong fun was delicious. there is scallop and prawn inside. The cheong fun was smooth too. It taste different from those hawker center's cheong fun.The Vietnamese roll was crispy too. In the inside there is some vegetables and meat. I especially like the crunchy taste of it. Crunch~ The Prawn dumpling was huge! And, there is 2 huge prawns in it. I love it especially the prawns in it. Other places might not even have 2 huge prawns in it. it is worth trying

2012-06-09

Every year for my parents birthday, our family will brainstorm for a restaurant to bring the old folks to celebrate their birthday. My mother's birthday falls in May this month and my youngest sister suggested going for dim sum since the 2 old folks have not been to one. Instantly I suggested Royal China as I have always wanted to try after reading good reviews of their dim sum.

The Steamed Chicken Claws ($3.50) or some called it phoenix claws is a must order for me whenever I go for dim sum. Some people are disgust with the sight but for me this is the such a delicacy. The spicy sauce gave the chicken claws another lift in flavours which I thought was just right and suit the local taste buds.

This is probably the BEST Steamed Prawn Dumpling ($4.80) or Har Gaos, I ever had. The freshness and crunchiness of the prawn just simply blown me away. I felt like I was just eating the prawn itself without the thin translucent skin wrapped around it. You can see how thin the skin was, it looked like the prawn is trying to break free from it.I have known of friends who don't eat Siew Mai or Steam Minced Pork Dumpling ($4.80) because of the portion of minced meat in it and that porky taste. Interestingly the siew mai was constructed with minced meat sandwiched in between 2 fresh prawns. The minced meat portion was lesser and I enjoyed their version as it has more flavours and contrasting textures.

The smooth and silky Seafood Congee ($8.50) will definitely warm your stomach for more of the delicious dim sum. I really think that Royal China is very generous with the used of prawns. Look at the huge prawn I fish out from my bowl.

The Steamed Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf ($4.80) came in small portion of 2. The glutinuous rice was infused with the lovely lotus leaf fragrant. The savoury filling with its well marinated ingredients beautifully complements the glutinous rice.

The waitress has been trying very hard recommending me dishes in the ala carte menu and I just have to give in after her persistent effort. The Roast Pork ($12) with its crisp crackling skin and tender moist meat was so beautiful that I have to resist ordering another plate.

The Barbecued Pork Bun ($3.60) or Cha Siu Bao with its slightly dense but fine soft bread gets my thumb up. Encased in the bun was tender and sweet barbecued pork fillings. In typical Yum Cha style, the best way to enjoy the bun is 一口包子一口茶 (a bite of the bun and a sip of tea).The pillow like soft dough texture of the Steamed Custard Bun ($4) was like eating marshmallow. This is a modern dim sum dish that is a popular with the younger generation. The excitement of tearing the dough apart and seeing the flowing custard lava. I personally was a bit disappointed with the custard as it lacked the dense salted egg yolk taste.

If you love salted egg yolk stuff, the Steamed Layer Cake with Salted Egg Yolk ($4) is something uniquely Royal China. I have not seen it elsewhere. It felt like eating bread with kaya. It was light and fluffy. A very interesting and enjoyable dish.

The MUST TRY at Royal China will be their Cheung Fun. The freshly made, soft, smooth and silky rice roll melted in the mouth. With the generous fillings and light soy sauce, you just can't stop having more. The table really enjoyed them that we ordered another round for all. We tried the Barbecued Pork Cheung Fun ($4.80), Fresh Prawn Cheung Fun ($4.80) and Fried Prawn Cheung Fun ($4.80).

The Fried Carrot Cake ($4) was nicely done with charred crisp on the outside and retaining the moist in the inside.

Another version of the steamed barbecued pork bun is the Baked Barbecued Pork Puff ($4). The light and flaky pastry has a sweet tingling taste and topped with the fragrant sesame seeds, every bite into it was fully packed with flavours.

I am not lying when I said Royal China is very generous in the used of prawns. Look at how huge the Deep Fried Prawn Dumpling ($4.80) were. The huge prawn was bursting with natural sweetness and freshness.

Food is good, no doubt, but not exceptional. You ca read the other reviews.

However, we had absolutely horrendous service. The manager himself took the orders for our party of 6. After serving 4 dimsum items, the waitress said that was all that we ordered. We listed the other items which we ordered and she said she will add them in. Again, the items came out short and the manager came back to clarify and we added them again. This happened a total of FOUR times. And each time, there is no real apology and there is a total nonchalant attitude.

We simply cannot understand how a restaurant in Raffles hotel can have this level of service. At the end of our meal, we commented that we did not want to pay the service charge. The waitress left with our credit card without saying anything, and returned a box of pineapple patries, but with no waiver of the service charge, nor real apology. No wonder the place is half empty when we settled our check at 1pm on a weekend.

Ok, Royal China, I think there are better dimsum restaurants who appreciate our business.

2012-03-31

SGD 30

Royal china has one of the most traditional design and quality service among all the Chinese restaurant in town. The place looks really classic and with that oldies feel here. The foods are equally impressive too, which I personally like their char siew pork steamed buns and the char siew baked pastries. Both are fill with generous amount of tender and fragrant char siew meat in it. The bun is really soft and fluffy and the pastry is very crispy and really nice with that golden brown crust ion it. Eventhough the price here is quite high, I would not mind to come here again for their good foods cosy environment.

2012-05-05

SGD 50(Lunch)

in small portions, one get to try as many food as possible in this restaurant.

Try the Fried Kway Teow and order in bigger portions if you are with a family. It may appear a bit chaotah but it's quite crispy yet juicy at the same time (tangible)! It is stir-fried to almost a neat perfection.

I'd recommend the steamed bun and the custard tart,

and not the steamed glutonous rice with lotus leaf.

It feels kinda awkward to eat sort-of street food in this high-class environment, i don't feel that the food suits the kind of environment you're in because these are food that you'd love to dig in with your fingers. it's more suitable for corporate-working people in my opinion. anyway the service staff are really nice and always ensuring we have enough drinks and would ask how the food is like.

Great experience

SGD 20(Lunch)

Dining at Royal China Raffles Hotel is a delight. The ambience in the restaurant is splendid. Very classy interior which you would not be able to notice from the outside. We have the set lunch menu which i forgotten how much exactly but it comprises of about 8 dishes for a table of 10. It costs about SGD 40 to 50 per pax which i feel it is very reasonable judging at the place we are having lunch and the quality we are getting. The star of the meal is none other than the dessert - custard cake. It is really awesome. It is not too sweet and the texture is soft and it just feels like it is melting in your mouth. Good place for team gathering.

SGD 40(Lunch)

Dining at Royal China at Raffles Hotel is always heavenly. The standard of the food is always good despite having been there many times. It was the company’s team lunch and we went there for lunch. The ambience is nice for dining and the staff were friendly. We ordered many dishes and the steamed layer cake with salted egg yolk was my favourite. It tasted spongy but without being too sweet either. Overall, the price per person was around $40 per person.

2011-05-20

SGD 40(Lunch)