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2013-07-22
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Dim sum is definitely my favourite food and I'm almost always up for it - similarly my family adores dim sum the way I do... so little surprise we found our way to a dim sum place to celebrate my mother's birthday, Asia Grand Restaurant @ Odeon Towers (right beside Raffles City)! Asia Grand's layout include general round tables and more private rooms (about five round tables in each room) named after horoscopes.Tie Guan Yin: Very fragrant and light, very useful in helping to 'break' the greasy t
Asia Grand's layout include general round tables and more private rooms (about five round tables in each room) named after horoscopes.
Tie Guan Yin: Very fragrant and light, very useful in helping to 'break' the greasy taste of some of the dim sum.
Steamed Pork Dumpling "Shao Mai" - $4.80++: Chewy, juicy and delicious, very worth it. Thumbs up for this!
Steamed Shrimp Dumpling "Ha Kau" - $5.20++: Fresh chewy prawns without being overly crunchy made artificially by lye water (or similar). The skin of the dumpling might be a tad thick, but overall still satisfactory. Love it!
Steamed Shanghai Minced Pork Dumpling - $4.60++: Again, the dumpling skin is a little too thick for my liking, but still within my acceptable range. The soup within is savoury, tasty and thick pork broth.
Perfect size for a mouthful, and feel the soup burst in a pop!
Carrot Cake (fried) - $4.20++: Strong wafts of aroma of this pan-fried carrot cake permeates the air the moment it appeared on the table. It is very slightly spicy. My only complaint is that it is too small a serving! Well, a sign that this is really yummy.
Baked BBQ Pork Bun Mexico Style - $4.80++: Not too impressive, quite average. A good filler for hungry people.
Steamed Glutinous Rice Dumpling in Lotus Leaf - $4.80++: In general, this is quite average too, another good filler for hungry stomachs. There were copious amounts of ingredients tucked within the dumpling that you would feel it's worth every penny. I didn't try my favourite dim sum Custard Buns because I read reviews that their custard fillings don't flow, and I didn't want to disappoint myself too much. But seeing that their other dim sum really hit the spot, maybe I'll give it a try the next time. Their other specialty dish Peking dish - $38++ is also very affordable as compared to other Chinese restaurants.
While they serve some really awesome solid good dimsum, Asia Grand can up their ante and prestige by brushing up their horrible service. I'm not going to mince my words too much on this - but their staff are impatient, unfriendly and unprofessional, perhaps with the exception of one. As it was a surprise birthday celebration, I reminded two of the staff repeatedly (three times, may I emphasize) on that but when the time came, the staff simply placed the cake in the middle of the table in its original wrapping. No lit candle and the cake was not even unwrapped. It is quite shocking that a supposedly seasoned restaurant could actually be so so inexperienced! I won't be recommending this place to anyone for important occasions because I have no confidence that this place can handle any unforeseen circumstances. But if you want to have simply good dim sum at affordable prices as an everyday, non-formal affair, do try this place - it's only at $15/pax* with much better ambience than Victor's Kitchen. At least you have comfortable seats and round tables with ample elbow and knee space here... but Victor's Kitchen still remains at the top of my dim sum list because they have my beloved custard buns. I am biased, oh well.
*$15/pax is for low to mid-appetite range people, and depending on what you order. Look at menu at link below to gauge better.
For full review, more photos and full menu of Asia Grand Restaurant, please visit http://spherepiece.blogspot.sg/2013/07/food-feat-asia-grand-restaurant-odeon.html
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