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2013-03-24
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Jia Wei is an elegant dining room with neoclassical decor located on the first floor (Level 2) of Mercure Roxy Hotel.The restaurant was half full when we dropped by for dinner on Saturday night.We were shown to our table by a China born waitresses who served us after a manager/supervisor had taken our orders.Here's what we had based on the order the dishes were served:§ Cabbage with bamboo pith poached in shark cartilage broth ($22++) - this was a light and wholesome dish but a little too bland
Jia Wei is an elegant dining room with neoclassical decor located on the first floor (Level 2) of Mercure Roxy Hotel.The restaurant was half full when we dropped by for dinner on Saturday night.
We were shown to our table by a China born waitresses who served us after a manager/supervisor had taken our orders.
Here's what we had based on the order the dishes were served:
§ Cabbage with bamboo pith poached in shark cartilage broth ($22++) - this was a light and wholesome dish but a little too bland for our tastes. It would be better if baby cabbage had been used instead of long cabbage (bok choy). Had the broth been simmered longer, it would have been more concentrated and flavorful.
§ Sauteed prawns with pumpkin sauce ($28++) - a small serving but the medium sized prawns were fresh and crunchy. However the taste of the pumpkin could barely be detected. The addition of saffron and thinly sliced birds eye chilli distracted from the fresh and creamy flavour of the prawns and sauce respectively. Too spicy for fine Cantonese cuisine.
§ Roast Duck ($24++) - This was very delicious, succulent crispy skin covering tasty tender meat that was roasted to perfection. The homemade plum sauce complemented the sliced duck very well.
§ Steamed Live Crab with Egg White & Chinese Wine ($38++ for two Indonesian crabs). The highlight of our meal, both crabs were very fresh and their flesh was nice and firm. The crab juices melded well with the egg white custard, with Chinese wine lending the X factor. The custard was smooth and silky, perfect with piping hot rice. Two thumbs up for this dish.
The food was good but apart from the crab, the other three dishes were not exceptional. We would only order the Roast Duck and Steamed Crab again. While we had a waitress assigned to us throughout our dinner, her service was lacklustre and below par. Three of the four dishes were placed on the table without serving spoons and we had to ask for them. The manager/supervisor had to prompt her before she changed our soiled plates. Most of the time she was staring into space and we had to approach her to refill our empty tea cups. A new staff would usually be attentive to diners' needs even if she lacked the experience. And an existing staff at a fine restaurant should not forget the serving spoons.
We will return for the lip-smacking & finger-licking-good crab, but not the half-hearted service.
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