Dian Xiao Er

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My colleagues and I were looking for a restaurant for a team lunch and we chose this restaurant, as they have their signature roast duck and other ala carte Chinese dishes that we could order to complete the meal.We went to the outlet at Serangoon Nex mall.It is my first time at this restaurant chain and here are the highlights of my meal:- Golden Lotus Roots with Pumpkin: This is a new item on the menu, and its like an appetiser. The lotus root are cut thinly and deep fried, before being tossed with salted egg yolk and pumpkin sauce. Good!- Fish Maw Thick soup with Seafood: Each of us had a bowl and the soup was tasty. The ingredients were also generous and not measly. You can add vinegar and pepper to your own liking. Not bad.- Duck Roasted with 10 Wonder herbs (Condonopsis Root, Foxglove Root, Liquorice Root, etc): The duck cooked this was touted to revitalise mental stress and promote longevity. The sauce is sweet to taste and I realised that the ‘younger age group of under 30’ preferred the duck prepared this way. I found the sauce a little sweet for my liking and it detracts from the roast duck. I preferred the duck roasted with Angelica Herb.- Duck Roasted with Angelica Herb: The Angelica Herb health properties include nourishing blood, promote blood circulation amongst others for better health. This was my favourite dish. The duck sauce is salty, not sweet like the duck roasted with 10 wonder herbs. I went for second and third helpings.- Braised Pork Belly: You get a slab of braised pork belly atop vegetables. The pork belly was cut on the skin in 2cm x 2cm blocks. It was tasty, but a little fatty for my liking. The guys in the group polished it up quickly with their individual bowls of plain white rice.- Deep Fried Kai Lan with Pork Floss: Sliced Kai Lan stem are sliced, stir-fried and placed in the middle of the serving plate. The leaves of Kai Lan are then finely chopped and deep fried and placed surrounding it, followed by pork floss. This dish was unique and yummy!- Fried Shrimp Egg: Fried beaten egg with shrimp. It was OK, something that you can cook at home.- Homemade Wheatgerm Tofu with diced seafood and vegetables: Wheatgerm juice is mixed into the tofu and left to set. It is fried as a block and placed in a serving dish with diced seafood and diced vegetables in a starchy sauce.- Stir Fried Seafood Bee Hoon with Fish Sauce: I couldn’t really taste the fish sauce, as the noodles were dry. It was alright., with pieces of prawns and squid stirred with the noodles.- Osmanthus and Wolfberry Jelly: Set in round jelly mounds, the jelly had Osmanthus flowers and wolfberries in it. A nice dessert to round off the meal.The good thing about this restaurant is that the portions for their food come in small, medium and large sizes (with corresponding pricings). Thus you can customise each food order to suit your group size easily.For drinks, I had:- Chrysanthemum Tea: Unlike chrysanthemum tea that you find elsewhere, this had some herbal taste in it. The restaurant added some herbs in the brewing process, so it has a slight medicinal taste. But it was alright for me. They sell it by the glass, unlike if you order Chinese tea, which is refillable.- Lime and Sour Plum Drink: My colleague loved this and had a total of 3 glasses for the whole meal. The lime juice was refreshing and the addition of the sour plum added a sweet and sour flavour to the drink. Try it!It was a good meal at Dian Xiao Er and I will definitely be back again for some of my favourite dishes and try out new ones.Recommended! continue reading

I love Dian Xiao Er for one particular reason out of many - Chinese dining theme! They do have modern theme as well in selected outlets, for youngsters whom have zero interest in Chinese culture. NEX Mall is one of the spacious outlet in Singapore, able to host big groups, and even Chinese wedding dinner, although a small-sized engagement type would seems more suitable.Signature Roast Duck! It comes with either of the 3 flavors (Angelica Herb ($13.60), Ten Wonders ($13.90), and Wild Ginseng ($14.30)). All 3 sauces are delectable, and do add another layer of tastiness to the already juicy and tender roast duck!Fish Maw Soup with Seafood ($16.90). Dian Xiao Er has prepared the fish maw to softness, making it easier to bite through, and the smooth thick consistency of the soup is just so yummy!Double-boiled Black Chicken Soup ($7.30), Stewed Crocodile Soup with Sweet Almonds and Chuan Bei ($7.60), and Double-boiled Wintermelon Soup with Conpoy ($7.30). Popular to most belief, crocodile meat taste like chicken meat, and doesn't really have any weird aftertaste.Hong Kong Style Steamed Silver Cod Fish ($26.90). I love cod fish, because of its soft and silky-like meat in my mouth!Baby Kailan with Salted Fish and Lime ($9.90). Crunchy leafy with a unique way of serving with the addition of lime. Refreshing dish, but the mild sour taste of lime on the kailan does not really appeal to me.Seafood Combo with Assorted Vegetables ($15.60).Claypot Braised Sea Cucumber, Mushroom and Pork Tendon ($26.00).Stir Fried Bee Hoon ($9.90). Beehoon has a springy texture, and furthermore it seems that beehoon is well soaked and stir fried, making the moisture still stay within.Mongolian Spare Ribs ($13.90). Coated a mild layer of spicy sauce, and with the sweet and sour tinge plum, this plate of rib is another dish to go for, if you are not into the health-conscious type.Marmite Superior Chicken Wing ($10.90). This is my favorite dish, in comparison with Mongolia Spare Ribs. It has this sweet savory taste, and the chicken is tender and juicy.Dian Xiao Er has always been proactive in serving healthier food options, and this partnership has indeed gain them more exposure! With healthier food preparation methods, such as the use of rice barn oil, Dian Xiao Er also ensure that tastiness and flavors will not be compromised.As part of the partnership with HPB, Dian Xiao Er is one of the participating food establishments for the loyalty card programme. All you have to do is to earn a total of 5 stamps for each dish under the "Healthier Choice" category, and you will be eligible for a lucky draw.For more details, please visit http://foodesteem.blogspot.sg/2014/06/dian-xiao-er-healthier-dining.html continue reading

Dian Xiao Er is one of our favourite Chinese restaurants when it comes to casual dining. Like the olden days, Dian Xiao Er (which literally translates to servers at inns or taverns) symbolizes a pit-stop for travellers to rest and replenish their energy before setting off to continue hectic journeys. In the modern context, I guess we all need to take a pit-stop to load up on calories before jetting off on a hectic journey of shopping!When we first arrived at Dian Xiao Er, we were warmly greeted by the receptionist with smiles. It warmed our hearts immediately and the vibe we received was friendly and homely. Sometimes, I feel that it is that extra effort taken by the staffs which made all the difference to a meal, be it a simple sincere greeting or a hearty smile.Apart from the customer service which touched us, can the food at Dian Xiao Er impress us?The interior decorations received mixed feedback as my dining companion found it to be oriented towards a Chinese wedding theme while I actually basked in the environment as I found myself returning to the olden days. (well not that I would know how it is like but I am sure most people out there, myself inclusive, had watched enough Chinese movies and series to recognize such a backdrop)Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng - 风生水起（三文鱼鱼生）- starting from S$22.80/++ for small portionLike most Yu Shengs served at Chinese restaurants during the Lunar New Year season, the server would recite and bless the diners at the table with a series of good wishes, such as prosperity and good health. Admittedly, the Yu Sheng was not a dish that impressed. On a fairer note, it tasted pedestrian but adjusted to the liking of most Singaporeans whereby it uses sweet plum sauce as the main condiment over the sliced radish and array of other accompaniment sides.What made this "Lo Hei" unique and heart-warming was the auntie in the picture. She might not have given the best recital speech when it came to serving the Yu Sheng but the smiles and blessing coming from an affectionate mother-like figure was simply priceless.Fish Maw Soup with Crab Meat & Conpoy - 四喜临门 （蟹肉干贝花胶鱼鳔羹）- starting from S$16.90/++ without crabmeatIf you are a fan of viscous soups, this would certainly draw you in. Expect a generous serving of fish maw and shredded crab meat in each bowl of goodness. The crab meat has been specially added to the soup only for the Chinese New Year menu. Personally, I found it to be quite heavy on our palate as it was flavourful and every spoonful seemed to be filled with plenty of ingredients.Herbal Roast Duck （药材烤鸭）- S$12.90 onwardsThis dish needs no introduction as people familiar with Dian Xiao Er would be well acquainted with the flavours and taste. The skin was thin and crisp with just a fine layer of fat underneath to add to that juiciness. The tender duck meat was beautifully complemented by the crispness and ogling at the dish was sufficient to make us salivate. We were privileged enough to have a tasting of all three sauces; angelica herb (当归), ten wonder (十全) and wild ginseng (泡参).The angelica herb (当归) bore a slight tinge of sweetness while ten wonder (十全) is the preferred safe choice for many and is what Dian Xiao Er is famous for. It would surely appeal to those with a more savoury appetite. Conversely, the wild ginseng (泡参) would suit those with an inclination for a stronger herbal taste and opting for this sauce would come at a slight premium, in terms of pricing. Silver Cod Fish in Superior Soy Sauce - 年年有余 （豉油皇银鳕鱼）- S$25.90/++This was my favourite dish for the entire meal with the presentation scoring points as soon as it was served to the table. The delicate cod fish was well-handled, being sliced uniformly and deep-fried to a beautiful golden brown colour. We loved the complementing textures with a nice friable and crumbly coating on the outside matched by a tender and soft fresh cod fish on the inside. For those who desire an extra crunch and do not mind the calories, you would relish in delight (a sinful one) as you munch through that crispy skin attached to the white protein.The clever use of superior soy sauce subtly enhanced the flavours and allowed the natural freshness of the cod to be delivered across to the diners' palate.Savoury Pork Roll "Firecrackers" - 鸿运当头（爆竹升升）- only available as part of CNY set menuI found this to be an ingenious new dish on the menu. Aesthetically presented to resemble firecrackers, the thinly sliced pork wrapping sausage and Chinese coriander was carefully rolled and deep-fried before being coated with the classic sweet and sour sauce. While I appreciated the work involved in creating this dish, I was left slightly disappointed after the first bite as it gave a "hollowed-out" effect whereby the inside of the pork-roll felt "empty". I would have preferred it more if the filling was denser with added texture.We were asked for our feedback as the chefs behind the scenes look to improve this new dish recently introduced to the menu. I liked that the chefs were receptive to diners' feedback and moving forward, I felt that constantly changing and adapting to the customers preference is key to success within the competitive F&B scene.Overall, it was a good dish but requires some improvement to make it a more palatable dish.Luxurious Seafood in Claypot - 富贵荣华（江南一品锅) - only available as part of CNY set menuLike what the name suggested, it was a luxurious bowl of delicacies such as sea cucumber, Chinese mushroom, fish maw coupled with some greens like sweet peas and carrots. Expect a pot of savouriness though it is another dish which weighs on tastes and flavours.Osmanthus Jelly Dessert - 桂花糕 (S$3.60/++)This was one of the better Osmanthus Jelly Desserts tried with a subtle sweetness that pleased our palate. It was a very light dessert that helped to balance out the savoury dishes tried.Dishes are generally served very quickly (even when we visit on a normal occasion, i.e. not tasting session) For those new to their dishes, the mains tend to be on the savoury side and incline towards heavier flavours and tastes (重口味). It would however be suitable to enjoy the dishes with white rice.My takeaway from visiting Dian Xiao Er over the past years had always been consistent, that warm and friendly feeling which resonates a homely meal. Customer service have always been meticulous and surely lives up to the restaurant's name of Dian Xiao Er! P.S: The Chinese New Year set is only available from 18 January 2014 onwards till 14 February 2014. Prices of the set menu range from S$108 for 3 pax to S$598 for 10 pax. continue reading

My friends have been raving about how good their Dong po rou is so I'm going to try it tonight. I had ordered another two dishes to go with it.Dong po rou $13.90++This is really good, meat was stewed long enough till texture is super soft and fully infused with flavor. The gravy was very tasty and goes well with rice.Fried Dou miao $8.60++A simple and healthy dish with only sliced garlic to bring out its natural flavor. I love the nice and clean taste.XO seafood fried rice $10.90++This fried rice was surprisingly flavorful. The XO sauce gave it a mildly spicy taste that was also complimented by the generous serving of fresh seafood...delish. continue reading

Very suitable to those who fancy about traditional Chinese culinary, Dian Xiao Er not only offered a homely place but also a happiness to enjoy their delectable dishes. It symbolized “Rest was important to continue hectic journey in front”. Ordered their family set meal for two pax, the dishes were extravagant. With their careful freshest ingredients, herbal roasted ducks, pork, veggies and soup of the day, we felt absolutely filling. The ambience was delightful, as if an old-fashion inn for pit-stop for any occasion. The cost for both of us was around $50.00, worthwhile. continue reading