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2010-08-14
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Located within the colonial Raffles Hotel, you'll find yourself in a sea of soothing light blue once you enter the restaurant. Sititng at the rectangular tables along the centre aisle, we noted that the mirror next to the last table did a great job of making the dining hall appear longer than in reality.The food arrived quickly after we placed our orders with the polite waitresses. On to the what we ordered!Baked Barbecued Pork Puff ($4.0++ for three): We had trouble picking the char siew sou up
The food arrived quickly after we placed our orders with the polite waitresses. On to the what we ordered!
Baked Barbecued Pork Puff ($4.0++ for three): We had trouble picking the char siew sou up with out chopsticks because their flaky skin was so delicate, it kept crumbling away! The juiciness of the sweet and exceptionally moist char siew filling made a great complement to the light and tender pastry.
Steamed Prawn Dumpling ($4.0++ for four): A must in any dim sum order, Royal China's har gao didn't disappoint. The plump prawns were fresh and crunchy; and while the translucent rice flour skin was a wee bit thick, it was slightly chewy and sticky like it should be.
Steamed Bun with Fresh Mango and Salted Egg Yolk ($4.0++ for three): The superbly soft and fluffy pau skin tore apart to reveal a golden, molten filling. Not only was the oozy custard of the perfect consistency, it had a wonderful balance of sweet and salty. Easily my favorite item of the meal, I'll definitely be coming back to Royal China to have more of this salted yolk pau.
Steamed Glutinous Rice with Lotus Leaf ($4.0++ for two): Eating rice dumplings usually leaves me bloated, but Royal China's steamed glutinous rice surprisingly didn't. The rice was moist and soft, and came chockful with well-cooked meat and mushrooms. While not lacking in flavor, I felt that the dish could have done with more oomph.
Baked Egg Custard Tartlet ($3.6++ for three): I liked the fact that these egg tartlets came in a petite size, so that I'll have more stomach space to sample more of the menu. The light and crisp pastry base which paired the smooth egg custard will please those who adore flaky pastry. While Royal China's rendition was decent, Tong Heng's egg tarts undoubtedly remain as my firm favorite.
Crispy Taro Roll with Scallop ($4.80++ for three): Fried to perfection, the crisp yam threads crumbled away into a smooth mushy mass... what a delight! There was a small piece of scallop hidden inside for some textural contrast, but the tasty yam was clearly the star here. Without doubt, these lovely taro rolls are a must-order at Royal China.
Having ordered six different items, my dining partner and I were both full by the end of the meal. Surprisingly, the bill added up to less than what you'll expect of an establishment in a grand institution like Raffles- our meal worked out to cost about $17 per person, including taxes. I'll definitely recommend the dishes featured in this post to anyone craving dimsum!
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