Dian Xiao Er

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I was fortunate enough to be invited to a media tasting of their CNY menu. Prior to this invite, I'd never stepped into Dian Xiao Er. So I was looking forward to this tasting!The special chinese new year offering consisted of Traditional Yu ShengShark’s Fin with Crab Meat and Conpoy Signature Herbal Roast Duck with Ten Wonders SauceSautéed Baby Lobsters with Pumpkin SauceProsperous Braised TrottersSteamed PomfretLuxurious Abalone Treasure PotDouble-Boiled Chilled HashimaThe Shark's Fin with crab meat and conpoy was very lightly flavoured, and choc a bloc full of shark's fin and crab meat goodness. It was quite a delight to start the meal proper after havin had the traditional yu sheng. The texture of the soup was thick but yet silky. Not the usual starchy goop you get at some restaurants. The Signature Herbal Roast Duck is simply out of this world! Call me late to the game, but I'd never had this previously and it was such a privilege to try all three sauces (Angelica Herb, Ten Wonders, Wild Ginseng) that one can usually order the roast duck with. Of the three, the fragrant but light Angelica Herb stole my heart. It was tasty, but didn't detract my palate from the beautifully done duck. The latter two sauces would suit palates looking for a more intense flavour. Eating the Prosperous Braised Trotters left me feeling truly prosperous! It was stewed until every sinewy tendon was melt-in-your-mouth, but still held its shape well. The flavour was also very balanced, not too spicy, not too sweet. The skin, the tendons, the flesh had me sold.I've never eaten a treasure pot, so it was more like a treasure hunt for me! Shitake mushrooms, abalone, sea cucumber, dried oysters, and fish maw. I felt so spoiled for choice, and decided to get my chopsticks on every one of them. It felt so extravagant, so luxurious to eat all of them in one dish.I left very impressed, and have been back 3 times! While I was at the tasting, it was mentioned to me that their duck is their signature, and I am a sworn fan! Thank you for inviting me, I am now a convert. 繼續閱讀

The name Dian Xiao Er symbolizes a pit-stop. A place where people can to rest and replenish their energy full, a place where delectable dishes is served as well. The moment you step into any of their restaurant, you will feel a sense of warmth and surrounded by a tantalizing aroma.During this media invite, we were treated to their Chinese New Year specials. There were a few sets avaliable but we had the chance to taste their recommended dishes.风生水起（三文鱼鱼生) Prosperity Salmon Yu ShengA usual offering at all CNY dinner. Fresh fish coupled with fresh ingredients makes this dish a great start to the dinner.展翅高飞 (红烧蟹肉鱼翅) Shark's Fin Broth with Crab Meat & ConpoyAs mentioned by the host, this dish was specially created for the dinner, with a great broth accentuated with the crab meat and the dried scallops to give taste to the otherwise flat shark's fin富甲一方 (烤鸭) Signature Roasted DuckDian Xiao Er is famous for their signature herbal duck, and during this tasting, we got a trio of sauces to go along with the duck. The Ten Wonders sauce, Angelica Herb and Wild Ginseng. In the order of taste, I would say the Ginseng has the best overall flavor to complement the duck.遍地黄金 (金瓜奶黄焗小龙虾) Sauteed Baby Lobsters with Pumpkin SauceA very interesting combination dish, rarely served at CNY dinners. I would have to warn though, this dish might be slightly spicy for some, including me as well. Overall the pumpkin sauce is stirred well with salted egg and drizzled over the lobster to give that gold feel. Who doesn’t like gold during CNY ! Combined with the fresh lobster, definitely a great dish.年年有余 (港蒸斗鲳) HongKong Style Chinese PomfretAh, the necessary fish dish for the festive season. Simple, but luxuriously done to bring out the flavours of the promfret.富贵荣华 (原粒鲍鱼极品锅) Luxurious Abalone Treasure PotWhat’s CNY without abalone! Braised in a unique special in-house chef's blend and slowly braised with ingredients like sea cucumber, fish maw and mushrooms. Brings out the luxurious feel and the meaning of celebrating the best with one's family.雪兆丰年 (红枣炖雪蛤) D-Boiled Hashima The top of the line in chinese beauty product, only second to the bird's nest. The Hashima is slowly boiled and then placed in the chiller and served cold. Deliciously, lightly sweet yet tremendously beneficial. Perfect to end off the perfect CNY dinner. 繼續閱讀

It is indeed a pleasurable and welcoming experience being invited to food tasting at one of the better known Dian Xiao Er Restaurants at Bishan. They have 10 outlets and each have similar but uniquely differing décor and ambience. I heard they would customize the dish to the customers based on what they learnt from them … This differentiates them from just any other restaurants like most Chinese always do … Relationship building.Last week’s dinner menu was a variation of Set-B, with the replacement of Luxurious Abalone Treasure Pot, ending with a treat of dessert. The Cold Double-Boiled Hashima brings the pre-festive meal to a close and it was a beautifully crafted suggestion.Last week’s dinner menu was a variation of Set-B, with the replacement of Luxurious Abalone Treasure Pot, ending with a treat of dessert. The Cold Double-Boiled Hashima brings the pre-festive meal to a close and it was a beautifully crafted suggestion.Simple as it is a lot of preparation goes into this appetizer. After pouring in the ingridients and sauces, normally by the diners themselves, the dish need to be toss and as high as possible. Prosperity Salmon Yu ShengThis Teochew-Style raw fish salad popular amongst Chinese during Chinese New Year (CNY) is supposed to be served on the 7th day of the Lunar Year but nowadays, people just love to savor the dish even before CNY. The tossing of ingredients symbolizes prosperity and longevity and what a way to begin the year of the Sheep / Goat at Dian Xiao Er.Shark’s Fin with Crab Meat and ConpoyI thought I never get to taste Shark Fin again in a restaurant … In fact I felt a little guilty as I believe in conservation but the taste lure me away. The delicately prepared double boiled broth with crab and conpoy just brings out the flavorfulness of the soup.Signature Herbal Roast Duck with Ten Wonders SauceNot exactly like roasted goose I tasted in Hong Kong but definitely more than a substitute, in fact a must try. This tender succulent duck is roasted with Ten Wonders Sauce. We also get to try out the other 2 sauces: Angelica Herb and Wild Ginseng. My personal choice of sauce to go with the Ten Wonder roasted duck: Wild Ginseng. I give this dish 5-starSautéed Baby Lobsters with Pumpkin SaucePumpkin Sauce to go with Baby Lobster … What a choice! I love the taste of the unique blend coconut with salted eggs and the infusion of spices simply goes very well with pumpkin sauce. This dish would have gotten better rating if not for other better dishes ahead … I would give this a 4-star for now.Prosperous Braised TrottersAmong all the dishes, this dish brings out the best of the best from Dian Xiao Er …The Braised Trotters just melts in your mouth. The dish is beautifully presented with greens and goes very well with green broccoli, peas and mushrooms.Chinese dish should never goes without fish and I must say the size of the Pomfret certainly raise eye brows and gives everyone more than a fair share. This Pomfret steamed in Cantonese style together with thinly sliced spring onions, carrots, ginger, onion and chives truly brings out the aroma of the fish.Luxurious Abalone Treasure PotI would have placed this as my number one dish, had the mushroom and pea also been used in the Braised Trotter but its certainly makes one feels rich, enjoying the luxury of high society dishes ... No wonder this dish is a treasure pot. The wholesome sauce goes very well with black moss and the tasty and crunchy sea cucumber, simply compliment with the tender succulent abalone.Double-Boiled Chilled HashimaLast but not least, our dessert was the Double-Boiled Chilled Hashima … What a refreshing ending. The idea of this dessert originates from the term “Hasma”, related to frogs … but the extra smooth, refreshing and sweet Hashima, just makes one forget the origin instead one feel heavenly and completely fulfill after a sumptuous dinner at Dian Xiao Er. 繼續閱讀

Last week, I was invited to try out 店小二 Dian Xiao Er's Chinese New Year menu for year 2015 at the Junction 8 branch. Let me share their brand story with you.Dian Xiao Er symbolizes a pit-stop for travelers (customers) to rest and replenish their energy fully before setting off to continue their hectic journeys again. Dian Xiao Er not only provides to the travelers a place of warmth, satisfaction and happiness as they indulge in the delectable dishes, it is also a place for them to interact and build relationships with one another. Dian Xiao Er also symbolizes an element of blessing and fellowship as everyone is brought together in Dian Xiao Er.What a lovely description for a chinese restaurant. The idea of 'reunion' is important to the Chinese folk and no matter how busy, it is important to congregate and be together during festive periods. And this Chinese New Year, it is important to pick a place where you and your family members can eat and come together in joy and fellowship. Dian Xiao Er's the place to visit.For the first dish, we had the Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng.A dish believed to have been 'created' and made popular by 4 chefs in Singapore in the 1960s, a colourful variety of items are put together, and condiments are added over the dish by the server with auspicious words and phrases.To symbolise a sweet year ahead, plum sauce is used as an important ingredient in the dish.It is then mixed by everyone around the table, 'throwing' and 'tossing' the dish as high as possible, while saying auspicious phrases of what they wish to see happen for themselves in the coming year.The adding of condiments are complete with the small, rectangular crackers poured over the dish, which symbolises 'gold' which are all 'over the floor' (lit.).Why Yu Sheng?Yu Sheng, literally means 'raw fish' in Mandarin. But as deep as the language goes, Yu Sheng also has a another meaning, which is prosperity and abundance. And that's why it is so important to have this dish during the Chinese New Year.FYI - Norwegian raw salmon is being used for the Yu Sheng in Dian Xiao Er.Let us toss to prosperity! The result is a really really sweet and lovely 'salad' that we all swooned over!Shark's Fin Broth with Crab Meat and Conpoy Smooth, thick broth with rich, generous servings of crabmeat and conpoy (dried scallops). Environmentalists can opt to have Fishmaw to replace Shark's Fin. But do inform the restaurant earlier so that it can be prepared for your table.Signature Herbal Roast Duck with 3 Flavours (Angelica Herb, Ten Wonders, Wild Ginseng)Their signature roast duck is my must-have whenever I visit this restaurant. We were lucky to try all 3 sauces. Unfortunately, you will only be limited to one choice of the 3 sauce flavours for this dish.The reason is simple. Because the duck needs to be marinated right. Dian Xiao Er provides fully marinated ducks in the respective sauces they have. For example, if you choose Angelica Herb Roasted Duck, not only the sauce that comes with the duck would be Angelica Herb, but the duck will also be stuffed with the herb to ensure the meat completely absorbs the essence of it. The sauces are labeled from 'Mild' to 'Heavy'. However, for me, even their 'heavy' sauce isn't really that heavy. It's not overbearing to that extent where you have to stop breathing for a second to regain composure.Angelica Herb 当归: MildTen Wonders 十全: MediumWild Ginseng 泡参: StrongHonestly, I liked all 3 sauces. But if I had a choice, I will go for wild ginseng as I do like a stronger taste. Not many people like Ten Wonders as it is made using 10 herbs combined. While its flavour is complex, it is definitely palatable for this dish.Wild Ginseng SauceSauteed Baby Lobsters with Pumpkin SauceI loved this dish. the meat of the golden baby lobsters were well cooked and easy to eat, and the sauce is heavenly too. Cooked with thick salted egg sauce sweetened with pumpkin, it is a little sweet and slightly spicy as well. Best enjoyed with rice as you'll probably enjoy the sauce so much you can just eat it with rice! A must-try!Prosperous Braised TrottersBraised for a few hours, this dish takes much effort to prepare. The long hours of braising it also results in a tender, soft meat that its flavours has penetrated thoroughly. With dried oysters, shiitake mushrooms and crunchy broccoli, this is a truly flavourful combination, and is also a dish which definitely tastes better than it looks. There's also Fa Cai (or Fat choy) in it, which is the popular black moss, literally meaning 'hair vegetable'. It is eaten as a sign of prosperity due to its name, which also be translated as 'to become rich'.Hongkong Style Chinese PomfretThe most prized grade of pomfret, Dian Xiao Er steams the entire fish with their recipe which makes it a smooth eat. Though light, the meat was delectable and tender.Luxurious Abalone Treasure PotAnother dish you should eat with rice. This was supposed to be served in a claypot, but for photo taking purposes, they carefully laid it out on a huge round plate. Also a braised dish, the savoury sauce is made with the restaurant's secret recipe, which will see you grinning from ear to ear. The abalones are also chewy and a joy to munch on!D-Boiled Hashima (served cold)Double boiled hashima! One of my favourite Chinese desserts. This light and refreshing dessert is just right to end a heavy meal. The hashima was soft and light, and the red date was crunchy. Definitely need to eat more of this for good skin!Prices for Chinese New Year set menus start from $128+++ onwards, available at all outlets from 30 January to 5 March 2015.Overall, we enjoyed the meal and had so much fun during the food tasting session. Indeed, you need good food to accompany good company and that's what Dian Xiao Er has to offer!This is an invited media tasting session. 繼續閱讀

Have you goat any idea where you are going for a sumptuous meal with your family over the Chinese New Year period? Not just for reunion dinners, Dian Xiao Er has three extremely lavish Lunar New Year sets available from 30 January to 5 March 2015. They would definitely agree with all your mass-feasting wishes. They've got all your CNY specials covered. Find out what they areian Xiao Er invited the OpenRice Singapore team and members for this special CNY tasting. This is Reka, our super hyper host for tonight. We were introduced to the three main sets: (A) 福星高照宴 Everlasting Blissful Set 风生水起（三文鱼鱼生) Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng展翅高飞 (蟹肉鱼鳔羹) Fish Maw Thick Soup with Crab Meat满载而归 (当归烤鸭) Duck Roasted with Angelica Herb嘻哈大笑 (豉油皇干煎虾) Pan-Fried Tiger Prawns with Superior Soy Sauce团团圆圆 (花生芝麻球) Fried Sesame Ball with Peanut吉庆有余 (奶黄鱼片) Fish Slices with Salted Egg Sauce好市发财 (蚝豉发菜东坡肉) Prosperous Dong Po Pork with Fatt Choy包罗万有 (冬菇海参螺片) Braised Mushroom, Sea Cucumber and Conch3 pax - $128 (Item 1 to 5)4 pax - $178 (Item 1 to 7)5 pax - $228 (Item 1 to 7)6 pax - $278 (Item 1 to 8)7 pax - $328 (Item 1 to 8)8 pax - $378 (Item 1 to 8)9 pax - $428 (Item 1 to 8)10 pax - $458 (Item 1 to 8)---(B) 繁荣昌盛宴 Abundant Prosperity Set风生水起（三文鱼鱼生) Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng展翅高飞 (红烧蟹肉鱼翅) Shark's Fin Broth with Crab Meat & Conpoy十全十美 (十全烤鸭) Duck Roasted with Ten Wonder Herbs遍地黄金 (金瓜奶黄焗小龙虾) Sauteed Baby Lobsters with Pumpkin Sauce招财进宝 (双菇瑶柱扒菠菜) Assorted Mushroom with Conpoy with Poached Spinach团团圆圆 (花生芝麻球) Fried Sesame Ball with Peanut横财就手 (蚝豉冬菇焖猪手) Prosperous Braised Trotters年年有余 (港蒸斗鲳) HongKong Style Chinese Pomfret3 pax - $168 (Item 1 to 5)4 pax - $228 (Item 1 to 7)5 pax - $278 (Item 1 to 7)6 pax - $388 (Item 1 to 8)7 pax - $428 (Item 1 to 8)8 pax - $478 (Item 1 to 8)9 pax - $518 (Item 1 to 8)10 pax - $558 (Item 1 to 8)---(C) 富贵豪门宴 Abundant Fortune Set风生水起（三文鱼鱼生) Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng三喜临门 (红烧干贝花胶鱼翅) Superior Shark's Fin Broth with Fish Maw & Conpoy富甲一方 (泡参烤鸭) Duck Roasted with Wild Ginseng嘻哈欢乐 (江南焗大虾) JiangNan Baked King Prawns富贵荣华 (原粒鲍鱼极品锅) Luxurious Abalone Treasure Pot雪兆丰年 (红枣炖雪蛤) D-Boiled Hashima (Cold)横财就手 (蚝豉冬菇焖猪手) Prosperous Braised Trotters年年有余 (港蒸斗鲳) HongKong Style Chinese Pomfret3 pax - $228 (Item 1 to 5)4 pax - $288 (Item 1 to 6)5 pax - $368 (Item 1 to 7)6 pax - $498 (Item 1 to 8)7 pax - $548 (Item 1 to 8)8 pax - $618 (Item 1 to 8)9 pax - $678 (Item 1 to 8)10 pax - $718 (Item 1 to 8)---Prices do not include drinks, towels and peanuts.All prices subject to 10% service charge and prevailing GST.Minimum 50% deposit is required to confirm reservation on CNY eve.Set meals are not entitled to further discount.风生水起（三文鱼鱼生) Prosperity Salmon Yu ShengThe Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng lohei is not only super fun to 'lo' literally because it has so much of everything to grab and toss! The Dian Xiao Er lady staff was very knowledgeable and hospitable in addressing all the sauces, ingredients and auspicious sayings while she poured everything together. In this yusheng, Dian Xiao Er use Norwegian smoked salmon, drizzled with rich oil, plum sauce to create tangy, fresh and varied flavours of which I polished off a huge serving and grabbed a lot of 'golden moneybags' in the process. Be sure to delight in this appetizing yusheng and enjoy a whole year of blessings!展翅高飞 (红烧蟹肉鱼翅) Shark's Fin Broth with Crab Meat & ConpoyTo indulge very lavishly in shark's fin is possibly a very rare opportunity that is only possible during Chinese weddings or Chinese New Year. If you would like to opt for the more sustainable seafood option, you can replace it with fish maw, crab meat and conpoy. I would strongly recommend you to do that especially because I personally feel that fish maw replicates the shark's fin texture perfectly well and is more environmentally-friendly. The velvety rich texture leaves a savoury, fragrant aftertaste that lingers beautifully on the tongue.富甲一方 (泡参烤鸭) Duck Roasted with Wild GinsengDepending on which set you choose, you can have Angelica Herb, Ten Wonder Herbs or Wild Ginseng herbal sauces to complement the premium roasted duck. The Angelica Herb is the least intense, followed by the Ten Wonder Herbs and then the Wild Ginseng being the strongest one. The roasted duck is marinated with 10 herbs, the same ones used in the ten wonder herbs sauce, including wolfberries and danggui. I loved this dish particularly because the roasted duck is very aromatic and supple that is very good even on its own. If you're asking me which sauce I liked best, it'll be the angelica herb sauce because it adds on further variations to the tastes without being overpowering. I would expect the older generations to love the wild ginseng sauce though.遍地黄金 (金瓜奶黄焗小龙虾) Sauteed Baby Lobsters with Pumpkin SauceSurprisingly, I enjoyed this one...very much. When I saw 'lobsters' (alongside 'pomfret', 'abalone', 'hashima'...) on the menu, I felt like it resembled an imperial palace menu! The next thing on my mind was: lobsters... isn't that very difficult to eat? The last thing I wanted was to fight against shelled seafood with my sticky fingers. My experience of eating these baby lobsters was that they were so fresh, they easily deshelled with a very gentle tug with my fork. It didn't require much dining skills and I could stuffed a plump, juicy slab of lobster meat into my mouth, slathered with robust coconut, curry leaves, salted egg, pumpkin and a light touch of chilli padi. It might come off as very spicy, so remember to highlight to the chef to go easy on the chilli padi if your family members can't take spiciness! I found it very satisfying though. This is definitely my favourite dish of the night, hands down!年年有余 (港蒸斗鲳) HongKong Style Chinese PomfretLightly steamed in ginger, shallots, spring onions, this definitely tastes every inch of reunion and family dinners that I would always miss once in a while. This is Dian Xiao Er's special CNY upgrade from the daily fare of black or white pomfret, presenting a very rare, large breed of pomfret that is specially imported. Nowadays in the wet markets now, it's difficult to find such luxurious huge pomfret but it's easier for restaurants to source for such exclusive good ones.招财进宝 (双菇瑶柱扒菠菜) Assorted Mushroom with Conpoy with Poached SpinachThe classic braised trotters is a hearty addition to the menu after hours of professional hard work from the chef! Braised trotters is a must for many people during Chinese New Year. With familiar mainstays in Chinese cuisine like broccoli and shitake mushrooms, there is also a more deluxe upgrade of oysters in the mix for a wholesome feast.富贵荣华 (原粒鲍鱼极品锅) Luxurious Abalone Treasure PotLooking at abalones just bring the festive cheer into the room instantly! Each of the abalone is cloaked with a unique special in-house chef's blend with a satisfying bite and intense flavours. These stars of the dish totally overshone the other ingredients like fish maw, sea cucumber and green peas, but well, aren't they enough already?雪兆丰年 (红枣炖雪蛤) D-Boiled Hashima (Cold)Whenever I hear of hashima, I think of empresses and imperial concubines in the palace preserving their beauty with this extraordinary goodness. It is kept very cold even minutes after it was served, preserving a refreshing, lightly sweet and elegant dessert. Hashima is also believed to boost vital organs like lungs and kidney, as well as improve skin complexion.For more info: www.amiehu.com 繼續閱讀