Chopstick Culture: 3 New Chinese Restaurants - Men's Folio
Wine & Dine

Chopstick Culture: 3 New Chinese Restaurants

  • By Rachel Ang

Empress

What it is: A new flagship establishment by The Privé Group, this time featuring a fresh Chinese dining concept. Situated on the ground level of the newly renovated Asian Civilisations Museum, the restaurant offers a calming view of the Singapore River and vibrant Boat Quay. You can choose to dine either indoors, in the alfresco terrace, or even book Canton, the private dining room that provides a more intimate space for up to 14. Guests who come to Empress to quench their thirst will also not be disappointed by the generously stocked six-metre bar. It’s also a great place to hill and relax over its champagne dim sum brunch on weekends.

Deep-Fried Tofu & Salted Egg Yolk

What to expect: Familiar tastes in a fresh and modern setting, with delicious Cantonese cuisine served up without “the stuffiness of conventional Chinese dining”, to quote The Privé Group chairman, Yuan Oeji. Empress is a juxtaposition of different elements, most particularly Asian cuisine served within the compound of a colonial heritage building, but in an elegantly beautiful and spacious restaurant setting with high ceiling and a contemporary design of expansive glass facade facing the waterfront that lets in plenty of natural sunlight during daytime.

Triple Roast Platter

What to order: As with most traditional Chinese meals, it’s never a bad idea to go with a group of friends or family to share the dishes. In fact, the more the merrier. Also, it’s always awesome to be able to start off your meal with a signature dish, particularly one as perfectly tender and mouth-wateringly tasty as the triple roast platter, complete with crackling roast pork, char siew, and pork ribs, all sticky with sauce. Follow that up with an appetiser of crispy cod that is cooked “Bi Feng Tang” style, or opt for one of the Western-style salads like the crispy white bait salad. Make sure you don’t miss out on the selection of Cantonese soups, such as the king prawn dumping in supreme broth, and you won’t regret ordering the seafood spinach tofu either. A serving of the healthy but flavourful fried brown rice medley should fill up any extra stomach space you might have left, but remember to make room for whimsical desserts like the cepedak crème brûlée, the jasmine tea poached pear, or even the sticky date and longan pudding.

Singapore Chilli King Prawns

Asian Civilisations Museum, 1 Empress Place #01-03, Singapore 179555. Tel: 6238 8733

Big Lazy Chop

What it is: Just across the road from the Rochor Beancurd store next to Lasalle College of the Arts, lies this cosy haven where Singapore chef Oh Ah Lek works his magic. Tucked away inside Short Street, Big Lazy Chop does away with the typical huge round tables that one would expect at a Chinese restaurant, and is instead tastefully furnished to resemble a home dining room, with quirky art pieces from the owner’s collection. The name of this Asian bistro is inspired by days when one can simply kick back and laze while indulging in delectable food.

Big Lazy Chop - Wok Fried XL Crab - Indo Curry

What to expect: Apart from gearing up for the wonderful wok hei (the slightly charred taste signature to local fare that speaks to the chef’s skill in controlling the fire), be prepared to make some difficult decisions as to which of the sauces, which number almost 30, you should choose to douse your taste buds in. Ranging from the more traditional Chinese condiments, to utterly adventurous and avant-garde mixes, each sauce is painstakingly made completely from scratch in-house, and are undoubtedly the star attractions of Big Lazy Chop.

Big Lazy Chop - Saucy XL Spare Ribs - Salted Egg

What to order: Whet your appetite with the chilled pork belly, tender to a fault and served with a vinegar sauce that demonstrates Oh’s culinary experience in Fortuna Hotel Hanoi. Big lazy prawns covered in keropok crisps or the generous handmade fresh crab money bags will do well as appetisers, or you can jump right into the restaurant’s signature saucy XL spare ribs in butter champagne sauce, with each rib measuring 20cm long and served piping hot. It would also be a sin to leave without tasting the wok-fried XL crabs, which are especially satisfying in the Indo curry sauce. Also, do remember to leave space for the fried chestnuts bars for an exquisite sweet ending to the meal.

1A Short Street #01-04, Singapore 188210. Tel: 6238 8443

Kai Garden

What it is: The latest chapter in the culinary career of Hong Kong-born chef Fung Chi Keung, who has over 30 years of experience under his belt. He is the man responsible for much of the renown awarded to the prominent Paradise Group, having been its executive chef who saw the very beginning of Taste Paradise when it was first launched in 2005. With the opening of Kai Garden last December, his dream of establishing his own chain of Cantonese restaurants has only just begun.

O1201 Kai Garden_0149

What to expect: Unlike the luxurious contemporary aesthetic of empress and the modern cosiness of Big Lazy Chop, Kai Garden tends towards the traditional Chinese restaurant setting, especially calculated to evoke the space and lavishness of an emperor’s courtyard. Private rooms are also available upon request, with an especially large function room that seats up to 60, while four smaller rooms are able to accommodate four to 16. You can expect heritage Cantonese classics, as well as a few of Fung’s special interpretations, and even the occasional Western dish, such as the stir-fried angel hair pasta with seafood in black truffle sauce.

O1201 Kai Garden_0164

What to order: Patronising Kai Garden with a large, hungry group of friends is definitely recommended, as there are plenty of interesting things to try, and several menus to choose from. In terms of signatures, however, be sure not to miss out on dishes such as the Peking duck, complete with crispy skin and juicy meat, served with a choice of five different wraps and five different sauces; the Japanese matsutake wild mushroom clear broth, which is double-boiled in the traditional Cantonese way and served in a clay teapot; as well as the sweet and sour pork skewers served up on ice. There is also a list of dim sum available.

Marina Square, 6 Raffles Boulevard, #03-128A/128B, Singapore 039594. Tel: 6250 4826

This article was originally published in Men’s Folio Magazine May 2016