Chinois by SuSur Lee, Hotel Michael, RWS

 

A restaurant by a celebrity Chef, SuSur Lee, Chinois is the Chef's first restaurant outside North America. The restaurant had been awarded with a number of accolades and we had expectations on the restaurant.

 

We had a private room, but the room was very small and cramped and could barely fit ten people.  



The mid-range Triumph Menu features a six-course meal at $100 per person.

 

Service was incredibly slow, and the restaurant seemed understaffed. We had to wait for about half an hour before the first course arrived. The chef sent a complementary appetizer dish of cucumbers with sambal chili for the long wait.

 

Cucumbers with Chili

The dish was simple but hit the right notes. Then again, everything would have tasted like paradise for the famished souls.



Char-grilled Japanese Pork Tenderloin with homemade Pita bread in Sesame Peanut Sauce

We were all rather impressed when the first dish, the Char-grilled Japanese Pork Tenderloin with homemade Pita bread in Sesame Peanut Sauce, arrived at the table. The presentation was interesting and visually wonderful. The pita bread was sesame black and a fatty piece of Japanese Pork Tenderloin was placed at the centre with a colourful array of condiments. After the oohs and aahs, we rolled the wrap and consumed it like a roll.

The char-grilled pork tenderloin was a fatty slab of juicey meat decorated with an assortment of colourful condiments. I thought the composition was lovely, however the pita bread was too thick and cold and I felt like I was chewing rubber. The dish would have been a hit if the wrap had been further refined.




Double-boiled Abalone and Superior Shark's Fin with Conpoy Soup

Double-boiled Abalone and Superior Shark's Fin with Conpoy Soup was decent, but I am not advocate of Shark's Fin so we'd leave it as that.



Baked Marinated Cod in Homemade Spicy Sauce

The Baked Marinated Cod in Homemade Spicy Sauce was heavily seasoned and complemented the deep fried aubergine stack that it was resting on. My only grouse was that the portions were too small.



Sauteed Tiger Prawn with Egg White and Dark Vinegar reduction

We were disappointed when the dish arrived. The Sauteed Tiger Prawn with Egg White and Dark Vinegar reduction was as average as it looks. There was nothing outstanding or interesting about the dish, and it elements of the dish were clumsily put together to create the dish.

 



Crabmeat Fried Rice with Silver Fish X.O. sauce and Crispy rice

The Crabmeat Fried Rice with Silver Fish X.O. sauce and Crispy rice was excellent. We loved how the crispy rice added an extra crunch to the grainy beads of rice.



Chinois Delight

The Chinois Delight comprises of Chilled cream of Mango Sago with Pomelo, Chilled Mango Custard with Lime Caramel, Fresh Mango Sorbet. We were very put off with the below average trio of desserts. It was evident that not much thought was put into the dish and I could not finish the dish, despite being a huge dessert lover.

The menus were sloppily planned with little finesse and poor execution. Service was slow and we had to chase the staff for each course. If you are looking for top-grade food by well-known chefs, you'd be better some place else.


Chinois by SuSur Lee
26 Sentosa Gateway
Hotel Michael, Resorts World Sentosa
#02-142/143
Singapore

E.clat Gourmet Canteen, Mohamed Sultan Road

 

Located at a most obscure location along Mohamed Sultan Road (diagonally across M studio Hotel), E.clat Gourmet Canteen will be easily missed if you are not too familiar with the area.

 

A newly opened restaurant that caters mostly to working adults around the proximity, I was surprised to find the place empty when we arrived on a Saturday, and I was to find out why.



Interior of E.clat Gourmet Canteen

 The cafe was spacious and adorned with very functional and comfortable purple chairs with brown sturdy tables. Sadly to say, this is as good as how the restaurant can get.



Counter

We were greeted by the owner himself, only to find out that they have no ingredients for almost all the items on the menu, which was surprising even that it is the weekend after all. We tried to ask what was not available but he couldn't give us a definite answer and told us to proceed with our orders.

Unfortunately, he got our orders all wrong and by the time we turned away the dishes that we did not order, we were informed that the ones we ordered were not available. It baffles me because I was wondering why they could not tell us up front what was not available. I would think that it is the least the restaurant could do, given that they ran out of almost everything. Having that said, we had to cancel one of our orders and make amendments to the rest.




The Eggs Benedict
$10.90

 

The Eggs Benedict was served with with two poached eggs, honey baked ham, citrus hollandaise on foccacia and accompanied with fresh green. We were disappointed with the way the eggs turned out. They were only half cooked and the egg white was extremely watering and the eggs were dripping with water. Coupled with the watery hollandaise sauce, it felt like the dish was soaked in water before it was served to us. While the foccacia bread was decent, we would have preferred it with a muffin or crumpet base. The eggs were awkwardly presented on the large crude foccacia bread. To be honest, this has got to be the worst Eggs Benedict that we've ever had.



Smoked Salmon with Scrambled eggs

 The Smoked salmon with scrambled eggs was another letdown with its water-drenched bland eggs and stale smoked salmon that had a strong chemical smell.



W.O.W Chicken wings in Lime Spicy sauce
3 wings for $4.50
5 wings for $6.90

The W.O.W chicken wings come in a number of flavours, such as Teriyaki, Nonya dressing, Cajun, Lime Spicy sauce, Mint & Yoghurt etc. We opted for the Lime Spicy sauce (after being told that the Mint & Yoghurt ran out). This has got to be the best dish of the day, the golden crisp wings were well marinated with the mouth watering spicy lime sauce.

Our suspicion is that the chef might not be well versed in Western breakfast dishes. Perhaps we ordered the wrong dishes, but we'd never know because I don't think we will be back. We understand from the owner that he had gotten some bloggers to write about this place, but I think you need more than just mere publicity to sustain- you got to have the substance too.


E.clat Gourmet Canteen
63 Mohamed Sultan Road #03-14 Singapore 239002
Tel: +65 66047998

Lu Gang Xiao Zhen, Ion Orchard

An outlet by the familiar Asian Kitchen, we decided to give the place a go since it was considerably more crowded than the other restaurants on level B3 in the early evening.

 



 Taiwan Granny Meesua
$8.90

A specialty on the menu, the Taiwan Granny Meesua failed to meet expectations as the broth was salty yet it was not rich nor robust in flavours. I'd say, give this a miss.



Scallop Chicken soup
$9.80

I was once again disappointed when the Scallop Chicken soup arrived at our table. I had expected more ingredients and was dismayed at the small piece of chicken soaked in clear bland broth. The dish was supposed to be pressurecooked, sealing all the flavours of the ingredients, but the soup was awfully diluted.



Broccoli with Mushrooms
$9.20

The stir fried Broccoli with Mushrooms was decent, nothing spectacular.



Cereal Fried Rice
$9.90

The best dish of the night was the Cereal Fried Rice. The grainy rice was fragrant and the cereal added a delightful crunch to the dish.

Perhaps we ordered all the wrong dishes, but I still like the Asian Kitchen La Mian Xiao Long Bao best.

Lu Gang Xiao Zhen
2 Orchard Turn, #B3-22 ION Orchard, Singapore

Tel: +65 6509 1128

Lei Garden Restaurant, Chijmes

We were scouting for value for money set lunches on a weekday when we took the day off, and we finally settled for Lei Garden Resturant at Chijmes for the sole purposes of its solid air conditioning and grand interior compared to its outdoor fan-based counterparts.

Spacious interior that makes a good relaxing place to go for lunch



Table set up



Cucumber with Mince Garlic and Vinegar

The first starter that came up was the Cucumber with Mince Garlic and Vinegar. I would have liked it to be a little more sour or spicy as an appetiser, the dish was passable.


Crispy Silver Fish

The Crispy Silver Fish was hardly impressive as it was rather bland as a fried dish, and the taste of oil stood out starkly as the batter to fish ratio was disproportionate, tipping more towards the former.


Classic Boiled Daily Soup

The Classic Boiled Daily Soup was the Lotus with Pork Ribs soup. We were surprised to find generous chunks of pork ribs and slices of lotus in the soup. The broth was rich and very flavoursome, definitely a thumbs up for this one.


Steamed Live Bamboo Clam with XO Chilli Sauce

The Steamed Live Bamboo Clam with XO Chilli Sauce was another winner as the XO chili sauce complemented the bamboo clam succinctly.


Panfried Cod Fish with White Sauce

The panfried Cod fish was coated with a layer of batter and then panfried and drizzled with white sauce. The fish was crisp on the outside and its flesh was fresh and moist on the inside. I thought the dish was pretty well executed.



Panfried Kurobuta pork in special sauce, served with seasonal vegetable

The Panfried Kurobuta pork was splendid with its full-flavoured special sauce and the meat was moist and tender.


Seasonal Vegetables

The dish was served with seasonal vegetables that complemented the Kurobuta pork with its light preparation methods. The vegetables were blanched and aid to cleanse the palatte after the heavy pork dish.



Mini Minced Pork Dumpling in Hot and Spicy Sauce

The Mini Minced Pork Dumpling in Hot and Spicy Sauce was served with the sauce separate. I would have liked the sauce to be more spicy, but I found the dumplings very well made. The skin was smooth with tasty pork fillings, and I finished them despite almost bursting from a very full stomach.


                                                              Double Boiled Dry Apricot and Sea Coconut

After a heavy meal, we were delighted to finish our meal with the Double Boiled Dry Apricot and Sea Coconut. A light yet satisfying dessert, the sweetness of the soup was derived from boiling the apricots and it was wonderfully refreshing.

I'd say, a good place to bring your family or business counterparts for meals.

Lei Garden Restaurant
Address: 30 Victoria Street, #01-24 Chijmes, Singapore

Tel: +65 6339 3822

Royal China, Raffles Hotel

Royal China has two seatings for lunch, 11.30am and 1.30pm. We were surprised to find the place still closed when we arrived at around 11.25am. Apparently, the restaurant opens at 11.30am sharp, so don't bother going too early if you have made reservations for the first seating.



Steamed Glutinous Rice wrapped in Lotus leaf
$5.50

The steamed glutinous rice was soft, moist and flavorful. It was gone before I could have a second look at it.




Steamed Bun with Salted Egg Yolk and Fresh Mango Juice
$4.80

The delicate buns explode with a burst of salty-sweet medley once you break open it's soft exterior, and it can get messy if you are not careful. This dish is a must have!



Pan-fried Beancurd Skin Roll stuffed with Minced Prawn
$5.60

Crisp beancurd skin with minced prawn that went well with the sauce at the side.



Deep-fried Mango Roll with Seaweed
$5.40

The deep-fried mango rolls were not spectacular and would probably resemble your typical fried spring rolls if not for the dollop of mango inside.


Barbecued Pork Cheung Fun
Royal China Special Cheung Fun
$5.60

The Cheung Fun at Royal China was stellar with its silky smooth rice sheets layered with savories like barbecued pork, scallops and prawns. Go for the Royal China Special Cheung Fun that gives you a mixture of ingredients. This dish was the first to be wiped out at the table.



Steamed Dumpling with Vegetable and Wild Mushroom
$5.40

I liked the unique texture of this dish, I thought the chestnut-like bits added a very good crunch to the wholesome dumplings.



Deep-fried Yam Puff with Scallop in Portuguese Sauce
$5.60

The deep-fried yam puffs proved to be interesting with its unique portuguese sauce. Definitely a must order if you love yam.


Steamed Minced Pork Dumpling with Wolfberry
$5.60

I liked their rendition of siew mai with hearty pieces of pork and shrimp and topped with a sweet wolfberry.


Steamed Prawn Dumpling
$5.60

Steamed prawn dumplings were decent, nothing too outstanding.



Sliced Fish and Conpoy Congee
$7.80

Nothing beats having a bowl of comfort food to go with your dim sum.

The desserts were mediocre and not memorable. Not worth the price if you ask me.



Chinese Herbal Jelly with Pearl Powder
$8



Chilled Japanese Pumpkin Puree with Black Glutinous Rice in Coconut Ice Cream
$9

Royal China is a good place for dim sum, but skip the desserts.

Royal China
1 Beach Road, #03-09 Raffles Hotel, Singapore
Tel: +65 6338 3363

Yet Con Hainanese Chicken Rice, Purvis Street

We sought refuge in the air conditioned place at Yet Con Hainanese Chicken Rice Restaurant in the sweltering noon heat. Stepping into the old and no frills restaurant reminded me of classic Hong Kong eateries and for a moment it felt like I was out of Singapore. The place was bustling with people during the lunch hour.

The Menu

'Homemade' Barley
$1.50

The  'Homemade' Barley was definitely not 'homemade' with its distinct artificial syrup flavoring that bore a strong resemblence to Yeo's barley drink. I was disappointed at the lack of barley pearls in the drink.

Half a Chicken
$13

 The chicken at Yet Con Restaurant is served as it is, without additional oil or sauce. I thought the chicken was succulent and tasty and loved the fact that it was not overly greasy.

Chicken Rice
$0.60

The chicken rice was very fragrant. We thought the chili sauce could be improved though, perhaps a little lime and some garlic could do the trick.

Fish Maw with Chinese Cabbage and Assorted Meat
$20

The Fish Maw dish was a little on the pricey side but it was well worth it. The dish was well seasoned and bore chunks of seafood, meat and vegetables. The sauce was really good and I particularly enjoyed the fish maw. 

Hainanese Pork Chop
$10

This has got to be the highlight of the day. The pork chop was excellent and everyone at the table loved it. The breaded pork was crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, it went very well with the light tomato based sauce.

We were most intrigued by how our receipt was composed of almost nothing, save for two random numbers that had seemingly no correlation to the final amount on the bill.


Yet Con Hainanese Chicken Rice Restaurant
25 Purvis Street
Tel: +65 6337 6819