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For those who work in the CBD area, you would agree that there is no lack of dining spots, be it local fare at Golden Shoe Food Centre and Lau Pa Sat, cafes around the Telok Ayer area and higher end restaurants for the important business luncheons.  

The newly opened Crystal Jade Prestige falls within the last category. Located conveniently at Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC), it would be a perfect hotspot to bring clients or even business associates for lunch. With a range of food options on the menu, dim sum (offered during lunch time) and ala carte, expect to impress your dining companions.

Roasted baby suckling pig rolled with black truffle pearl rice | S$20++/pc

Definitely one of the highlights on the menu, this was a winner in all aspects, texture, flavour and fragrance. Wrapped by the crackling skin sliced off baby suckling pig, the roulade comprised plump grains of Japanese short-grain pearl rice infused with aromatic truffle and abalone sauce. Expect a lovely crackle at the back of your mouth with each bite only to be complemented by the granular texture of the fragrant rice. 

Available in individual portions or S$168++ for half suckling pig and S$328++ for whole.

Verdict: 8.5/10

Deep-fried scallop with salted egg yolk | S$20/++

As with any Chinese cuisine, soup is an absolute must. A light and clear broth, just good to warm the stomach! Served in a young coconut, expected a lovely aroma with each mouthful!

Verdict: 7.0/10

Tea-smoked roasted duck | S$78/++

Everyone would be familiar with the usual Peking duck but tea-smoked roasted duck is something relatively new, at least to us! With a preparation and cooking process that takes almost 30 hours, the bird was definitely in good hands before being served to the table. Starting from marination (tea leaves and spices) which imparts all the flavours to the duck, it then goes through the roasting process before the final process of smoking for 45 minutes.

The handmade crepe had greater elasticity compared to those off-the-shelf that you get at supermarkets or even some restaurants. What really differentiated this from the usual Peking duck is the bout of intense flavours with each mouthful. You can really taste the difference with the distinct smokiness. Handled delicately by the chef, the duck was portioned to three plates - skin, thigh and breast meat. The crisp skin was meant to be dipped with refined white sugar and would dissolve instantaneously, almost, in your mouth. The high meat or the breast meat (depending on your preference for a fattier or leaner cut) would go well wrapped in the crepe.

Verdict: 8.0/10

Pan-fried beancurd with black truffle sauce | S$8.80/++

Not the most photogenic but it won me over in terms of flavours. Bold and distinct, the earthy flavour stood out delightfully though I would have preferred a slightly stronger truffle fragrance and taste. The dyed tofu on the inside was the result of introducing squid ink to the dish. What nailed it for me was the juxtaposition in terms of textures as the delicate tofu complemented the crisp texture on the surface.

Verdict: 8.0/10

Pan-fried minced fish noodle with scallop | S$12/++

We hereby wish everyone good luck, good health and great success in the coming new year! :)

With my other half coming from the land of dim sum, it is almost in my DNA now to have a preference for Hong Kong cuisine. While Wah Lok and Man Fu Yuan remain as our favourite dim sum spots in Singapore, we are consistently on the prowl for other value for money places and quality dim sum restaurants. 

Hwa Nam Restaurant is not new to most Singaporeans, especially those who reside in the Sin Ming area as it was around since I was a kid. Expect long queues when you visit during the peak lunch and dinner times and this visit was no exception. It was somewhat hard to say we enjoyed the buzz of the crowd given that we were literally melting under the hot sun but the ambience is certainly one to bask in - Cantonese being shouted across the hallway between the uncles and the aged signboards!

Siew Mai or pork dumpling is one of the must-tries at any dim sum restaurant as it is one of the classic dishes. The juicy dumpling was packed to a thoughtful bite-sized portion which one could not help but just pop it into his mouth without a second thought. The seasoning was right and flavours spot-on, a good start already!

The har gau or prawn dumpling was delicately wrapped in a translucent wrapping and while efforts were paid to handle the dumplings carefully, the seasoning lacked depth and the dish tasted rather flat in flavours. A somewhat pedestrian version to our hopes of being a star dish.

Moving from bite-sized to a gigantic dumpling, the daily special during our visit was this seafood dumpling which packed both minced meat and prawns. Apart from being an oversized dumpling, there was nothing too spectacular about it.

As we carefully pry open the soft and fluffy char siew bau, we beamed with joy as the fragrant minced barbecued pork was oozing with flavours and oomph. Definitely a must-try and I could not help but reach for a second serving!

The glutinous rice filled with chicken was somewhat disappointing as flavours were pedestrian though the sticky rice was cooked just right.

For egg tart aficionado such as tmcy, this was a worthy-try and while we generally prefer the pastry base, this was a decent rendition with a rich egg filling.

The steamed sponge cake or ma lai gao was a clear winner among the dishes as it was so fluffy and soft that almost melted in our mouths. A delicate pull would pry open the soft cake and release a lovely fragrance set to whet your appetite!

With a couple of other dishes such as carrot cake, the bill came to about S$31.50 for the three of us. While it was not the best dim sum hideout with most of the dishes tasting pedestrian at best, the old school ambience is surely one to reminisce. It also felt as if we were catapulted to the 80s in Hong Kong and what is worthy of mention was that despite the busy crowd, the service was in fact decent and we were not pressed to relieve of our seats.

Overall verdict: 6.5/10

Hwa Nam Restaurant

244 Upper Thomson Road

Singapore 574369

Tel: (65) 6453 3645

Din Tai Fung's classic Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng has various textures of ingredients including Norwegian smoked salmon, sweet Tian Jin roasted chestnuts, fresh jellyfish, crispy yam, pomelo pulp, white radish and drizzled with its homemade sweet and tangy plum sauce. Customers can also top up ingredients such as Australian abalone (S$13.90 per serving), fried salmon skin (S$4.80), sliced smoked salmon (S$9.80), crispy yam strips (S$3.80) and pine nuts (S$2.80) for extra costs. What I enjoyed about this yusheng was the orangey hue Norwegian smoked salmon and fried salmon skin which distinguished itself from others. Let's just get as many lo heis as possible to boost your luck and prosperity in the Year of the Goat! HUAT ah!

*Available from now to 5 March 2015 (for dine-in and takeaway) at all outlets.

Peanut & Black Sesame Glutionous Rice Balls 双喜汤圆 | S$6.30

Most of the frequent diners of DTF should know that they seldom change their mainstay menu apart from seasonal specials, but here are their new indulging treats to welcome the new year.

Coral Seaweed Barley Drink 海燕窝薏米水 | S$3.80 (left) | Iced Sour Plum with Kumquat Juice 桔子酸梅冰| S$4.30 (right)

Both beverages were refreshing but I especially liked the barley drink as it wasn't the standard one we usually get. Instead, the coral seaweed jelly had an added layer of crunch and sweetness to it. The iced juice next to it was a bit sweet and sour which carried a citrusy aftertaste.

*Exclusively available at Paragon and BreadTalk IHQ outlets, from now to 31 March 2015.

Steamed Truffle Xiao Long Bao 松露小笼包 | S$4.50/pc | S$22.50/5pcs | S$45/10pcs

An award-winning steamed dumplings laden with fine truffles and fresh pork wrapped in 18 exquisite folds. I liked the rich broth and luscious ingredients, however I was expecting more robust flavours of truffles.

*Available at all Din Tai Fung restaurants now.

Pan-fried Shrimp & Pork Gyoza 虾仁煎饺 | S$8

These pan-fried gyozas featured tender and juicy fillings wrapped in a golden crispy skin, perfect to consume with its black vinegar dipping sauce.

*Exclusively available at Paragon, Resort World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands outlets.

Taiwan Shrimp & Pork Oriental Wantons with Spicy Sauce 川味抄手

Quite an appetising wanton considering its robust vinegarish and spicy sauce, do take note that it might come too powerful in terms of the level of sourness and spiciness.

And here are some of the delicacies that I haven't tried before!

Slide Duck in Crispy Spring Onion Pastry 葱香鸭卷 | Red Dates with Glutinous Rice 红枣圆 | Oriental Salad in Vinegar Dressing 小菜

It was my first time trying their red dates appetiser, this was a good rendition though wasn't the best I've tried as the glutinous rice was a tad firm and on the sweet side.

Shredded of smoked duck and spring onions were wrapped in a crispy spring roll skin, simple yet delicious!

Stir-fried Dou Miao with Shrimps 虾仁痘苗