Imperial Treasure Teochew Kitchen, Suntec City, Singapore
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Date: 28 Feb 2006
Venue: Imperial Treasure Teochew Kitchen, Suntec City
Menu: Beef w Kailan ($14), Sliced Goose ($10), Fried Cabbage w Ham ($9.5), Duck with Mashed Yam ($9), Baby Oyster Congee ($5), Mashed Sweet Potato Puff with Nuts ($4), Teochew Crystal Dumplings ($3)
The Experience:
By now, foodies out there would know that Imperial Treasure was set up by Alfred Leung, a former director of Crystal Jade Restaurants and it sure is BETTER! Call me biased by hey, this time round, I had 3 other friends to verify my findings.
Imperial Treasure at Suntec is slightly different from its Takashimaya counterpart where the latter offers finer dining with a more Cantonese approach. If you're there (Takashimaya), be sure to taste their
a) Soup of the Day
b) Braised Winter Melon with Prawn Paste [I still remember it till today]
c) To-die-for Roast Duck [A must-have. Best in town so far!]
d) An excellently executed Braised Lobster Noodles [about $150/kg the last I had on Nov 2005]
e) Wonderfully fragrant Yam Puffs AND
f) An uncomparable Almond Cream [Another classic! See the Shang Palace Review]
Anyway, BACK to the Suntec Branch. Casual meals, Teochew style.
The beef with kailan was a special order as it wasn't on the menu. The beef was extremely tender and one could see that the flame was well controlled with the beef turning up slightly rare. Yummilicious especially when contrasted against the crunchiness of the kailan.
The sliced goose didn't wow. However, the goose was moist and trust me, I've tasted worse. I loved the smootheness of the accompanying tofu but I did feel that the sauce was a tad salty. Lorraine did comment that the chilli-vinegar sauce that came with it was a little garlicky.
The white cabbage with ham was worthy of mention because of the excellent cooking technique. Instead of stir-frying over high heat and a lot of oil to achieve a crunchy texture, the chefs here choose to use a rich stock to braise the cabbage, enveloping it in a smooth and luscious sauce, subtly perfumed with the salted ham. Only David didn't like it since he never enjoyed cabbage. For me, it was it. A simple dish, well executed through technique. Marvellous.
Lastly, the mashed duck with yam. A dish difficult to find elsewhere, it was the second time I've having this and I ain't sick of it yet. Imperial Treasure has a way of choosing the right yam and treating it right. The contrasting textures of crunch from the duck and smoothness of the yam, matched perfectly with the tangy tangerine dipping sauce.
Finally, desserts. One was great, the other wasn't. The sweet potato puff was so-so. It lacked oomph, as agreed by Jolene, and the filling was not fantastic. However, I loved the crystal dumpling for its texture contrast between the red bean paste and the crystal skin. One smooth, the other chewy and stretchy. The sweetness was just right. A fitting end to the dinner.
Total bill for 4: $72
Lorraine made an appointment to return on the Saturday after this meal. I'm definitely a convert from the Crystal Jade Group. Need we say more?
benjamintanjm at 9:07 AM |
