Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant @ Sheraton Towers Singapore - Convival Celebrations With A Line-Up Of Heart-warming Reunion Feasts

Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant at Sheraton Towers Singapore celebrates the Lunar New Year with a line-up of heart-warming reunion feasts from 19 January to 19 February 2019. Delectable festive takeaway treats are also available for a grand get-together in the comfort of home.

Australian Lobster, Salmon Roe and Hamachi Yusheng Loh Hei Platter

New this year at Li Bai is the Salmon Roe and Hamachi Yusheng Loh Hei Platter ($98/$178). The specially flown in hamachi and salmon roe from Japan is served atop a melange of quintessential ingredients like pomelo, yam, sweet potato, white radish, carrot and pickled ginger. Diners can choose to add on additional ingredients such as Australian lobster ($35 per 100g). It is available for both dine-in and takeaway. What stood out for me is the crispy red and white quinoa that added that extra textures to the Yu Sheng.

Braised Bird's Nest Soup in Mini Pumpkin

Comforting and yet nourishing is the Braised Bird's Nest Soup in Mini Pumpkin. Love how it is served in a mini pumpkin bowl.

Braised Abalone and Stuffed Beancurd Skin with Sea Cucumber, Dried Oyster and Black Moss

I have always enjoyed Pen Cai because of the one pot treasure that is braised with expensive and rare  ingredients. Hence I was really delighted when I was served the Braised Abalone and Stuffed Beancurd Skin with Sea Cucumber, Dried Oyster and Black Moss. It may not be the treasure pot that I was looking forward to but it has many of the delicious ingredients which I enjoyed, done excellently.

Pan-fried Kurobuta Roll served with Crispy Noodle and Matsutake Mushroom

A dish that got me slurping to the last drop is the Pan-fried Kurobuta Roll served with Crispy Noodle and Matsutake Mushroom. I enjoyed the crispiness of the noodle as it soaked up the savoury gravy. Noteworthy is the pan-fried kurobuta roll that is stuffed with crunchy yam.

Almond Cream with Hasma, Pan-fried Nian Gao with Cane Sugar, Water Chestnut Cake

Wrapping up the dinner, we have the Almond Cream with Hasma, Pan-fried Nian Gao with Cane Sugar, Water Chestnut Cake. The traditional Nian Gao with Red Dates and Lotus Seeds ($50) and Water Chestnut Cake with Osmanthus ($50) is away for takeaway.

For dining enquiries and reservations, please call (65) 6839 5621 or email thediningroom@sheratonsingapore.com

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant
Sheraton Towers Singapore
39 Scotts Road
Singapore 228230
Tel: +65 67376888
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Newton (DT Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 1130am - 230pm, 630pm - 1030pm
Sun: 1030am - 230pm, 630pm - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Newton MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Chui Huay Lim Teochew Restaurant @ Chui Huay Lim Club - Celebrates 7th Anniversary with Seven Exclusive Chef Recommendations

If not for the recent visit to Chui Huay Lim Teochew Restaurant, I do not even know the existence of the historical 170-year-old Chui Huay Lim Club at Keng Lee Road. If the club or road name sound foreign to you, they are to be too. I have to google map the location and realised it is near Newton Circle.

Before starting our dinner, we have a little introduction to the art of drinking tea. We started with washing the tea leaves and utensils, pouring the tea, holding the tea cup and appreciating the tea.

Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine Classic Platter 4/5

Our dinner started with the Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine Classic Platter ($58 for 6 pax / $98 for 10pax). The platter consists of Teochew Braised Duck, Deep Fried Ngoh Hiang, Deep Fried Traditional Liver Rolls and Teochew Pig Trotter Terrine.

Two items on the platter stood out for me. The deep fried liver rolls which is made with minced pig and chicken liver, yam and water chestnut wrapped in beancurd skin. It is crispy on the outside and substantial inside. Best to have together with the sweet sauce. The other is the pig trotter terrine which is hardly served on the dining table nowadays due to the meticulous preparation extracting the gelatin from the pig skin and freezing it.

Wok Fried Kway Teow with Diced Kai Lan and Preserved Radish 4/5

A dish that is packed with wok hei is the Wok Fried Kway Teow with Diced Kai Lan and Preserved Radish ($18/$27/$36). The addition of the diced kai lan and preserved radish provided the extra crunch to the finishing.

Suckling Pig 4.2/5

We are kind of surprise when the whole Suckling Pig weighting around 3.5kg to 4kg was brought into our dining room as it was originally not on our menu. The specific weight of the piglet was chosen for its thinner skin, to get that desired crispiness. No short cut is taken here, like pre-bathing the piglet to speedup the cooking. The whole piglet is roasted from raw.

Teochew Oyster Omelette Gooey Style 4.5/5

A specialty at Chui Huay Lim Teochew Restaurant has to be their Teochew Oyster Omelette Gooey Style ($22). The restaurant even has a delegated chef to just cook the dish. It will be freshly cook upon order which takes about 20 minutes of waiting time. What so good about the orh luak here is the consistency, where each mouthful gets you the gooey and crispy texture. This is best paired with the slightly sourish chilli sauce.

In celebration of its 7th anniversary. the restaurant has created a limited edition menu that features 7 a la carte dishes between 3 September to 30 November 2018. These delicacies include time-honoured dishes as well as unique takes on popular favourites. Among the 7 dishes specially created for the 7th anniversary, we tried the Homemade Fish Balls and Fish Cake Braised with Tianjin Cabbage in Superior Broth ($22/$33/$44) and Crispy Fried Pork Belly and Water Chestnut Rolls Tossed in Sweet & Sour Sauce ($18/$27/$36).

Homemade Fish Balls and Fish Cake Braised with Tianjin Cabbage in Superior Broth 4.2/5

Simmer for hours in chicken and pork bones is the Homemade Fish Balls and Fish Cake Braised with Tianjin Cabbage in Superior Broth. The bouncy fish balls and fish cake are made from yellow eel, which is prized for their sweet flesh. The tianjin cabbage was also cooked to a delectable softness that emits a comforting sweetness to the superior broth. What lights up my taste buds is actually the hint of sourness amidst the sweetness from the salted vegetable.

Crispy Fried Pork Belly and Water Chestnut Rolls Tossed in Sweet & Sour Sauce 4/5

The Crispy Fried Pork Belly and Water Chestnut Rolls Tossed in Sweet & Sour Sauce is a heritage dish that has marinated pork belly and crunchy water chestnut wrapped with pig's caul fat. A traditional way of preparing it. It is steamed, deep fried and then glazed in a sweet and sour sauce. It is similar to sweet and sour pork but the roll itself is more meaty, almost like a ngoh hiang. You tiao is also added for that extra layer of texture.

Teochew Tau Suan 4.5/5, Yam Paste with Pumpkin 4.5/5

I would definitely recommend you to save some space for dessert. The Teochew Tau Suan with Gingko Nuts ($5.20) here are really special. The restaurant added orange peel in the dessert, which elevates the traditional dessert for a unique enjoyment. As for the Yam Paste with Pumpkin and Gingko Nuts ($5.20) the distinct fragrant from the pork lard brought a smile to my face. I have eaten too many yam pastes that do not use pork lard anymore which I thought it lacked that final punch to win my palate over.


Chui Huay Lim Teochew Restaurant
Chui Huay Lim Club
190 Keng Lee Road
#01-02
Singapore 308409
Tel: +65 67323637
Website
Nearest MRT: Newton (DT Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm
Fri-Sun, PH: 1130am - 3pm, 530pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Newton MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Newton MRT station (Stop ID 40181). Take bus number 5, 54, 143, 162 or 167. Alight at next stop. Cross the road. Take the path between Newton 18 and Newton Life Church to Keng Lee Road. Turn left on Keng Lee Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Newton MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Newton Circle and make your way to Keng Lee Road. Walk to destination. Journey time around 15 minutes. [Map]

Daily Affairs @ Cairnhill Community Club – Hidden Gem With Quality Food Within Cairnhill CC

Nestled inconspicuously within the basement level of Cairnhill Community Club is Daily Affairs, a cosy dining space serving up a variety of Asian-Western fusion cuisine. Established since May 2017 by two home grown chefs Qihao and Jiahong, it is fuelled by their passion in infusing unique elements into dishes and curating new fusion foods, which never fails to surprise customers, and increasingly draw crowds in with their ever-changing menu prolific of creative offerings at affordable prices. The Chefs also make personal trips down to the market to source for the freshest ingredients daily, hence the availability of most dishes each day is largely dependent on the ingredients they are able to buy fresh on that day.

Daily Affairs rolls out an extensive menu of dishes ranging from all-time favourites such as the Atlantic Salmon glazed with Honey Miso Marinade, Trio Mushroom Creamy Pasta, kids favourites of the familiar fish and chips, and mac and cheese, to the unique ones such as the 12-Hour Braised Beef Short Rib with Chinese Hua Diao wine. They also offer daily lunch specials at only $9.90 for a set comprising of a main, soup and drink, with a different surprise for customers each day.

12 Hour Braised Beef Short Rib 4.2/5

The 12 Hour Braised Beef Short Rib ($18) consists of a beef short rib slow cooked for 12 hours in aged Hua Diao wine, rendering the meat texture to resemble that of a braised pork belly – soft, tender, and melts in the mouth with each bite. It also boasts a sweet and savoury combination of flavours due to the sweet wine used in its cooking, as well as the addition of caramelised onions atop. Essentially a western dish of beef short rib, yet executed perfectly with an infusion of the Asian element. The side of potato pancake boasts a fried crisp exterior and soft potato fillings to create a different mouth feel to the tender beef meat, creating a dish that not only features unique combination of flavours but also a medley of textures to continuously excite tastebuds from the first bite to the last.

Atlantic Pink Salmon 3.8/5

The main courses on the menu such as this Atlantic Pink Salmon ($15.50) comes with a side of a vegetable and a starch (choice of steamed calrose rice, sea salt fries and mashed potatoes). The cereals usually incorporated in the more known “creal-crusted prawn” dish was used here on the honey miso glazed salmon, soft and tender meat with a thin crisp salmon skin. Yet another well executed fusion dish with the addition of cereal and a kick of spice from the chilli padi embedded within.

Smoked Duck with Soba 4/5

The Smoked Duck with Soba ($12.50) comes with generous slices of tender smoked duck meat on a bed of buckwheat soba and salad, with wakame and wafu dressing. The smoked duck slices add a mild saltiness to enhance the flavours of the soba and salad, with a small portion of duck fats still attached on each slice, playing out a perfect ratio balance of meat and fats. For the health-conscious, you can opt to have the duck fats removed instead.

Mushroom Cappuccino 4/5

The Mushroom Cappuccino ($6) features a bowl of trio mushroom soup with truffle oil and garlic. It also comes with an extremely crispy and addictive breadstick, which was slathered with butter and toasted to a crisp texture. Dip that into the mushroom soup, and it is simply pure enjoyment.

The menu at Daily Affairs undergoes constant changes and fine-tunings to bring new flavours and fusion dishes every day to surprise its customers. Barely half a year into operations and it is already drawing families and office crowds with its quality fusion fare and affordable prices despite its slightly obscure location.

Words and photos by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Daily Affairs
Cairnhill Community Centre
1 Anthony Road
#01-02
Singapore 229944
Tel: +65 62624342
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Newton (DT Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 11am - 10pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Newton MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk towards the carpark. Cut through the carpark to Anthony Road. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]