Nanjing Impressions (南京大牌档) @ Plaza Singapura - Transporting One Back To The Old Nanjing Dining Scene

Stepping into Nanjing Impressions at Plaza Singapura is like walking into a filming studio set in the olden days of China - Luminous lanterns hanging from the rafters, lacquered tables and wooden furnishings, servers in traditional Chinese costumes. Also known as the Heavenly Kitchen of China, Nanjing Impressions sets to preserve and expand the culinary heritage of Nanjing. Till date, it has about 40 outlets across China, with Singapore being their first outpost.

Honey Glazed Stuffed Lotus Root 4.5/5

I have really fond memories of Chinese fine dining which I have had the privilege to experience a few years ago during my business trips to China. One dish that really sticks was their sweet stuffed lotus root. You could have it as a cold dish or as a dessert. Their Honey-glazed Stuffed Lotus Root ($12.80 per portion) is one of the best I ever had. Stuffed with glutinous rice and slow-cooked in pear-honey syrup, it attains a stickier and chewier texture than any other I have tried. For those that is curious, it tastes like of our Nian Gao. It's no wonder that their version has been recognised with a Chinese Heritage Traditional Snacks award.

Sesame-scented Beancurd Julienne 4.5/5

Many may mistaken Sesame-scented Beancurd Julienne ($11.80 per portion) as a noodles dish, when the strips of 'noodles' are actually dried beancurd skilfully shredded by the chef, dressed with special sauce. It's amazing how I could pick the strands of beancurd up with my chopsticks.

Nanjing Chilled Vegetarian Delights 3.5/5

Another must try refreshing cold dish is their Nanjing Chilled Vegetarian Delights. Traditionally served during Chinese New Year for every Nanjinger, it consists of 10 assorted shredded vegetables, symbolising 十全十美. Crunchy texture, lightly salted and seasoned yet appetising.

Jinling Signature Salted Duck 4.2/5

Jinling Signature Salted Duck ($16.80/small; $32/medium; $62/big) is a dish that dates as far back as 1400 years ago during the Southern Dynasty which the ancients named Nanjing as Jinling. There were many recipes developed among the Nanjing Chefs who cooked ducks, of which the uniquely seasoned and brined duck has been nominated to be the best representation of the 'flavors of Six Dynasties'. Before the dish arrives on your table, it has undergone a 10-step process of seasoning, a spiced brine, hanging, drying and back seasoning in the brine pot. The best way to savour this delicacy is pairing it with the mellow sweetness of their brewed Chinese wines.

Summer Yellow Wine with Red Dates ($18.80 per 250ml pot) and Winter Rice Wine ($18.80 per 250ml pot). Perhaps, for the first time, you could drink like a ancient swordsman!

Celestial Roast Duck Dumplings 4/5

Take a break from Xiao Long Bao and switch to their Celestial Roast Duck Dumplings ($6.80/ 3pcs). They weren't gamey at all and were pretty juicy. Though we weren't served the vinegar and ginger, I believe you could ask for it.

Poached "Lion's Head" Meatball 4/5

Another popular Jinling Snack is the Poached “Lion’s Head” Meatball ($13.80 per portion). The soup is light with meaty sweetness. Diced by hand to distribute the fat and lean meat evenly, the giant meatball was then steamed for six hours. It was so tender that it fell apart easily and readily in my mouth. A delicate texture and flavour that I didn't expect from a Chinese meatball.

Baby Rooster Stew with Special Sauce 3.5/5

For mains, we tried Baby Rooster Stew with Special Sauce served with Crispy Sesame Bun ($23.80 per portion). It tastes similar to our local Chinese 3-cup chicken, a safe choice for first time diners.

Osmanthus-scented Steamed Sponge 4/5

Osmanthus-scented Steamed Sponge ($4.80/3pc) is a lady's favourite. It has a texture of nian gao, slightly sweeten and beautifully scented with osmanthus. I would love to have it with a pot of good Chinese Tea.

Madam Chiang's Nutritious Beauty Porridge 3.5/5

One thing I learn about authentic Chinese cuisine is that I cannot walk into a restaurant and expect the usual taste of our local Chinese food. One good example is their sweet stuffed lotus, another would be the Madam Chiang’s Nutritious Beauty Porridge ($6.80 per portion) which is sweet. Cooked with sweet soy milk, lily bulbs and Chinese yam, it was kind of disconcerting at first but it completed my meal as a dessert.

With Nanjing Impressions, I get to once again enjoy Chinese fine dining style and delicate cuisine at a pretty affordable prices, without having to travel all the way to China. Come here with an open mind and appreciate the dishes prepared with masterful knife works and culinary skills.

Written by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.



Nanjing Impressions (南京大牌档)
Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road
#04-46/51
Singapore 238839
Tel: +65 63527877
Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut (CC Line, NE Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Direction: 

1) Alight at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Tendon Ginza Itsuki @ Tanjong Pagar Road

Tendon Ginza Itsuki at Orchid Hotel, Tanjong Pagar is Ramen Keisuke's eighth and latest concept outlet in Singapore. The newest concept offers delightful one bowl soul food meals to the diners, served in a special porcelain bowls by Arita (a 400 year old porcelain brand from Japan).

The menu at Tendon Ginza Itsuki is very simple. There are only 2 items on the menu. Special Tendon  - Tempura on Rice ($13.90) and Vegetable Tendon - Vegetable Tempura on Rice ($12.90). Complimentary pickled cabbage are served at the table. Diners can help themselves to them. Tempura is all fried stuff, so these pickles are very thoughtful to help cut through the greasiness.

Steamed Egg 4/5

Besides the complimentary pickled cabbage, the Tendon also comes with Steamed Egg and Miso Soup. It basically is like having a set meal.

Vegetable Tendon 3.5/5

The Vegetable Tendon comes with tempura pumpkin, shiitake mushroom, lotus root, eggplant and 4 pieces of other vegetables. This is a delightful rice bowl with abundance of vegetables to fill up the stomach. The other highlight is the tendon sauce that is drizzled over the rice bowl, which lifted the flavour of the tempura and rice. The tendon sauce is also available at table side if you want to add more of it.

Special Tendon 4.2/5

My recommendation would to go for the Special Tendon that comes with 2 pieces of prawn, 2 pieces of chicken and 4 pieces of vegetables. There is even a half boiled egg hidden underneath the pile of tempura. I find that this is a more satisfying rice bowl with the prawn, chicken, egg and vegetables. Drizzled with the tendon sauce, this accentuated the flavour a notch.

I think Tendon Ginza Itsuki is really value for money with its hearty and comforting bowl of tempura on rice. It was also quite entertaining sitting at the bar counter watching the chefs preparing each tendon upon order. However be warn that you will leave the place smelling like tempura. Do spread yourself with some Febreze fabric refresher provided at the cashier counter before leaving the restaurant.


Tendon Ginza Itsuki
101 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088522
Tel: +65 62216678
Website
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 530pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards Orchid Hotel. Turn right at Tanjong Pagar Road. Walk down Tanjong Pagar Road towards the row of shop houses. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

SUFOOD (舒果) @ Raffles City Shopping Centre

Slightly more than a year into its opening, Sufood located at Raffles City Shopping Centre is looking into fine tuning their menu with new food items and beverages. Known for their Italian-inspired meatless dishes, I was quite eager to see what other interesting ways they can do with their range of mushrooms varietals. As I remember from my first tasting at Sufood, mushrooms is the key ingredient in their dishes, but in different forms to so as to mimic the characteristics of meat. The new dishes ranges from soup, main course, dessert and drinks that continue adhering to the restaurant principle – using basic cooking techniques and only the fresh ingredients to create healthy and innovative meat-free dishes.

Misto Mushroom Soup 4.2/5

We started off with Misto Mushroom Soup. I love it till the last drop. Usually, clear soups without a meat base may lacks flavour and body, but theirs somehow manages to have a depth to it. The lightness of it is more than welcome as it allows me to fully appreciate the taste of the different mushrooms.

Rainbow Baked Pasta 3.5/5

Rainbow Baked Pasta. Oven-baked in tomato-blended cream sauce, and with only a thin layer of mozerella cheese on top, this dish is notably light. Blending the cream sauce with the tomatoes not only helps to moderate its richness, but also gives the dish a nice orange tinge.

Zesty Oyster Mushroom Rice 3.8/5

Zesty Oyster Mushroom Rice. A Bibimbap lookalike dish that is all about texture. Oven roasting the rice compensates for the absence of the stone pot, drying the rice out and intensifying its flavour. Seasoned with olive oil and herbs, the rice is delicious on its own. Together with white radish, cabbage, corns and carrots, I’m sure you will enjoy the crunchy vegetables, as well as the juicy ‘fillet’, which is created from a piece of King Oyster mushroom. I feel it would have been better if there are more crunchy vegetables. I find the overall taste slightly too salty.

Lucky Clover Pizza 2.8/5

Lucky Clover Pizza. A lucky 6-leaf clover-shaped pizza filled with Lion’s Mane mushrooms, broccoli, pepper and scallions. If I were not in the known, I would have thought that the mushrooms were duck meat! A very simple cooking method to bring out the characteristic of this mushroom varietal. However, I find this dish a little carbo-overloaded.

White Ferula Pesto Pasta 3.8/5

Their White Ferula Pesto Pasta is an improvement from that of the old menu, which to me was kind of plain, though heavily coated with their pesto sauce. There is a better balance of texture and flavour for this new pasta dish. As basil pesto sauce may be too heavy on the palette for some diners, the chef pickled some purple cabbages with apple cider vinegar to accompany the pasta. I really like how the ingredients work together, complimenting each other with their respective taste and texture. As I was eating it, I made a mental note to adopt this trick back home.

Mango Frollino 4/5

Mango Frollino dessert is marvellous. It surpasses my expectations as my previous disappointing experience with their desserts. The puff pastry is light and airy, with a layer of very light custard. Diced mangoes are added in between, which lends its beautiful scent and sweetness to the delicate pastry.

There are 5 new juices to replace their cold beverages, in which we got to try 4. There's Pear and yucca roots, orange pineapple, watermelon tomato and Pineapple, choy sum with sour plum, which is my favourite among the four. It looks and feel detoxifying. The Pear and yucca roots juice is the one that I feel does not follow their principle of healthy eating - it was sweeten to make it more pleasing to palette, which I can’t agree on.

I find the ways they engineered the mushrooms into the different dishes rather intriguing, and perhaps you should experience it yourself. They will bring the new dishes to the tables from 1st November onwards, and has also confirmed the opening of their second outlet at Wheelock Place, Orchard Road in mid Dec 2015.

All photo credit to Sufood. 
Written By Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food.


SUFOOD (舒果) 
Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road
#02-19
Singapore 179103
Tel: +65 63335338
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sufood.singapore
Website: http://www.sufood.com.sg/
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 330pm , 530pm - 10pm

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

Joie by Dozo @ Orchard Central

Joie by Dozo located at Orchard Central is a concept by owner Mr Huang that has been brewing since 2011. The restaurant has finally opened its door in October 2014 offering fine dining vegetarian. Recently the restaurant has refreshed its new menu after gathering feedback from the customers.

Besides the ala carte menu, Joie also offers a 6 course lunch at $36.80 and 7 course dinner at $68.80. The different between lunch and dinner is one cold dish less.

Cranberry Sorbet 4/5

A complimentary and refreshing Cranberry Sorbet drink is served to kick start the gastronomic journey at Joie by Dozo.

Chef's Selection of Assorted Platter 3.5/5

The 7 course dinner started with a trio of the Chef's Selection of Assorted Platter. On the plate, there is the Cranberry Sphere, Carrot Sashimi, and Cracker with Wasabi Mayo Honey. I find the cranberry sphere tasted more like a dessert. However the carrot sashimi brought me to another culinary world with its flavour and texture that is almost like real salmon.

Gratinated Champignon with Mozzarella 4/5

The second course which is a side dish, comes with a choice of Gratinated Champigon with Mozzarella and Tempura Platter on Mash. The Gratinated Champignon with Mozzarella is an enjoyable and addictive rendition of the escargot substituted with the champignon mushroom.

Tempura Platter on Pumpkin Mash 4/5

Simply love the presentation of the Tempura Platter on Pumpkin Mash as black charcoal. The vegetable tempura consist of yam, banana, apple and eggplant. The thin batter gives the fruit and vegetable a nice crisp in texture but not overshadowing the taste of main ingredient.

Vegetable Sashimi on Ice with Quail Egg Shooter Glass

Moving on to the third course, there is a selection of Vegetable Sashimi on Ice with Quail Egg Shooter Glass, Tartare Platter au Naturel or Zucchini Tower. The impressive Vegetable Sashimi on Ice consists of Carrot, Coconut, Orange Pear, Rose Aloe Vera, Chinese Wild Yam and Quail Egg. I did not fancy the rose aloe vera and chinese wild yam but the carrot sashimi and coconut flesh are delicious and interesting substitution. Mentioned earlier, the carrot sashimi is very unique, I wonder how it manage to achieve such texture that is almost similar to salmon. The quail egg shot in my opinion is kind of out of place and did not complement the set up of the whole dish.

Tartare Platter au Naturel 3/5

The Tartare Platter au Naturel is a healthy resemble of the tartare using a mix of rice cracker, promgenate seeds, tomato salsa, avocado, corns and pine seeds held together by the parmesan cheese. Pour them all into the glass and give it a good mix to enjoy a whole party of different textures.

Zucchini Tower 3/5

The Zucchini Tower wrapped around a towering pastry stood tall but did not impress me. While the zucchini comes across as light and refreshing, I did not really know how to appreciate it further.

Infusion of Cepes and Truffle 4/5, Clear Tomato Broth with Garbanzo 3.5/5

Pumpkin Veloute 4/5, Snow Pear and Napa Cabbage Consumme 3/5

For the fourth course, diner has a choice of 4 different types of soup in the Infusion of Cepes and Truffle, Clear Tomato Broth with Garbanzo, Pumpkin Veloute or Snow Pear and Napa Cabbage Consumme. If you are inclined to more western style of soup, I would recommend going for the Infusion of Cepes or Pumpkin Veloute.

Grill Bai-Ling Steak on Pu Ye Hot Stone 4/5

For mains there are three choices in the Grill Bai-Ling Steak on Pu Ye Hot Stone, Duo Ravioli Platter and Wild Rice with Eggplant Terrine. Having dine in Dozo before, the Grill Bai-Ling Steak on Pu Ye Hot Stone is a vegetarian interpretation of Dozo's signature dish. Plump, juicy and sweet, this will be a delightful mains for any vegetarian.

Duo Ravioli Platter 3.8/5

The Duo Ravioli Platter with Truffle Foam comes with ravioli stuffed with either spinach or pumpkin. I preferred the spinach over the pumpkin. I felt the sweetness of the pumpkin tilted the balance of the whole dish.

Wild Rice with Eggplant Terrine 3.5/5

Dull in colour but not dull in taste, the Wild Rice with Eggplant Terrine is a hearty meal itself. The crunchy wild rice and the flavourful eggplant terrine will make it a fulfilling meal.

Red Wine Poached Pear 4/5, Warm Chocolate Cake 3.5/5, Coffee Creme Brulee 3.5/5

End the dinner experience with some sweet dessert in the Red Wine Poached Pear with Vanilla Ice Cream, Warm Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream or Coffee Creme Brulee. All are reasonable good but I probably recommend Red Wine Poached Pear with Vanilla Ice Cream, a little from the norm.

Mocktail of Love 4.2/5

Iced Fruit Refresher 4.2/5, Iced Rose Lemon Tea 4.2/5

Iced Mallow Apple Melody 4.2/5, Hot Roselle Rhythm 4.2/5

Wrapped up the 7 course dinner menu is a choice of hot and cold beverages. The Mocktail of Love is not only refreshing but also a good palate cleanser. If you are a tea drinker, a selection of Ice Fruity Refresher, Ice Rose Lemon Tea, Iced Mallow Apple Melody, Hot Roselle Rhythm and Hot Lavender Tea will arouse the senses for a smoothing end for the night.

Joie by Dozo
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#12-01
Singapore 238896
Tel: +65 68386966
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS LIne)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit C. Take lift to level 11. Follow the sign and take escalator to level 12. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Copper Chimney @ Syed Alwi Road (Little India)

Many of you may not be foreign to Copper Chimney which has been around for 10 years at Syed Alwi Road, Little India. The restaurant recently has gotten a fresh new interior and revamped its menu offering Chinese Indian and North Indian cuisine under the new leadership of CEO Vikram Natarajan, who took over the reins two and a half years ago.

Salt and Pepper Babycorn (Dry) 4.2/5

Dinner at Copper Chimney started with some light bites. The first dish, Salt and Pepper Babycorn, Dry ($9) already got me excited and looking forward to find out more about Chinese Indian or Chindian cuisine. The babycorn is lightly battered, fried to a crunchy bite. It is then stir fried in garlic, peppers, and soya sauce. The taste is very similar to XO sauce. This is an addictive dish.

Chilli Paneer (Dry) 4/5

When the Chilli Paneer, Dry ($10.50) was served, the first instant that came to our mind is chai tow kway. The cottage cheese cubes coated with the chilli sauce is another delectable bite which I can find a familiar taste to Chinese cooking.

Malai Chicken Tikka 4.2/5

Next we had the Malai Chicken Tikka ($12) which impressed us with the well marinated and tender inner fillet of the poultry. The owner shared with us the importance of the marination and the used of hung yogurt, garlic and ginger etc for the flavourful chicken.

Szechwan Fried Rice 3.5/5

Szechwan Noodles 3/5

The owner shared with us that he has grown up with Chindian cuisine and the popularity of it, usually in the form of street food vendors have spread to even metro cities like Mumbai. Copper Chimney probably is the only India restaurant in Singapore offering Chindian cuisine. We tried the Szechwan Fried Rice ($11) and Szechwan Noodles ($11) on the menu. Yes it is spelled as Szechwan not Szechuan. I definitely can taste the similarity of the dishes to Chinese cuisine. However compared to Chinese cuisine I think it is still lacking that wok hei aroma. The spicy level can also up a notch since the dishes are named after the state in China known for its hot and spicy dishes. Nevertheless, both are still hearty dishes, especially using basmati rice's long grain for fried rice.

Gobi Manchurian (Wet) 4/5

Gobi Manchurian, Wet ($9) is another Chindian dish that adopts the Chinese cooking technique and seasonings. The lightly battered cauliflower is fried to a crunchy bite. We went for the wet version as the Indians like to eat the rice with the gravy. There is also the dry version if you want to try.

Veg Jaipuri 4.2/5

I simply adore this rich and creamy Vegetable Jaipri ($10) with an array of vegetables. This vegetarian dish is so addictive that I kept going back for more.

Mutton Roqanjosh 4/5

Butter Chicken 4.5/5

The next two dishes, Mutton Roqanjosh ($12) and Butter Chicken ($11.50) are best to eat with some Rumali and Naan. The mutton is cooked to a nice beautiful fork tender while the spices infused gravy is just too good not to wipe them clean with the Rumali and Naan. The butter chicken was also outstanding. It was not overly sweet. The smooth and creamy gravy with the tender chicken has a perfect match made in heaven..

Lychee Kulfi 4.8/5

If you have the chance to visit Copper Chimney, I would recommend you to have the Lychee Kulfi ($7). The frozen dairy dessert infused with Lychee, tasted just like ice cream, is so refreshing. They have other flavours such as Pistachio and Rose too.

Sizzling Brownie & Ice Cream 3/5

The Sizzling Brownie and Ice Cream ($7.50) definitely caught a lot of attention when the chocolate syrup is poured over the brownie filling the whole restaurant with the beautiful chocolate aroma. The restaurant even got a few orders from the other guests after seeing what we had.

Overall I find the Northern Indian food at Copper Chimney is outstanding. The Chindian cuisine adds an interesting offering to the menu. I personally felt some of the Chindian dishes need bit more fine tuningto win the palate of the Chinese.

Copper Chimney

100 Syed Alwi Road

Singapore 207676

Tel: +65 62948891

Facebook

Website

Nearest MRT: Farrer Park (NE Line)

Opening Hours:

Sun-Thur: 1130am - 12midnight

Fri-Sat: 1130am - 1am

Direction: 

1) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit H. Walk to the traffic junction of Kitchener Road, Rangoon Road and Serangoon Road. Cross the road and walk down Serangoon Road towards Mustafa. Turn left onto Syed Alwi Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]