Dim Dim - The Hong Kong Pantry @ Marina Square (Marina Link)

Will Singapore slowly develop into having its own dim sum culture similar to Hong Kong? I am not surprise if one day we do from what I have observed. Dim Sum has become very popular in Singapore with many Chinese restaurants starting to offer the bite size delights. There are also a emerging trend of all day dim sum restaurants such as Swee Choon, Wen Dao Shi and the popular Tim Ho Wan which has a Michelin Star in Hong Kong. The above are usually very crowded and if you one of those that thinks it is not worth it to queue for so long for their dim sum then you may like to check out Dim Dim - The Hong Kong Pantry located at Marina Square (Marina Link).

Prawn Dumpling 4.2/5

The Prawn Dumpling or Har Gow ($4.20) was wrapped in a handmade translucent thin skin with fresh juicy plump shrimps. I also tasted something crunchy in the filling. If I am not wrong they have added water chestnut in it.

Steamed Custard Bun 3.5/5

Steamed Custard Bun 3.5/5

The Steamed Custard Bun or Liu Sha Bao ($4.20) was pretty decent but I think there is room for improvement such as fine tuning the doughy texture and probably a little more of the runny custard filling to have that explosive impact.

Cuttlefish and Peanut Congee 3.5/5

The Cuttlefish and Peanut Congee ($5) is a welcome change from the using century egg congee. The light and comforting bowl of congee was smooth and sticky with the cuttlefish, peanuts and flour crisp providing the contrasting textures.

Deep Fried Shrimp in Beancurd Skin Roll 4.2/5

Packed with generous shrimps inside the roll, the Deep Fried Shrimp in Beancurd Skin Roll ($4.60) was crispy on the outside with fresh juicy shrimp inside. I understand that the beancurd skin has undergone an additional step of cooking (using their own recipe) to achieve the taste and look.

Steamed Cheong Fun with Chinese Dough Fritters 4.2/5

I remembered I first have the Steamed Cheong Fun with Chinese Dough Frittrs or Zha Liang ($3.60) in one of my earlier Hong Kong trip. Since then, I don't remember seeing this being served in Singapore. I was glad that I finally get to eat this again after so many years. Pretty good execution with the silky smooth rice noodle roll wrapped tightly around the fried and crispy youtiao. It also comes with a peanut and seafood dipping sauce to further enhance the enjoyment.

Mini Egg Tart 4.5/5

The Mini Egg Tart ($3.60) was freshly baked from the oven daily. The flaky thin puff crust with the warm egg custard was simply too good to just stop at one.

BBQ Honey Pork Bun Coated with Crispy Butter 4/5

One of their popular dishes is the BBQ Honey Pork Bun Coated with Crispy Butter ($4.20). The bun has a nice sugary crisp on the outer layer, soft inside and filled with delectable honey pork. Compared to Tim Ho Wan's version, the flavours is milder.

Steamed Chicken Claw with Black Bean Sauce 4/5

A must order for me whether I have dim sum. The Steamed Chicken Claw with Black Bean Sauce ($3.80) was well seasoned with the flavours beautifully infused.

Aloe Vera with Sweet scented Osmanthus Juice 3.5/5

Moving on to dessert, the Aloe Vera with Sweet Scented Osmanthus Juice ($3) was light and refreshingly, somewhat acted like a palate cleanse after all the earlier dim sum items.

Mango Puree with Sago and Pomelo 4/5

The Mango Puree with Sago and Pomelo ($3.50) was really good. My only complain is that the portion was a bit too small. On the background of the photo is the herbal jelly which was not memorable.

Chilled Pumpkin Puree with Black Glutinous 4.2/5

Initially I thought this is the rendition of the Pulut Hitam dessert but it ended up not. It so what caught me by surprise as I was not expecting the combination. The Chilled Pumpkin Puree with Black Glutinous ($3.20) was served with a scoop of coconut ice cream. Overall this is a very good dessert which I will be glad to finished it. My only opinion is that the flavour of the coconut ice cream overpowered that of the pumpkin puree. Somehow the coconut ice cream became the star of the dish instead of the pumpkin puree.

Besides the usual dim sum items, Dim Dim also serves a selection of Bamboo Rice, Noodle and Congee. It even has a high tea menu at $6.80++ whereby it comes with a choice of Congee/Cheong Fun/Noodle + Steamed/Fried Dim Sum + Soya Milk on weekday from 3pm to 5pm. Overall, Dim Dim serves pretty decent dim sum that is tasty at a affordable price.


Dim Sum - The Hong Kong Pantry
Marina Square (Marina Link)
6 Raffles Boulevard
#B1-16
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 63369088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dimdim.marinalink
Nearest MRT: Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 11am - 9pm
Fri-Sat: 11am - 930pm

Direction:
Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Marina Link. Continue on Marina Link towards Marina Square. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes.

Zhen Ming Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle (真鸣肉骨虾面) @ Ang Mo Kio Ave 4

The hunt for good food brought me to this humble hawker stall in Ang Mo Kio Ave 4. Zhen Ming Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle (真鸣肉骨虾面) used to be at Tampines before moving to Serangoon and finally settled down at Mayflower Food Centre. I have to be upfront that their version of prawn noodle is not of the robust prawny type. Painstakingly simmering the broth for at least a good 6 hours with pork ribs, pig skins, red dates, prawn shells, a hen, Malaysian black sugarcane and some seasoning. Unlike most other stalls, the stall owner decided to substitute rock sugar with the Malaysian black sugarcane to give his broth a more natural sweetness.

Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle Dry 4/5

The bowl of Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle Dry ($3/4/5) comes with slices of fish cake, lean meat, pork ribs and prawns. Ask for some fried shallots to further enhance the enjoyment of the springy noodle.

Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle Soup 4.5/5

The star for me has to be this bowl of Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle Soup ($3/4/5) which made me came all the way to try it. Taking a sip of the hot pipping soup, I totally understood why the foodie kakis having been raving about it. In a way the soup was robust and packed with flavours. There is this balance and refinement in the soup that was kind of addictive. Spice up a bit with some chilli power to enhance the flavour further.

Pork Tail Soup 4.5/5

If you really like the the painstakingly simmered bowl of soup, then you should order a bowl of the Pork Tail Soup to fully appreciate the full bodied flavour together with pieces of the wobbling collagen and tender pig tail.

During the visit, we also met another family who came all the way to tried the prawn noodle. Further conversation revealed that they are also prawn noodle hawker in the same trade at another hawker centre. They heard about Zhen Ming, tired it and like it. I need not have to say more when even fellow prawn noodle hawker gave the acknowledgement.


Zhen Ming Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle (真鸣肉骨虾面) 
Mayflower Market & Food Centre
Blk 162 Ang Mo Kio Ave 4
#01-04
Singapore 560162
Nearest MRT: Ang Mo Kio (NS Line), Yio Chu Kang (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 8am - 1pm (until Sold Out)
(Closed on Wed)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Ang Mo Kio MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange (Stop ID 54009). Take bus number 269. Alight 5 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

1) Alight at Ang Mo Kio MRT station. Take Exit A. Cross the road and walk to bus stop opposite Ang Mo Kio MRT station (Stop ID54269). Take bus number 76 or 268. Alight 5 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Yio Chu Kang MRT station. Take Exit A, B or C. Walk to Yio Chu Kang Bus Interchange (Stop ID 55509). Take bus number 76 or 549.  Alight 6 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 18 minutes. [Map]