The Mama Shop @ Pearl's Hill Terrace

It has been a while since I have been out with Charleen and Kimberley. On a random weekend, we decided to drop by The Mama Shop at Pearl's Hill Terrace opened by Felicia Chin and Sora Ma. The shop front indeed catches my attention with its rustic provision shop feel and the clever play of colours brightens up the shop. The whole setup is an alfresco concept with tables outside the shop front and stretching into the courtyard on a busy day. The shop itself serves as a kitchen. Kind of reminds me of those old school canteens.

Happy Peppy Lobster Burger 2.8/5

Happy Peppy Lobster Burger 2.8/5

The Happy Peppy Lobster Burger ($16.90) looks quite good in the menu so we decided to get it. As per the description in the menu, the burger comes with chunks of Canadian lobster and prawns in wasabi mayo sauce. When the burger arrived, I was actually delighted to see the bed of wheel crackers. The childhood snack has been missed and I am glad that The Mama Shop is servicing them. Besides the colour presentation, the burger itself was rather pedestrian. I even asked Charleen whether there was any lobster in it cause I could only find the prawn.

Otah Roll 3/5

I have grown up eating bread with otah and when I saw the Otah Roll ($7.90) on the menu, I instantly checked with the girls whether it is ok for me to get it. The otah roll comes with grilled Muar otah sandwiched in soft bun accompanied with sweet and spicy sauce. It is comforting, just like having a hot dog bun but nothing to shout about. I would prefer the otah to be spicier though.

Okaasanwaffle 4/5

Lastly we tried the Okaasanwaffle ($4.90) which is crispy waffles with savoury seaweed chicken and sweet takoyaki sauce topped with bonito flakes. This is one of the most recommended items on social media and indeed it is the saving grace for our visit. The combination works perfectly with the seaweed and bonito flakes providing the supporting roles to the main casts. For the cost, this is one value for money delicious waffle.

The Mama Shop is a seclude little cafe inside the Old Police Operational Headquarters. It felt like you are in a deserted building, the building is really run down and not probably maintained. However it is also because of this, giving it a form of charm to the tiny establishment. Food wise it is not fantastic but the okaasanwaffle is passable.


The Mama Shop Cafe
195 Pearl's Hill Terrace
(Old Police Operational Headquarters)
#01-64
Singapore 168976
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mama-Shop/1499558526956124
Nearest MRT: Chinatown (DT Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun, Mon-Thu: 12pm - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 12pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk straight to People's Park Complex Food Centre. Cut through the food centre to the back. Turn left and you will see a flight of stairs. Go up the stairs. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Royal Pavilion Chinese New Year 2015

Cantonese fine-dining restaurant Royal Pavillion at Park Regis Hotel Singapore ushers in the lunar new year with an array of Chinese New Year dishes that are created by the brand’s Director of Kitchen & Operations, Mr Ray Tso, from Hong Kong.

Royal Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng 4/5

Arranged like a fish in a beautiful golden bowl, the Yu Sheng (S$68/$88++) may not be as extravagant as most fine-dining restaurants these days but all the necessary ingredients playing their roles dutifully. This dish stayed true to tradition, with plenty of fresh crisp golden crackers as well as a sweet-tangy apple and plum sauce.

Royal Fried Lamb Shank 3.5/5

Since this is the Year of Goat, Royal Pavillion has introduced this ingenious lamb dish for CNY. The Royal Fried Lamb Shank (S$48++ for up to 4 guests) seemed like a cross-fertilization between German Deep Fried Pork Knuckles and Beijing Roasted Duck. Wrapped in a traditional crepe with red-green pepper, spring onions and hoisin sauce, the shredded lamb had some nice crispiness depending on the parts you get, without the awful gamey taste. However, some expressed that the meat was too dry and did not spark any excitement in them.

Braised 4-head South African Abalone with Superior Pumpkin Broth 3.8/5

I felt like a member of the Imperial Chinese family when I was served this elegant plate of Braised 4-head South African Abalone with Superior Pumpkin Broth (S$68++ per serving). The idea of a golden soup base worked out nicely as it added a deluxe touch to the delicate handmade tofu, cooked spinach and tender prized shellfish. A pity that the sweetness of the pumpkin is masked by the intense chicken flavor.

Royal Smoked Duck 4.8/5

Voted as one of the Top 10 dishes of the Year by Zao Bao last year, this Royal Smoked Duck ($35/$68) truly deserved the royal spot in the hall of fame because the meat is simply delectably tender and flavorful. What wins further respect was the fact that the 4-5 month young duckling had only been smoked for 45 minutes with lychee wood but achieved such a remarkable distinction between the layers of fat tissues and paper-thin crispy skin. It's already a winning stand-alone dish without the sweet plum dipping sauce!

Pan Fried Eight Treasures Glutinous Rice 3.5/5

Not many people would be used to having sweet components in glutinous rice but this dish reminded me of how the Japanese often cooked their rice with chestnuts and red beans. Representing "tuan yuan" which means reunion in mandarin, the chewy Pan Fried Eight Treasure Glutinous Rice was scattered with plenty of sweet goodies including dried orange peel, red dates, candied winter melon, chestnuts, golden raisins and lotus seeds. Yet, it was not too sweet and the rice retained a subtle firm bite with an aromatic crust at the base. The dish came with some pink sugar granules instead of the original brown sugar as written on the menu, which could have been a more suitable sweetener with its mild molasses flavor.

Deep Fried Three Layer Glutinous Rice cake 4.5/5

Made with Japanese purple sweet potato, pumpkin and yam, this 3-in-1 auspicious cake delivered the second round of gourmet moment when everything melded together aesthetically; light and airy crispy batter, with a touch of savory that enhanced the natural sweetness.

Pumpkin Nian Gao 4.5/5

There are so many ways that can go wrong when nian gao are served as desserts; too starchy, sticky, greasy, sweet, etc, but the Pumpkin Nian Gao (S$18++ for 10 to 12 guests) managed to steer clear away from them. Coated in beaten eggs before being pan fried, each square sliced to perfect thickness is chewy but does not stuck to your teeth, with a light whiff of egg fragrance that lingers on.

 Though this is the first year that Royal Pavilion is launching its Chinese New Year creations, the dishes are donned with a touch of elegance and prosperity that marked a good start to the future CNY creations. They are available from 9 February to 5 March 2015. Prices start from S$5.80++ for ala carte dine-in creations and S$18+ for takeaways.

Written and Photograph by Li Tian, a passionate foodie behind Singapore-Japan Food Blog “Dairy & Cream”. Has an eye for pastries and desserts.


Royal Pavilion
Park Regis Hotel Singapore
Royal Pavilion Level 1
23 Merchant Road
Singapore 058268
Tel: +65 6818 8851
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParkRegisHotels
Website: http://www.parkregissingapore.com/dining-bars/royal-pavilion/
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NE Line)

Opening hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 630pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to traffic junction. Cross the road and turn right onto Merchant Road. Walk down Merchant Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]