Si Wei Yan (思味筵) @ Club Street - Home to Classic Sichuan Cuisine

We have known Singapore as a melting pot where we can get different cuisines from different races and nationalities. Over the years, with globalization we have seen more Chinese immigrants work or settle down in Singapore. This also leads to more Chinese restaurants offering cuisines from different part of China. Si Wei Yan (思味筵) at Club Street is one of these restaurants serving authentic Sichuan cuisine which is opened by the same folks behind the popular Si Wei Mao Cai at Mosque Street.

Mixed Vegetables in Special Si Chuan Sauce (思味上上签) 3/5

Our dinner started with the Mixed Vegetables in Special Si Chuan Sauce ($14). Chicken feet, black fungus and potato are skewered to the bamboo stick. The concept is like lucky pick. You never know which ingredient is at the end of the bamboo stick unless you drawn it out from the cup of mala chilli oil. A simple cold dish to kick start the dinner with the fiery special Sichuan Sauce.

Chicken in Chilli Oil with Minced Spices (思味搓椒口水鸡) 3.5/5

Poached chicken is nothing new to Singaporean but the Chicken in Chilli Oil with Minced Spices ($14) is a red hot introduction to the local palate. I like how the minced spices and chilli oil lifted the flavour of the poached chicken but the meat itself was a bit on the dry side.

Eggplant Topped with Homemade Green Chilli (烧椒茄子) 4.2/5

For those that can't really take spicy food, the Eggplant Topped with Homemade Green Chilli ($11) will be my recommendation. The homemade green chilli does not have that fiery kick, instead it gives a more garlicky, crunchy dimension to the dish which complements the eggplant excellently. A worthy note is how the chef prepares the eggplant to a nice crunch.

Beef Tongue Slices with Ginger (仔姜牛舌) 4/5

Beef Tongue Slices with Ginger ($16), may sounds rather acquire but it is actually quite nice. The beef tongue is sliced to thin slices which some what felt like eating bamboo shoot with its crunchy texture.

Raw Peanut in Spicy Soy Sauce (酒鬼花生) 3/5

It took me a while to get used to having Raw Peanut in Spicy Soy Sauce ($6). The more I chew into the raw peanut, the more I start to appreciate the new found taste. An interesting dish that may take a while for locals to accept.

Beef Shank Slices in Si Chuan Sauce (米椒拌牛腱) 4.5/5

Beef Shank Slices in Si Chuan Sauce (米椒拌牛腱) 4.5/5

One dish that I would highly recommend diners to order is the Beef Shank Slices in Si Chuan Sauce ($16). Look at how beautiful the beef shank is being sliced with the pretty marbling. Drowned in the pool of spicy Sichan sauce, this accentuated the whole flavour to a tongue wagging enjoyment.

Matsutake Millet Soup (小米松茸) 4.2/5

After all the spicy food, we have a break for some non-spicy items. Sichuan cuisine is not just about hot and spicy food. The Matsutake Millet Soup ($12) is timely to cool off the tongue. I like the millet in the soup which has a creamy texture like mash potatoes and fluffy like rice. It felt like having a bowl of comfort porridge.

Stewed Beef Brisket with Vegetables in Pork Bone Soup (粗粮牛腩) 4.2/5

The Stewed Beef Brisket with Vegetables in Pork Bone Soup ($22) is light and refreshing but yet flavourful. Borrowing a quote from one of the diners in the group - it felt like drinking ABC soup.

Stir Fried King Oyster Mushroom (小炒杏鲍菇) 4/5

The Stir Fried King Oyster Mushroom ($18) is probably the most popularity dish on the table. Thinly sliced and fried to crispy like potato chips, this is the first dish to disappear from the plates. I do not even have the opportunity to go back for a second helping.

Corn Fried with Salted Egg Yolk (金沙玉米) 2.5/5

While most of the dishes are hits, the Corn Fried with Salted Egg Yolk ($18) is a miss. First of all, I find the dish too costly. In addition, I could not even taste the salted egg yolk. All I tasted was the sweetness of the corn kernel.

Signature Beef Belly Slices in Sour Soup (酸汤肥牛) 4.5/5

For those that like sour stuff, you will enjoy the Signature Beef Belly Slices in Sour Soup ($32). This is my first time being introduced to the dish. The tanginess of the soup definitely entice the appetite. Together with the beef belly slices, mushroom and black fungus, this is a hearty and comforting bowl of soup.

Garlic Chives Flavoured Beef Slices (韭香牛柳) 4/5

In Hokkien we have the Kong Bak Pau but I didn't know that in Sichuan, they have the Garlic Chives Flavoured Beef Slices ($26) with steamed bun too. The beef slices are cooked to a beautiful tender that literally melted in the mouth.

Si Wei Signature BBQ Pork Ribs (思味王排) 3.8/5

Spectacular in presentation is the Si Wei Signature BBQ Pork Ribs ($48). The gigantic pork ribs is first braised, then grilled and finally deep fried before topping it with the different spices and spring onions. You can request the kitchen to chop up the pork ribs into smaller pieces for easy consumption. I thought the meat was a bit tough and dry but my dining partner actually enjoys the textural bite.

Red Grouper in Si Wei Dry Chilli (炝锅红斑) 4.5/5

I personally prefer the Red Grouper in Si Wei Dry Chilli (Seasonal Price) more than the Pork Ribs. The fish is steamed to a lovely moist and dressed in a coat of dry chilli. The star is the dry chilli that emits an aromatic scent when eaten together with the fish.

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Si Wei Yan (思味筵)
1 Club Street
Singapore 069400
Tel: +65 62216836
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 1130am - 230pm, 530pm - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk down Cross Street. Turn left onto Club Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Mr & Mrs Maxwell @ The Club Hotel - Well-loved Classics with a Renewed Enthusiasm

Going up the Ann Siang Hill footpath, I come upon the quieter end of Club Street and the hotel where Mr & Mrs Maxwell reside and realise I’ve been here before. On some Sunday in 2015 I had, by misadventure, ended up in the post-apocalyptic silence of Telok Ayer, and they were the only place open. Inside the gorgeous, dimly lit Art Deco space, I had their signature chicken rice (pretty good) and thought, well, the menu writer clearly hasn’t got the memo about the decor.

When I tell Azrin, the manager during the tasting, about my previous experience he laughs and assures me that they’ve brought the food in line with the looks. They’ve also done a bit more brushing up. Now MMM looks even more like a place where Gatsby might have practiced his party-hosting skills before graduating to West Egg - it is a lovely Art Deco parlour, from the bright and warm lighting to the splendid porphyry bar counter. Coffee table books and curios line the shelves, but the sofas have been replaced with sleeker dark wood tables.

As Azrin says, the menu has been brought in line, which means it’s gone a little more conventional. That brunch items are served till 7pm, though, is a great touch - especially since the most memorable dishes we tasted are from the brunch menu.

Chocolate Bailey’s 4.2/5

To start off, I get an adult shake - the Chocolate Bailey’s, which is pretty much what it says in the name. The two flavours, both rich and lingering, would probably be overwhelming at room temperature, but balance out nicely when chilled into something that matches oddly well with the Kinder Bueno garnish - chocolatey, milky, a little nutty.

Lobster Omelette 3.8/5

The first of these is the Lobster Omelette, served on a slice of toast with a strong, fungal whiff of Gruyere. The omelette itself is soft-hearted, studded with shreds and chunks of Maine lobster; it doesn’t feel like it would meld with the strong-tasting Gruyere, but it somehow does. Red peppercorns add both colour and a dash of fruity fragrance.

Corned Beef Hash 4/5

Just as good is the Corned Beef Hash - again, another dish without much frippery but with plenty of substance. It is the sweated, smoky onions that really give the hash a lift, to complement the hefty salt in the corned beef and the well sauteed potato hash. It’s the perfect brunch for a very relaxed day when the only item on the agenda is digestion.

Ricotta Hotcakes 3/5

I’ve never really understood the appeal of a hotcake, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the Ricotta Hotcake here doesn’t do much for me. I understand that it is well-made - something thick as a tortilla, but still pillowy inside, definitely takes skill. A shower of berries works as accompaniment, but truffle honey - against something as mild as ricotta - is a touch too far, pushing the dish out of focus.

Slow-cooked Lamb Salad 3.8/5

Much more to my personal taste is the Lamb Salad, which is more carefully composed. Lamb shoulder, cooked for 48 hours, comes with preserved lemons and roasted pumpkins which tug and jostle pleasingly, sweet against sour. It pretty much is a tagine that became healthy at the last minute - there’s even the flaked almonds for crunch - and while I would prefer a full tagine it’s still nice to have a part of one.

Baked Alaska 3/5

But it is with desserts that Mr & Mrs Maxwell indulge with most of their theatrics. Baked Alaska, for instance, is done by the tableside with flaming liquor on a rainbow of cotton candy covering the confectionary itself. But while it looks nice with the lights down and blue flames dancing, the dish doesn’t quite live up to its entrance. Cotton candy melts into a vaguely coloured goo, and there is nothing to counteract its sweetness on top of the ice cream below.

Crepe Suzette 4/5

More thoughtful, and just as grand, is the Crepe Suzette. Born a century ago of a legendary tableside mess up, when a normal crepe was accidentally set alight, the Suzette here is made at a separate station where several sorts of citrus are mixed - oranges, limes, and the best citrus drink of all, Grand Marnier. The result may be a bit too lively and sour for some, but a little ice cream is enough to bring the crepes back to balance, and the sauce is quite the right consistency, a rather thin syrup.

There are definitely some flaws with the experience at Mr & Mrs Maxwell, which I would put down to the occasional menu-writing overreach. That truffle honey in the ricotta pancake is a case in point, as is the cotton candy and general immoderation of the Baked Alaska. But elsewhere things are definitely finely honed, including the efficient and often humorous staff.

At the same, I can’t help feeling that - having gone the distance in terms of looks - they don’t seem to push the theme, that of a parlour of the Gilded Age, quite as far as they could. Certainly, they’ve come a long way towards that from serving chicken rice and laksa; the items are now congruous with the sort of 1920s vibe. But with some tweaks in the menu, I suspect they could become more Fitzgeraldian. Still, it’s a lovely lounge the Maxwells have, and well worth a look.

Guest Writer: Wilson’s perfect day consists of a good meal and a laptop, on a table, next to a window, overlooking the sea, in a rainstorm. You can see more of his reviews at his blog, Dear Babette


Mr & Mrs Maxwell
The Club Hotel
28 Ann Siang Road
Singapore 069708
Tel: +65 68082181
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line), Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 7am - 11pm
Fri-Sat: 7am - 12midnight

Directions:
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk down Cross Street. Turn left onto Amoy Street. Continue to the end of Amoy Street. Scale the stairs beside Siang Cho Keong Temple, up Ann Siang Hill. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk down Maxwell Road towards Kadayanallur Street (beside URA building). Turn right onto Kadayanallur Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]