Ho Jia Bo? Fishball Minced Meat Noodle @ Circuit Road Food Centre

The first thing I noticed of Ho Jia Bo? Fishball Minced Meat Noodle at Circuit Road Food Centre is its interesting name. It is like asking their customer, is our noodles good? During my visit, the stall is man by a friendly middle aged lady. She is both the cook and cashier. Hence be prepared to wait for your bowl of noodle.

Fishball Minced Meat Noodle Dry 3.8/5

I really appreciate the stall for separating the ingredients from the noodle. The Fishball Minced Meat Noodle Dry ($3) comes with fishcakes, fishballs and minced pork. The mee pok was cooked to al dente with a springy bite to it. The chilli sauce was tossed with the mee pok unfortunately lacked depth and it probably requires vinegar to boast the whole dimension of the bowl of noodle.

Mushroom Minced Meat Dry 4/5

Like the fishball minced meat noodle dry, the Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle Dry ($3.50) comes with the ingredients and noodle served separately. The noodle is topped with minced pork and mushroom while the soup comes with lean pork slices, pig liver and meatballs. I personally preferred this over the fishball minced meat noodle because of the addition of mushroom. Even the soup seemed to taste more delicious, flavoured by the ingredients in it.

While I felt that the noodles here probably needed the addition of vinegar to give the bowl of noodle a lift in flavour, I do applaud the generous serving of ingredients that comes with the comforting bowl of noodle for a mere $3-$3.50.


Ghim Guan Fried Oyster
Circuit Road Food Centre
Blk 79 Circuit Road
#01-59
Singapore 370079
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Nearest MRT: Mattar (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun: 815am - 11pm
(Closed on Tue)

Direction:
1) Alight at Mattar MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk straight to towards the canal. Cross the canal. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Jade Restaurant @ Fullerton Hotel Singapore - A Whole New Dim Sum Experience

Jade Restaurant at Fullerton Hotel Singapore has just undergone a revamp. Imbued with elegance, garden-inspired wallpaper now adorns the partitioned areas with hues of Spring. With this new light and warm interiors, yes, Spring it is with Jade's new experience - Gourmet Dim Sum Treasures, available on weekends and public holidays. Reflecting the native birds residing on the wallpapers, master Chef Leong Chee Yeng and his award-winning team named their new dim sum set menus Purple Finch, Paradise Flycatcher and Royal Peacock respectively.

3 Assorted Dim Sum 4/5

We started off with a trio of contemporary bites from Royal Peacock ($108* per pax) - Scallop Dumpling topped with Salmon Roe, Golden Sea Urchin Siew Mai, and Foie Gras Truffle Shrimp Dumpling. Crowned with luscious ingredients, each dainty piece of dim sum is packed with extravagance in both taste and texture. Served in an individual basket, I love the fact that I get to have a private moment with all the 3 assorted dim sum instead of having to pick from the common basket.

Double Boiled Fish Maw 4/5

One of the most prided dishes in Cantonese cuisine is of course the double boiled soup - Double Boiled Fish Maw from Paradise Flycatcher menu ($88* per person). Despite it's clear base, I could instantly taste the collagen rich consistency in one sip.

Garden of Roasted Delight 4/5

The roasts here are highly recommended. None of the set includes that, so you got to order from the Master Chef’s Specialty section. Our Garden of Roasted Delight is made of Honey-glazed BBQ Pork, Roasted Duck, Thousand Layer of Pig's Ear, Thinly Sliced Pork and Crispy Roasted Pork Belly. The cold and crunchy pig's ear, which reminds me of Sichuan's pig's ear salad, adds an interesting character to this garden of roast meats. Start off with this appetising crunch before you proceed with the rest. The char siew has fats that melts away readily to flavour its caramelised sweet sauce encasing the meat, and the Crispy Pork Belly provides the same satisfaction with its incredibly crispy skin atop its tender meat which is almost wobblingly tender.

Wok-fried Rice Flour Rolls with Scallop in X.O. Sauce 4/5

To cap the meal, we had Wok-fried Rice Flour Rolls with Scallop in X.O. Sauce from the Purple Finch menu ($68* per person). The star of the dish is not the scallop but the umami-laden X.O sauce here that makes any plain carbs a treat on its own. The essence of dried scallops and prawns, spiced up with chilli, garlic and onion, brings life to the otherwise plain rice flour rolls as it imprints a layer of wok-hei on its surface.

Dessert 3/5

Wrapping up is a summery dessert - Shaved Pineapple Coconut Ice with Champagne Jelly, that comes together with a Bird’s Nest Egg Tart. The icy dessert is indeed a refreshing respite from the meal. Served warm, the egg tart perfumed my fingers with its buttery crust which is so fine that I could barely hold it without crushing it.

Although the new menu is a lot more refine, I feel the spirit of chit chatting with loved ones over sharing baskets of dim sum is lost. That said, single portion serving allows much more intimate dining, especially for table of two. Moreover, you get to enjoy the luxurious dim sum in an unhurried manner as there is only one seating implemented from 12.00 p.m. to 3.00 p.m.

*All set menus require a minimum of two persons to dine. Prices are subject to service charge and prevailing government taxes.

Words 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.


Jade Restaurant (玉楼）
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
1 Fullerton Square
Singapore 049178
Tel: +65 68778188
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Website
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Dim Sum
Weekends & PH: 12pm - 3pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Raffles Place MRT Station. Take Exit H. Turn right and walk towards the river. At the river, turn right again and walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]