Crystal Jade Palace @ Ngee Ann City - Gastronomic Journey With Newly Appointed Group Executive Chef Martin Foo

Crystal Jade Group has newly appointed Chef Martin Foo as their Group Executive Chef. Chef Martin Foo with also be the resident chef at Crystal Jade Palace, the brand's flagship restaurant at Ngee Ann City. With his appointment, he has also curated a special six-course set menu.

Hokkaido Sea Urchin and Ikura with Egg White in Crispy Seaweed Handroll 4/5

We are given a glimpse to some of the new dishes Chef Martin Foo has introduced at Crystal Jade Palace. Starting from the six-course dinner menu, we tried the Hokkaido Sea Urchin and Ikura with Egg White in Crispy Seaweed Handroll. This is a creative twist of the Beijing Sai Pang Xie (egg white) dish with Japanese influence. The sweetness of the uni elevated the appreciation of the egg white, while the seaweed provides the extra textural enjoyment. I would recommend the chef to mix a bit of uni in the egg white as it taste rather bland at the bottom of the seaweed handroll. This is because after the first bite where the uni is crowned, the flavour contrast is quite obvious at the bottom half of the cone.

Grilled USDA Beef Short Rib with Honey Char Siew Sauce 4.5/5

Another dish on the six-course dinner menu is the Grilled USDA Beef Short Rib with Honey Char Siew Sauce. Usually char siew is made using pork or chicken but this unique use of the beef short rib to re-create that familiar flavour is interesting. In addition, the tenderness of the beef short rib, paired with spring onion and ginger mix, and mustard sauce is simply one of the best char siew I ever eaten. On the contrary, this is an unique Chinese twist of appreciating a piece of good beef.

Pan-Seared Tiger King Prawn with XO sauce, topped on Egg Noodles 4/5

The last item we tried on the six-course dinner menu is the Pan-Seared Tiger King Prawn with XO sauce, topped on Egg Noodles tossed with Pork Lardons. The al dente egg noodles laden with the aroma of pork lards is really satisfying.

Double-boiled Sea Whelk, Sea Cucumber Flower with Black Garlic in Chicken Consomme 4.2/5

Moving to the al carte menu, the Double-boiled Sea Whelk, Sea Cucumber Flower with Black Garlic in Chicken Consomme ($22 per pax) comes sealed in parchment paper to lock the essence in the bowl. This is a bowl of comforting and nourishing goodness.

Poached Australian Baby Spinach with Fresh Beancurd Skin 4/5

For something light and healthy is the Poached Australian Baby Spinach with Fresh Beancurd Skin ($26 per portion). The greens are covered by a silky curtain of beancurd skin that melts in the month which is complemented by the chicken stock.

Black Truffle Roasted Irish Duck 4.2/5

A new addition to the restaurant's menu is the Black Truffle Roasted Irish Duck ($25 per portion, $48 half/ $90 whole). The roasted duck has a delectable thin layer of crispy skin. The roasted is also juicy and succulent, perfumed by the moat of dark soy sauce jus that is redolent of truffle oil.

Our dinner finale is the visually stunning dessert by Chef Martin Foo. The cute fried pear and carrot dough has a delightful chewy texture. They are stuffed with salted egg yolk and corn puree respectively. This is not on the menu. It is only available upon request for special occasion.

The 6-course and al carte menu is available from 6 August to 30 September 2018 only. This is only for a limited period. Chef Martin's special 6-course set menu is priced at $128 per person while Jadeite members gets to enjoy the set menu at $98 per person.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Crystal Jade Palace
Ngee Ann City
391 Orchard Road
#04-19
Singapore 238872
Tel: +65 67352388
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1130am - 3pm, 6pm - 1030pm
Sat: 11am - 1030pm
Sun & PH: 10am - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit C or D. Walk to Ngee Ann City. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Poon Nah City Handmade Noodle @ City Plaza - Popular Ban Mian But Not My Favourite

When I reviewed about L32 Geylang Handmade Noodles, a follower asked me to check out Poon Nah City Handmade Noodle at City Plaza. Hence I specially made a trip down to check the ban mian located in the food court on the top of City Plaza. It is quite a small food court with narrow walkway. It offers a variety of noodle dishes as well as deep fried items.

After browsing the extensive menu, I decided to try the Prawn Ban Mian Dry ($3.50) and Fish Maw Ban Mian Soup ($3.50). Besides the prawn an fish maw, it offers other ingredients such scallop, abalone and sliced fish noodle.

Prawn Ban Mian Dry 3.5/5

The Prawn Ban Mian Dry ($3.50) comes with prawn, minced pork, wolfberry leaves and ikan bilis. The handmade noodle has a bouncy texture which has a delectable bite. That is probably the full stop as I didn't find the sweet sauce and chilli have that punch that make the bowl of noodle exceptional.

Fish Maw Ban Mian Soup 3/5

As for the soup version, I decided to have the Fish Maw Ban Mian Soup ($3.50). It usually come with pork, chicken and seafood but fish maw is rather rare. Hence I decided to order a bowl to try. Once again, I enjoyed the texture of the noodle. I can't deny the handmade noodle here is really good but they need to work on the other components. Just like the dry version, the soup is tasteless, it lacks the depth and sweetness of the ikan bilis.

While I didn't find the ban mian here as good as L32 Geylang Handmade Noodles, it seems that the stall has its loyal followings judging from the crowd. I guess I have a heavy palate and prefer flavours that is rich and heavy. I checked against some reviews online and it seems their standards have declined over the years.


Poon Nah City Handmade Noodle
City Plaza
810 Geylang Road
#05-02
Singapore 409286
Tel: +65 68424524
Nearest MRT: Paya Lebar (CC Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 8pm
(Closed on alt Sat)

Direction:
1) Alight at Paya Lebar MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk to junction of Paya Lebar Road and Geylang Road. Turn left onto Geylang Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]