Famous Treasure @ Capitol Piazza - A Gem In The City Serving Reasonable Priced Chinese Food

Taking over the defunct Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant Singapore at Capitol Piazza is Famous Treasure. Famous Treasure is the sister outlet of the popular Famous Kitchen in Sembawang. I have not visited Famous Kitchen but I have heard good words about their food. Hence I am really looking forward to my visit to their newer and more posh outlet in the city.

Marinated Cockles Teochew Style 4.8/5

We started with the Marinated Cockles Teochew Style ($12). I love my cockles and this is even better with the topping of their homemade chilli. Definitely a winner for me.

Deep Fried Pork Belly with Fermented Bean Curd 4.5/5

Deep fried to golden brown is the Pork Belly with Fermented Bean Curd ($20/$30$/$40). The pork belly coated in a batter of fermented bean curd, is fragrant and juicy. Not forgetting the tangy green chilli sauce dip that elevates the whole enjoyable of the dish.

Wok Fried Squid with Cincalok and Lady's Fingers 4.5/5

The restaurant impressed me further with yet another excellently executed dish - Wok Fried Squid with Cincalok and Lady’s Fingers ($18/$27/$36). Instead of the usual sambal, what a brillant idea to replace it with cincalok. It definitely gives the dish a deeper depth of flavours and something different from the usual. 

Daily Nourishing Boiled Soup 4.5/5

The daily nourishing boiled soup at the restaurant changes regularly and today we have the Pork Ribs and Ba Wang Hua Soup ($28). Boiled for hours to extract the ingredients’ essences, the soup is hearty, sweet and flavourful. What caught my interests is the used of Ba Wang Hua (Night Blooming Cereus), a type of cactus that is seldom seen or used in cooking. Apparently it has several health benefit too.

Supreme Soy Braised Duck Platter 3.5/5

The Supreme Soy Braised Duck Platter ($24) consists of duck slices, webs, wings and beancurd. A great sharing platter that comes with a white vinegar and chilli dip.

Steamed Shark's Head with Spicy Yellow Bean Sauce 3/5

If you have not try Steamed Shark's Head ($7/100g) before, it is not about eat the flesh but appreciating the cartilage and collagen of the shark's upper jaw area. The version here is cooked in a spicy yellow bean sauce which we thought didn't quite highlight the dish. I had a better one that is just steamed with soy sauce, deep fried caught and sesame oil.

Traditional Fish Head Curry in Claypot $35

From one fish head we go to another, the Traditional Fish Head Curry in Claypot ($35). This is one of the signature dish at Famous Kitchen Sembawang, now you can also have it at Famous Treasure. The creamy and lemak curry fish head, served in a claypot comes with a lot of vegetables (cabbage, eggplant and lady fingers) which is really value for money. I love my fish head curry and I have to admit this is one of the better one I have eaten. I can tell why they are popular with the dish.

Famous Treasure's KL Style Hokkien Mee 4.2/5

Instead of travelling to our neighbouring country for their hokkien mee, Famous Treasure does a good rendition in their KL Style Hokkien Mee ($18/$27/$36). Perfumed with fragrant dark sauce and pork lard, this is a plate of goodness with pork, cuttlefish and prawn.

Braised Rice Vermicelli with Local Lobster and Leek in Superior Broth 4.2/5

For a more luscious enjoyment, there is the Braised Rice Vermicelli with Local Lobster and Leek in Superior Broth ($16/100g). Sweet and bouncy lobster flesh, comes with vermicelli that has been simmered in the rich broth, soaking up the richness.

Salted Baked Flower Crabs 5/5

A must try at Famous Treasure has to be their Salted Baked Flower Crabs ($6/100g). The way of preparing the flower crab gives it a charred seafood aroma that just whets up the appetite. The used of sea salt also further elevated the sweetness of the flower crab. This scores full mark for me. Definitely a must order dish whenever I go back.

Famous Treasure
Capitol Piazza
13 Stamford Road
#02-28
Singapore 178905
Tel: +65 68816668
Facebook
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 6pm - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit B or D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Violet Oon Singapore @ Ion Orchard - Opens 4th And Largest Outlet With Both Dining And Retail Space

Violet Oon Singapore at Ion Orchard is the brand’s fourth and largest outlet, an all-day dining brasserie that combines both dining and retail. Serving up VO’s signature recipes of local favourites and Nyonya classics, the menu also curates a selection of British dishes as seen through the eyes of the early Hainanese chefs of Singapore. In addition, a new range of celebration cakes can be enjoyed at the restaurant or order for takeaways. There is also a retail collection of pastries, including our all-time favourite kaya, all dressed in retro-modern fit, all ready to be shown on the global runway.

Singapore High Tea Set 3/5

Other than mains and pastries, I could see that most were here at for the Singapore High Tea Set ($58 serves 2) which offers an array of local favorites and Nyonya signatures in petite sizes, with notable items such as Yam Cake, Kuey Pie Tie and Chilli Crab Tart, alongside with classic English High Tea bites.

Both Kuey Pie Tee and Chilli Crab Tart were very much on the sweeter side, while the Yam Cake in comparison was more balance in taste, a boat loaded with umami ingredients such as mushrooms, fried shallot and chilli.

On the top tier are all your sweets. The Bubur Cha Cha Panna Cotta was decadent with a smooth and velvety coconut based panna cotta. The Financiers, a traditional Eurasian Cake of semolina and ground almonds, are also worth your calories. If only the Kueh Kosui could be that good a feel in the mouth. I guess when comes to kuehs, it has to be freshly made, like the warm and soft Kueh Kosui from Maxwell Food market.

The Scones comes with gula melaka drizzle on them, and what is unique about theirs is the slightly tart Calamasi jam that complement the gula melaka scone. I was rather amused that there is no lack of gula melaka items here, most sweets are laced with it one way or another.

Kale Kerabu 3.8/5

Moving on to their signature mains, Salmon with Kale Kerabu ($26) is a great start to any meal, given its tangy sauce and crisp baby kale. The salad dressing is made of sambal belachan and coconut cream, sounds creamy but not at all as it only coat the kale lightly. The salmon cubes were flamed grilled, lending a layer of smokiness to the salad. The acidity from the pineapple cubes brightened up the dish even more.

Hainanese Pork Chop 3.8/5

Among all the dishes we tried, I would say the Hainanese Pork Chop ($34) is the most successfully elevated dish, from a staple dished out from a British Hainanese kitchen to one to be served with that price tag. Using Kurobuta pork loin, it was deep fried with a cream cracker batter. The crust reached an ideal crisp with the inside still moist and juicy. A hefty piece of pork chop but the sweet and tangy housemade tomato reduction helped to cut the richness of the meat.

VO’s Shepherd’s Pie 3/5

VO’s Shepherd’s Pie with House Salad ($24) was one of the better ones that I have tried. At least the creamy mashed potato stayed dry and creamy atop the slow-braised mince beef, while others tend to sink in like quick sand the moment I dug my spoon into it. The top could be more baked.

Fish Curry with Roti Jala 3/5

Fish Curry with Roti Jala ($29) is a dainty version of our czechar fish head curry cooked using red snapper. Nonetheless, the curry was on point. It is robust, rich and edged with a slight tang, making it a good match with the slightly sweet traditional laced pancake.

Dry Laksa 3/5

The Dry Laksa ($24) is a crowd pleaser. Fresh rice noodle is tossed in Violet's laksa gravy and loaded with beansprouts and tau pok, it was like a scrumptious laksa salad. Just imagine a reduction of a fiery Laksa gravy, with all the goodness concentrated into one small plate. Well cooked succulent prawns could have brought the dish up another notch but ours were a tad too dried up for my liking.

Pandan Gula Melaka Cake 2.8/5, Pineapple Gula Melaka Cake 3.5/5, VO’s Carrot Cake 3.5/5

Love our local flavours but not the starchy Kueh itself? You will find your perfect combination in the range of cakes offered at Violet Oon. Pandan Gula Melaka Cake ($43/6" or $75/9”) is a rich sponge cake made with freshly squeezed pandan juice, with layers of buttercream frosting and desiccated coconut tossed in a gula melaka syrup. It is rather sweet, hence I very much prefer the Pineapple Gula Melaka Cake ($46/6” or $80/9”). The cake was fluffier and the buttercream, punctuated with sweet and tangy pineapple chunks, made it even more luscious rather than weighing it down. As for the VO’s Carrot Cake ($52/6” or $85/9”), other than its sweetness, it is one of the few that are loaded with real chunky ingredients, layered with a bright calamansi-infused cream cheese frosting.

Indeed, heritage flavours and taste are hard to master. The mains at Violet Oon fare much better, alongside with some of their cakes and pastries. But these days, it is all about the looks. What stood out the most not the food but the retail section that boxed Singapore's flavours into pretty Peranakan 'tiles'. Great gifting ideas for the Christmas!

Photos and 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.


Violet Oon Singapore at Ion Orchard
Ion Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
#03-28/29
Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 98349935
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)


Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]