[CLOSED] Yue Bai (月白) @ Duxton Road - A Contemporary Expression Of Shi Liao Gastronomy And Chinese Culture

Yue Bai (月白) is a modern Chinese restaurant helmed by Singaporean co-owner and Chef Lee Hongwei. The cuisine at Yue Bai is based on the principles of traditional Chinese dietary therapy (食疗 shi liao) through refreshing renditions of Chinese heritage dishes.

Australian Lamb Jelly 3.5/5

Crispy Burdock 4.2/5

We started dinner with a couple of appetisers. The Crispy Burdock ($14) coated with sesame and spice powder is an addictive and delicious snack. On the other hand, the Australian Lamb Jelly ($22) is a rendition of the traditional Teochew pork trotter jelly. The shredded lamb meat is combined with black bean and chicken stock and chilled for at least a day. It is paired with shredded passionfruit-infused pumpkin giving it a refreshing touch to cleanse the richness.

Roselle Flower-infused Winter Melon 3/5

Deep-fried Organic Purple Rice Cake 4.2/5

The Roselle Flower-infused Winter Melon ($12) is very appetising with its sweet and sour taste profile, perfect for whetting up the appetite. However, my favourite is the Deep-fried Organic Purple Rice Cake ($16), which is topped with housemade XO Sauce, rice puffs and spring onions.

Double-boiled Silkie Chicken Soup 4/5

The Double-boiled Silkie Chicken Soup ($22) is a delicious and nourishing bowl of goodness. The addition of dried longan and wolfberries provided the additional finishing sweetness.

Stir-fried Lotus Root, Fuji Apple, Corn Kernel, Pumpkin Seeds, Dried Shrimp 4.2/5

The Stir-fried Lotus Root, Fuji Apple, Corn Kernel, Pumpkin Seeds, Dried Shrimp ($24) is the Chef's vegetarian take on the Guangdong classic of sauteed minced duck served with lettuce leaf. The diced vegetables and apple offers delightful layers of texture.

Braised Napa Cabbage, Fried Garlic 4.5/5

It may look simple, but the Braised Napa Cabbage ($24) is soft and sweet. The whole baby Napa cabbage is braised in chicken stock until soft. It is served with fried garlic, adding body to the broth.

Crisp-fried Pork Cartilage, Xin Hui Orange Sauce, Crispy Tofu Ring 4/5

The Crisp-fried Port Cartilage ($38) is first braised with Xin Hui mandarin peel in superior chicken stock, then deep-fried and finished in mandarin peel sauce. It comes in a crispy tofu ring made with firm tofu and millet, somewhat like the classic yam ring. The citrus notes of the aged mandarin peel balance out the richness of the pork cartilage.

Braised Duck, Sea Cucumber, Hawthorn, Korean Snow Pear 4/5

The Braised Sea Cucumber with Duck ($58) is a traditional Hokkien speciality given a modern take. Chef Hongwei added Korean snow pear for sweetness and dried hawthorn berries for tartness. Not only is it delicious, but it also helps to improve digestion and blood circulation.

Crisp-fried Prawn with Granola and Dried Fruits 4.2/5

Having eaten cereal prawns, pairing them with granola and dried fruits is new to me. The Crisp-fried Prawn with Granola and Dried Fruits ($36) with its crispy coat is a delightful texture enjoyment.

Braised Hokkien Hu Tou Vermicelli 4/5

The Braised Hokkien Hu Tou Vermicelli ($35) is Chef Hongwei's childhood memories. Chef's grandmother would prepare a Henghwa version featuring a myriad of seafood. Chef's rendition braises the Hu Tu rice vermicelli from Anhui, Fujian, in superior chicken stock, served with abalone, sea cucumber, Chinese mushrooms, Chinese chives, and beansprouts. It is topped with dried sole fish crumble and crisp Henghwa first harvest black seaweed, imparting an umami and minerality finish.

Herbal Poached Rice, Atlantic Cod, Black Fungus 4.5/5

My favourite dish for dinner goes to the Herbal Poached Rice ($38) with Atlantic Cod and Black Fungus. It is an elevated rendition of the traditional Teochew fish porridge. It is served in a hot stone pot. The egg yolk fried rice, black fungus and cod fillet are finished tableside with fish broth and herbal Shaoxing wine.

Crispy Black Sesame Mochi, Osmanthus Sugar 4/5

We had the Crispy Black Sesame Mochi ($12) paired with Osmanthus Sugar for dessert. The delightful soft and chewy mochi's texture is coated with aromatic sesames, deep-fried to fragrant. It comes with osmanthus sugar on the side for an extra lift in flavour.

Housemade Beancurd with Hashima 4.5/5

A must-have is the Housemade Beancurd with Hashima ($38). You can have it as original or with the accompanying pi pa syrup for a refreshing and minty lift in taste profile.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


[CLOSED]
Yue Bai (月白)
33 Duxton Road
Singapore 089497
Tel: +65 97218055
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Nearest MRT: Maxwell (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 1145am - 3pm, 545pm - 10pm
(Closed on Mon except PH)

Direction:
1) Alight at Maxwell MRT station. Take Exit 3. Cross the road and walk down Duxton Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Unilever Buffet Restaurant @ Halcyon 2 - Seafood BBQ Buffet In Jalan Pemimpin

Unilever Buffet opened its doors starting mid-January 2023, offering diners a seafood and BBQ buffet in Jalan Pemimpin. It is $53.90 per adult, while children between 5 to 12 years old are at $23.90 per pax on weekdays and $27.90 per pax on weekends. They are running a 50% promo from now till April 2023, with more details on their Facebook page.

Fresh Food Section

There are oysters, salmon sashimi, chirashi, prawns, mussels and scallops in the fresh food section, while the snow crab legs are provided in limited portions per pax. Though we appreciated the creaminess of the oysters, the freshness among the rest of the other items could have been better.

BBQ Section

BBQ is the highlight of the buffet here. They use smoke-free automatic grillers, which helps to reduce the possibility of lingering BBQ smells on your belongings after the meal.

The selection includes fish, pork, chicken and beef, all available in 10 types of marination. The marinations are black pepper, Thai, German, sambal, Japanese, Korean, lemongrass, garlic, mala, and kimchi. A range of condiment dips is also available to pair with the eats. Unfortunately, we did find some of the marinations too salty, while the flavours we preferred more were the black pepper and German style.

Cooked Food Section

For cooked food during our time of visit, there was a spread of 6 dishes - chilli crabs, sweet and sour fish, pork trotters, fried rice, fried noodles and vegetables with mushrooms. They were generous with the chilli crabs, but the overall quality of the spread could be improved.

Dessert Section

Free Flow Bubble Tea

Lastly, for beverages, there is free flow bubble tea, alongside calamansi, blueberry and orange juices, while desserts were a mixture of bakes, such as eclair, cream puffs and swiss rolls.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Unilever Buffet Restaurant
Halcyon 2
47 Jalan Pemimpin
#01-02
Singapore 577200
Tel: +65 98707673
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Nearest MRT: Marymount MRT (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 4pm to 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Marymount MRT station. Take Exit B. Cross the road,  walk down Jalan Pemimpin. Turn left after Tailee building. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]