Truth be told, I found this establishment by accident as I was withdrawing money from a nearby bank on a lazy Sunday morning. Looking at the crowd milling around the entrance, I walked over to check out the commotion. There were easily 15 people waiting patiently as a staff hollered numbers into the microphone for customers to get their tables. Can one go wrong with a packed out restaurant? Brunch it is then!
The procedure is fairly simple. Tell the staff at the counter how many pax per table and she will write your name in the list. Get a piece of paper with your number on it and wait until your number is called. As most people preferred to dine indoors and I was ravenously hungry, I took the outdoor table along the corridor after waiting for about 5 minutes. Expect to wait up to 20 minutes if you come between 11am to 2pm.
Due to space constraint, waiters manually deliver their wares on trays to replace the cumbersome dimsum trolleys. I have to say this is indeed more efficient as they weave around the tables like clockwork. You can also walk over to the display counter to choose whatever tickles your taste buds. Everything arrives steaming hot so it’s great for opening your pores too – free facial anyone?
We could not resist the ‘pai kuat wong’ which looked so enticing, bathed in a shiny sweet sauce with succulent meat peeking from within. Enjoy it with your hands. Forget table manners, just sink your teeth into it and lick the sauce off your fingers. The taste is heavenly! Portions are generous too – 8 ribs per serving, yet not too hefty so you have space to lap up the other offerings.
Next up was the steamed pork buns – char siew pao. The dough is fluffy and the filling is superb with the right balance of pork fat, meat and sauce. Two thumbs up for this! The rest came in quick succession. The siew mai was succulently juicy; the pei tan sau yok chok (century egg porridge) was silky smooth with bits of pei tan and salted egg which was a nice surprise; the har kau had fat juicy prawns; the braised brinjal stuffed with fish paste was delish dipped in the dark sweet sauce.
"Sink your teeth in and lick off the sauce"
If you don’t mind splurging, try the signature cheese mussels and scallop har kau. The special cheese sauce is poured over the mussel and then steamed, allowing the sauce to mingle with the mussel flavours. The taste is creamy yet light and complements the mussel and pork/prawn paste perfectly which sits on the shell. As for the scallop har kau, I could see a nice scallop lovingly wrapped with prawns and topped with orange roe. Biting into it, it was taste and texture heaven. Decadently delectable, I felt a slight pang of guilt over such indulgence.
My only complaint was the chee cheong fun which had too little prawns/char siew, the sauce was bland and the dough sheet was too thick for my liking. As for dessert, we asked for mango pudding but the waitress sheepishly replied that it was sold out! We settled for fried yam balls instead which were crispy good, though my next visit will be timed earlier just for that elusive mango pudding.
As we paid and left, the wait for tables persisted as the lunchtime horde flocked in. I guess patience is virtue when it promises an endless array of yummy goodies to feast your senses on. Trust me, it’s worth the wait. Hail the new kid in dimsum town!
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