Lunch at Lao Beijing (老北京食堂) @ Novena Square

238 Thomson Road #02-11 / 12 Novena Square Shopping Mall, Singapore 307683

Tel: 6358 4466

Website: http://www.laobeijing.com.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TungLokGroup

Lao Beijing is part of the TungLok Group, specialising in Northern Chinese cuisine such as noodles, crispy skin roast duck, steamed dumplings etc.  They used to have more outlets but it seems there's only the Velocity Novena Square outlet left.  Service was rather friendly, and decor gives a very vintage heritage feel.

Appetiser was interesting Pickled Pumpkin (SGD$2.00) slices (mom insisted it tasted like papaya instead). crunchy and sweet with light tinge of spiciness.

The Pork & Chive Dumplings (SGD$6.00) were pretty good and melty, tender minced pork wrapped in soft flour skin.

Braised Pork Rice (SGD$3.50) was decent, with delectable bits of tiny braised pork cubes and half a soft-braised egg. I thought a little more gravy might transform the simple rice dish better.

Finally, Wanton Noodles (SGD$12.00) made with fresh shrimp dumplings, springy la mian noodles and a whole braised egg. Taste was a little bland but portion was very generous.

Overall a pleasant dining experience here at Lao Beijing (Olde Peking Dining Hall) - a lot has changed since my last dining experience there nearly a decade ago.

Dinner at Peach Garden Restaurant (桃苑) @ Thomson Plaza

301 Upper Thomson Road #01-88 Thomson Plaza, Singapore 574408

Tel: 6451 3233

Website: https://www.peachgarden.com.sg/thomson-plaza

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peachgarden

We celebrated Mother's Day at Peach Gardens at Novena Ville (review here) a few years back. That outlet has since closed and moved to Thomson Plaza, spacious enough to house 220 guests, and some private dining rooms.  Service was pretty decent and efficient, and ambience was a simple cushy type of elegance.

The appetizers served were Braised Peanuts (SGD$2.00) and Deep-fried Prawn Crackers (better known as "Keropok"), also at SGD$2.00 per serving.

We started with 5 pieces of Longevity Buns (SGD$1.20 per piece) shaped like pink peaches, the centre filled lusciously with lotus paste. That was in celebration of The Mom's birthday, who had insisted on "no cakes, please". The Longevity Buns were quite good; tasty, but not cloyingly sweet.

We had the Peking Duck (SGD$68.00) - one of their signature dishes - roasted duck glazed for that glossy sheen on its skin. The crispy skin would be served wrapped in thin egg sheets, together with cucumber and leek pieces, as well as a dark sauce that I usually do without.

For the rest of the duck meat, one could request for it to be served on its own as a side dish, or to be cooked with vegetables or a staple. We had wanted to order a Seafood Hor Fun dish initially, but decided to have them use the duck meat for the Hor Fun instead, so we had a tasty plate of Duck Hor Fun (top up SGD$15.00) complete with eggs, vegetables and strong "wok hei" (smokey hints of "wok's breath").

Next up, Stir-fried Kai Lan Vegetables (SGD$33.00 for medium), leafy and crunchy. Interesting, on the side was a small portion of preserved vegetables ("giam chye") chopped up, serving to complement the flavour of the bland vegetables.

Finally, Coffee Spare Ribs (SGD$28.00) topped with generous, huge pieces of almond flakes. While the sweet coffee aroma was distinctive and utterly palatable, the meat was kind of tough, making it kind of hard to bite.

We were hoping to try some desserts but there was totally no stomach space, so we concluded the meal at a mere SGD$148.00. Overall dining experience was still very pleasant, enjoying quality food brought about by polite service crew right here at Peach Gardens.

Dinner at Teahouse by Soup Restaurant @ Tampines

2 Tampines Central, #01-20, Century Square, Singapore 529509

Tel: 6260 0030

Website: http://www.souprestaurant.com.sg/teahouse.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teahouse-by-Soup-Restaurant/2084158468490974

Being dim sum lovers, my family and I were thrilled that Tea House by Soup Restaurant serves dim sum items for dinner as well, therefore here we were!

They have 3 Teahouse outlets - IMM Jurong East, Changi Airport Terminal 1, and Century Square, Tampines. We went to the latter as it was the closest to our places of residence.

Simple settings done with a Chinese retro feel; service was excellent. Especially one elderly lady whose name eluded me; she was very meticulous and warm. We also had the private room because there were 10 of us.

Started with their Crispy Fish Skin appetiser, always an enjoyable snack that I could munch non-stop on.

Then we had the Soup Restaurant's signature Samsui Ginger Chicken (SGD$15.90); utterly tender steamed chicken paired with ginger and cucumber slices. The specialty is the ginger with sesame oil, very aromatic and tasty.

Another one of their popular items was this adorable Dim Sum dish, Happy Animal Farm. It is made up of Chick-a-boo Buns (corn paste), Panda Buns (red bean paste) and Hedgehog Buns (lotus paste). Very cute, tasty and fun to eat.

We also had the Steamed Char Siew Buns (BBQ pork) (SGD$4.90); velvety bun skins comprising saccharine honey BBQ pork bits.

Following that, the Prawn Dumplings (Har Gow), with its fine crystal skin and springy fresh shrimps.

Then the Crispy Prawn Chee Cheong Fun and BBQ Pork Chee Cheong Fun (rice rolls).

Other dishes included the Beef Stir-fried with Spring Onions - tender pieces of beef tasting delicious with the infusion of spring onion's flavour.

Finally, the Sweet and Sour Pork - deep fried to a golden crispy texture and tasted very palatable with the zesty gravy.

Overall, enjoyed ourselves dining here very much, and I can foresee myself coming back for more dim sum and other dishes.

Dinner at Buffet Town Restaurant @ City Hall

252 North Bridge Road #B1-44E Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 179103

Tel: 6837 3793

Website: https://buffettown.com.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuffetTownSG

Buffet Town is an international seafood buffet restaurant located conveniently at the basement of Raffles City Shopping Centre, a wallet-friendly restaurant with seating capacity for up to 500 persons. It is also child-friendly, with a colorful playground in one corner so that the adults could dine without disturbance while the kids entertain themselves joyfully.

They have many different food stations offering a good variety of cuisine, from Japanese Station (think sashimi, grilled items and sushi) to Peranakan counters serving Curry Chicken, Chicken Pongteh, and more.

At a mere SGD$26.80 (per adult) for weekday lunch onwards, Buffet Town is definitely an affordable all-you-can-indulge food haven for food lovers, especially those who enjoy buffet for its variety.

I rather enjoyed the Laksa which was served at the Chicken Rice Stall, right next to the Brewed Soup Station. The Laksa was not too spicy, but the soup was rich with shrimp paste, which added to the aroma.

The Japanese Station was another area I frequented during my dining session there - Sashimi that was pretty decent. I also enjoyed the Seafood counter where one could get Crayfish, Oysters, Prawns, Conch, Mussels, etc.

Other stations included the Italian station with Roast Beef, Pizzas, local station with Satay and Chilli Crab, as well as a Pin Le stall serving coffee and tea.

Desserts counter comprised a variety of cakes such as Corn Cake, New York Cheese Cake, Brownie Cubes, fondue items, jars of mousse and panna cotta, as well as fruits. What was more impressive was the array of 6 home-style, hot Chinese dessert soup like Tau Suan (yellow beans soup), Cheng Teng (clear sweet soup with ingredients like dried longan), etc.

All in all, I found Buffet Town to  be a family-friendly buffet restaurant offering a well-assorted, multi-cuisine dining experience, blending tradition with modern culinary techniques. It is a good place for gatherings or a simple buffet meal but do not compare it to hotel buffets for sure.

Dinner at London Fat Duck Restaurant @ City Hall [Takeaway]

252 North Bridge Road, #B1-76 Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 179103

Tel: 6333 5580

Website: http://www.londonfatduck.com.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/londonfatduck

I've heard a lot about London Fat Duck and how its described as "the Wagyu of duck", superbly delicious, but the long queues during the restaurant's initial opening kept me from visiting. But I am definitely a fan of Roast Duck.

The long queues have since ceased, so I decided to buy a half portion of the London Fat Duck (SGD$26.00 for half / SGD$48.80 for whole) to try, when I attended a Pot-Luck Yacht Event.

The skin was still somewhat crispy, and the flesh was so tender and juicy, I was hooked. The duck tasted good on it's own, but if you douse their signature house-made dark sauce over it, the flavour becomes nearly divine. Plus point, I like how the sauce comes with a cap so we could keep it for future use!

Since then I have bought from them 3 more times, taking away to let various family groups try. Everyone agreed that the duck is different, and very delectable.

I also tried their Roast Pork Belly (SGD$12.00) -  a little softer than I expected, but that's perhaps because I got take-aways for it too.

Their Salted Egg Fish Skin (SGD$8.00) is to die for as well, richly coated with salted egg sauce and spicy enough to give a kick.

I will still be buying more duck soon, and their Duck Bak Kwa (roast meat) seems tempting as well.

Lunch at Din Tai Fung Restaurant @ Marina Bay Link Mall

8A Marina Boulevard #B2-05 / 06 Marina Bay Link Mall, Singapore 018984

Tel: 6634 7877

Website: https://www.dintaifung.com.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dintaifungsg

Time for lunch in one of the busiest business districts in Singapore's CBD area - Marina Bay Link Mall. Cracking our heads on what to eat, I let my colleague pick, and she chose Din Tai Fung Restaurant.

Huge and spacious with rather good service, this Taiwanese restaurant, a franchise outlet under the Breadtalk Group, serves mainly Chinese cuisine centred on dim sum items, soup, rice and noodle dishes etc. My last review can be found here.

We started with drinks - Iced Lemon Earl Grey Tea (SGD$5.50) for me, and Iced Lemongrass Tea (SGD$5.50) for her. If I was baffled by the hefty price of these teas initially, I now understand why. The ice ball inside the drink is made of the flavoured tea itself, not water. This means that our teas never got diluted, even as the ice ball melted gradually.

Hot and Sour Soup (SGD$9.80 for Medium) graced the table first, piping hot bowl of flavorful soup with a smooth texture, comprising slivers of mushrooms, pickled vegetables etc. This was certainly appetite-whetting.

Then there was the customary basket of Xiao Long Bao (SGD$11.30 for 10 pieces) aka steamed meat buns with soup. I always enjoy this fun and tasty dish, feeling the explosion of palatable soup filling my palate.

Next, we had the Stir-fried Pea Shoots (Dou Miao) with Shrimps (SGD$16.80), another delectable and healthy delight, adding a touch of balance to the meal.

Finally, Fried Rice with Pork Chop (SGD$13.80) - the rice was fragrant and delicious with eggs; texturized with bite. The pork chop was moist and succulent, very tasty as well.

Overall dining experience here was good, and most importantly my dining companion enjoyed it.