When I exited from The Sushi Bar a few weeks ago after the farewell lunch for my colleague cum friend, I walked past the nearby the East Ocean Teochew Restaurant and guess what sparked a craving? The display of dim sum outside the popular eatery!
I returned to the same floor at Ngee Ann City a week later but the number of hungry diners clamoring to get into the restaurant was too large and I knew it would likely be a while before I can even step in! That's when we noticed Empire Fine Chinese Cuisine, an eatery that opened for business after circuit breaker. Dim sum was available as an option and the moment we stepped in; we were surprised by how small the place was and the opulence of the interior design. Needless to say, the captivating ceiling would be the first thing drawing your attention!
Comfortable, velvety chairs and crockeries with designs that seemed to tell a story of a man fishing in one of the many beautiful lakes in China. Anyway, I was famished and ordering the dim sum would be way more important than anything else.
Our orders!
Steamed Crispy Rice Roll with Shrimps and Foie Gras - wrapped with crunchy Chinese fritters and further wrapped with the smooth rice roll, this dim sum would be suitable for people looking for contrasting texture. It didn't disappoint, especially with the fresh prawns hidden within that complemented well with the foie gras, that's likely the key determinant for the higher pricing.
Steamed Prawn with Bamboo Shoots Dumpling - typically known as har gow, they included, interestingly, bamboo shoots which I don't enjoy. Not sure what they would taste like as whole, we ordered simply because we were curious. Usually, I would remove a large part of the dumpling skin as they were too thick for my liking. These were thinner than the norm and boy were the prawns big and *crunchy*! p.s. strangely, no taste of the bamboo shoot!
Deep Fried Beancurd Skin Roll with Prawn
- relatively normal with a rich mushroom flavour; I do wonder if a saucer of mayonnaise would help elevate the flavour.
Steamed Pork with Black Truffle Dumpling - on its own, the siew mail was delicious and I seriously think that the addition of black truffle was unnecessary as it didn't result in an OMG, SO GOOD expression. Steamed Barbecued Kurobuta Pork Bun - I was a bit hesitant to order this as Alex isn't a steamed bun person and if they turned out to be not of his expectation; I would have to finish all of them myself!
Pillowy soft with sweet, savoury filling chock-filled with yummy pieces of char siew that's not cloyingly sweet; the problem is that I had to share with Alex as they were so good! Steamed Dumpling with Black Truffle in Superior Soup - I would always make it a pot to order this one dumpling soup whenever I see it on the dim sum menu. Reason being it's like a one gigantic xiao long bao surrounded by the delicious meat broth.
Took a sip of the soup; quite bland. Don't be so quick to discount as breaking the dumpling skin would be key to release the aromatic truffle and transforming the soup into one that's unforgettably awesome! What's inside the filling? You can find minced meat, prawns, sea cucumber, mushrooms and I guess some strands of shark's fins.
Mashed Taro with Ginkgo - another item I find it hard to resist not ordering in a dim sum restaurant is orh nee! My favourite is from the now-closed Mong Hing Teochew restaurant and it's always the benchmark when I had orh nee from other eateries. Alex loved it as it was nicely flavoured with a light sweetness that didn't overwhelm the palate. I thought the texture was a bit too watery and while it's nice; it's still not comparable to Mong Hing. Soup with White Fungus and Red Dates - in reality, it's our typical cheng tng which I would count as my favourite local dessert here in Singapore. The taste appealed to me and I like how it was chilled perfectly without the need for additional ice.
Only issue; serving size was tiny and I could literally count the one piece of snow fungus, singular red date, two dried longans, two lotus seeds and two ginkgo nuts. Given the size of my mouth, they were gone in no time! How I wish the the soup was refillable. :(
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The dim sum we had were generally better than expected, with an interesting twist that came with a higher price premium. While I wouldn't be able to afford a monthly visit, this would be nice as an occasional treat. Shall bring my parents next time to indulge!
391 Orchard Road, #05-30,
Ngee Ann City, Singapore 238872
Operating Hours
Mondays to Fridays Lunch - 11.30 am to 2.45 pm Saturdays Lunch - 11.00 am to 2.45 pm
Sundays Lunch - 10.30 am to 2.45 pm
Dinner - 6.00 pm to 9.45 pm
Website
Ordering List
Pricing
Steamed Crispy Rice Roll with Shrimps and Foie Gras - S$9.80 Steamed Prawn with Bamboo Shoots Dumpling - S$6.80
Deep Fried Beancurd Skin Roll with Prawn - S$6.80
Steamed Pork with Black Truffle Dumpling - S$7.80
Steamed Barbecued Kurobuta Pork Bun - S$5.80
Steamed Dumpling with Black Truffle in Superior Soup - S$9.80
Mashed Taro with Ginkgo - S$6.00
Soup with White Fungus and Red Dates - S$5.50
Tea - S$3.00 per person
(Subject to GST and Service Charge)
