Peach Garden Chinese Restaurant, The Executives' Club
I've realised that my colleagues love dim sum. Response is tremendously overwhelming very time I organise L.A. Lunches at a dim sum restaurant. One of the most popular restaurants is Peach Garden, where we held this month's L.A. Lunch. This was a farewell lunch for LJ and ZM (who is migrating to the land down under).
Because I placed a booking early on Monday, we managed to get the private room. The view of the city is amazing from the 33rd floor. Please note that there is a minimum charge of $500 per table for private room bookings.
The Appetiser ($3 per saucer) was a refreshing medley of tartness and sweetness, and pricked our tastebuds for the gastronomic feast ahead.
We got the ubiquitous Har Gow ($4.80 for a steamer of 3 pieces), steamed prawn dumpling. This was yummy, a whole crunchy prawn wrapped in a thin translucent skin. The skin was done just right, it was thin without being too filmsy or too thick.
What's har gow without its best mate, Siew Mai ($4.80 for a steamer of 3 pieces). This was also one of their bestsellers. Minced pork and crunchy prawns, and topped with another prawn for posterity, this was huge and juicy.
We also got another must-try, the Prawns Wrapped in Beancurd Skin and Seaweed ($1.40 for one piece). The seaweed is an unusual touch and adds that extra umami-ness.
The next item was the Roasted Pork ($8). This was decadent but wonderfully aromatic. Even ZM and CC who usually stay away from fatty foods, happily helped themselves to seconds.
We got another firm favourite, the Fried Carrot Cake with XO Sauce ($8). This had a delightfully "wok hei" taste, and the beansprouts added a crunchy refreshing edge to it. Of course I removed the spring onions.
We also got the Steamed Carrot Cake ($3.60), this was just so-so, largely because compared to the fried version, there was no contest. Wah Lok and Crystal Jade Palace do this so much better.
We also had to get the rice rolls, one with char siew (for ZM) and the other with prawns. The char siew was aromatic and wrapped in satiny rice rolls ($4.20). ZM loved this.
The Prawns in Rice Roll ($4.50) were just as good as the char siew version, the prawns were succulent and juicy.
The mains came next, we got Peking Ducks ($60 each). This was perfection. The skin of the duck was roasted so skilfully that the skin glistened in the mood lighting.
The skins were served with flour pancakes. I felt this was a little too thick, but then again, I generally prefer egg pancakes which are thinner. The skin of the duck was so crispy I could hear my colleagues across the table chomping on their pancakes.
By special request from LJ, we also ordered the Prawns Sauteed with Salted Egg Yolk ($60 for 20 prawns), deshelled of course. Then again, I would have ordered this dish with or without the special request, just because I love anything cooked in salted egg yolk. Jumbo fresh prawns crusted with golden sandy salted egg yolk, this was immediately loved by all who had it for the first time. Deep fried curry leaves were also added for a slight but distinct tinge of heat.
For our obligatory greens, we ordered the Bai Cai Miao with Braised Bai Ling Mushroom ($36). This dish came slathered with opulent gravy infused with earthy tones from the mushroom. Bai ling mushroom tends to be mistaken for abalone, which one of my colleagues did, because the texture of the fungi is as smooth and slippery as the marine delicacy.
After the main dishes, our soups started arriving. The other dishes were all pre-ordered so they arrived earlier than the soups which were only ordered upon seating. I got my favourite, the Assorted Seafood Soup in Melon ($12). Strips of dried scallops (conpoy), diced prawns, sliced dried sea cucumber, chunks of fresh crab meat, fish maw and sweet wolfberries in a clear seafood based soup were served in a hollowed-out melon. The presentation was a piece of art.
Mr Motormouth got the popular Shredded Abalone with 8 Treasures Soup ($15). This was full of umami flavours of the sea.
We got desserts to help soothe our tummies after all that gluttony. I always feel less full after eating dessert. Most girls, with the exceptions of models and girls with low self-esteem, would agree that dessert has a separate compartment in the stomach.
Peach Garden's signature desserts are their coconut-based desserts. I'm not a fan of coconut so I got the Mango Pomelo with Sago dessert ($4.50). This was cooling and refreshing, with bits of pomelo added for a sour twist to the fruity dessert.
This was a satisfying and scrumptious meal, whereby one of my colleagues declared that this was the best Chinese restaurant she's ever eaten at.
Please note that there is a 15% discount for UOB credit cards. The discount brought the bill below budget and was a lot cheaper than expected, for the amount of food consumed. I think there might be enough budget for another L.A. Lunch this month!
Peach Garden Chinese Restaurant
The Executives' Club
65 Chulia Street
OCBC Centre #33-00
Tel: 6535 7833
Website: www.peachgarden.com.sg
Open Mondays to Saturdays from 11.30am to 2.30pm for lunch; and from 6pm to 10pm for dinner
Sundays and Public Holidays from 10.30am to 3pm for lunch; and from 6pm to 10pm for dinner
Because I placed a booking early on Monday, we managed to get the private room. The view of the city is amazing from the 33rd floor. Please note that there is a minimum charge of $500 per table for private room bookings.
The Appetiser ($3 per saucer) was a refreshing medley of tartness and sweetness, and pricked our tastebuds for the gastronomic feast ahead.
We got the ubiquitous Har Gow ($4.80 for a steamer of 3 pieces), steamed prawn dumpling. This was yummy, a whole crunchy prawn wrapped in a thin translucent skin. The skin was done just right, it was thin without being too filmsy or too thick.
What's har gow without its best mate, Siew Mai ($4.80 for a steamer of 3 pieces). This was also one of their bestsellers. Minced pork and crunchy prawns, and topped with another prawn for posterity, this was huge and juicy.
We also got another must-try, the Prawns Wrapped in Beancurd Skin and Seaweed ($1.40 for one piece). The seaweed is an unusual touch and adds that extra umami-ness.
The next item was the Roasted Pork ($8). This was decadent but wonderfully aromatic. Even ZM and CC who usually stay away from fatty foods, happily helped themselves to seconds.
We got another firm favourite, the Fried Carrot Cake with XO Sauce ($8). This had a delightfully "wok hei" taste, and the beansprouts added a crunchy refreshing edge to it. Of course I removed the spring onions.
We also got the Steamed Carrot Cake ($3.60), this was just so-so, largely because compared to the fried version, there was no contest. Wah Lok and Crystal Jade Palace do this so much better.
We also had to get the rice rolls, one with char siew (for ZM) and the other with prawns. The char siew was aromatic and wrapped in satiny rice rolls ($4.20). ZM loved this.
The Prawns in Rice Roll ($4.50) were just as good as the char siew version, the prawns were succulent and juicy.
The mains came next, we got Peking Ducks ($60 each). This was perfection. The skin of the duck was roasted so skilfully that the skin glistened in the mood lighting.
The skins were served with flour pancakes. I felt this was a little too thick, but then again, I generally prefer egg pancakes which are thinner. The skin of the duck was so crispy I could hear my colleagues across the table chomping on their pancakes.
By special request from LJ, we also ordered the Prawns Sauteed with Salted Egg Yolk ($60 for 20 prawns), deshelled of course. Then again, I would have ordered this dish with or without the special request, just because I love anything cooked in salted egg yolk. Jumbo fresh prawns crusted with golden sandy salted egg yolk, this was immediately loved by all who had it for the first time. Deep fried curry leaves were also added for a slight but distinct tinge of heat.
For our obligatory greens, we ordered the Bai Cai Miao with Braised Bai Ling Mushroom ($36). This dish came slathered with opulent gravy infused with earthy tones from the mushroom. Bai ling mushroom tends to be mistaken for abalone, which one of my colleagues did, because the texture of the fungi is as smooth and slippery as the marine delicacy.
After the main dishes, our soups started arriving. The other dishes were all pre-ordered so they arrived earlier than the soups which were only ordered upon seating. I got my favourite, the Assorted Seafood Soup in Melon ($12). Strips of dried scallops (conpoy), diced prawns, sliced dried sea cucumber, chunks of fresh crab meat, fish maw and sweet wolfberries in a clear seafood based soup were served in a hollowed-out melon. The presentation was a piece of art.
Mr Motormouth got the popular Shredded Abalone with 8 Treasures Soup ($15). This was full of umami flavours of the sea.
We got desserts to help soothe our tummies after all that gluttony. I always feel less full after eating dessert. Most girls, with the exceptions of models and girls with low self-esteem, would agree that dessert has a separate compartment in the stomach.
Peach Garden's signature desserts are their coconut-based desserts. I'm not a fan of coconut so I got the Mango Pomelo with Sago dessert ($4.50). This was cooling and refreshing, with bits of pomelo added for a sour twist to the fruity dessert.
This was a satisfying and scrumptious meal, whereby one of my colleagues declared that this was the best Chinese restaurant she's ever eaten at.
Please note that there is a 15% discount for UOB credit cards. The discount brought the bill below budget and was a lot cheaper than expected, for the amount of food consumed. I think there might be enough budget for another L.A. Lunch this month!
Peach Garden Chinese Restaurant
The Executives' Club
65 Chulia Street
OCBC Centre #33-00
Tel: 6535 7833
Website: www.peachgarden.com.sg
Open Mondays to Saturdays from 11.30am to 2.30pm for lunch; and from 6pm to 10pm for dinner
Sundays and Public Holidays from 10.30am to 3pm for lunch; and from 6pm to 10pm for dinner
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