Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, Suntec City Mall
It was a rainy day so we decided to get some warm soupy noodles to warm our bellies. Using the "objective bus method", (a method of choosing a dinner destination which the BF and I invented whereby we hop onto the first bus that arrives at our bus stop and drop off at whichever available eating place along the bus route) we landed at Suntec City Mall. Instead of the usual wanton noodles at Crystal Jade Kitchen, we decided to have some la mian (hand-pulled noodles) at its sister outlet, Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao.
As the BF is fighting off a persistent cough and cold, he got the Spicy Soup Noodle with Sliced Beef ($7.50). This came served with generous pieces of sliced beef and baby bok choy in a Sichuan mala soup stock with sesame seed sprinkles. The deceptively coloured soup was not spicy in the slightest (good for me but bad for the BF) and very reminiscent of Maggi instant noodles soup stock. The noodles were too soggy for our liking and lacked bite. The saving grace was the carparccio-thin beef that was tender, robust and flavoursome, without the pulverised texture and artificial tenderiser taste.
A closeup of the full-bodied beef.
We also got the Pork and Vegetable Wanton Soup ($6.40), which was chicken-based. I loved the comforting and delicately-light clear soup in which Chinese ham was added for depth of flavour.
The wantons were made up of coarsely ground fresh pork, chives, spring onions and bits of minced prawn and julienned black fungus were thrown into the fray for texture and wrapped in a silky thin wanton skin. And boy were they generous with the dumplings, I counted 8 huge dumplings in all.
We weren't huge fans of the service standards at this Crystal Jade branch. Somehow, the staff lacked the dynamism and attentiveness of the Energizer-Bunny-worthy staff at its sister branch (Crystal Jade Kitchen, also located at Suntec). We had to make repeated requests for our glasses of iced Chinese tea to be refilled, and the staff just seemed a lot more laidback and slower in movement. Food for thought for the management maybe?
We'll probably stick to the usual Crystal Jade Kitchen branch at Suntec for future noodle cravings.
Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
3 Temasek Boulevard #B1-028
Suntec City Mall
Tel: 6337 6678
Open daily from 11am to 10pm
Website: www.crystaljade.com
As the BF is fighting off a persistent cough and cold, he got the Spicy Soup Noodle with Sliced Beef ($7.50). This came served with generous pieces of sliced beef and baby bok choy in a Sichuan mala soup stock with sesame seed sprinkles. The deceptively coloured soup was not spicy in the slightest (good for me but bad for the BF) and very reminiscent of Maggi instant noodles soup stock. The noodles were too soggy for our liking and lacked bite. The saving grace was the carparccio-thin beef that was tender, robust and flavoursome, without the pulverised texture and artificial tenderiser taste.
A closeup of the full-bodied beef.
We also got the Pork and Vegetable Wanton Soup ($6.40), which was chicken-based. I loved the comforting and delicately-light clear soup in which Chinese ham was added for depth of flavour.
The wantons were made up of coarsely ground fresh pork, chives, spring onions and bits of minced prawn and julienned black fungus were thrown into the fray for texture and wrapped in a silky thin wanton skin. And boy were they generous with the dumplings, I counted 8 huge dumplings in all.
We weren't huge fans of the service standards at this Crystal Jade branch. Somehow, the staff lacked the dynamism and attentiveness of the Energizer-Bunny-worthy staff at its sister branch (Crystal Jade Kitchen, also located at Suntec). We had to make repeated requests for our glasses of iced Chinese tea to be refilled, and the staff just seemed a lot more laidback and slower in movement. Food for thought for the management maybe?
We'll probably stick to the usual Crystal Jade Kitchen branch at Suntec for future noodle cravings.
Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
3 Temasek Boulevard #B1-028
Suntec City Mall
Tel: 6337 6678
Open daily from 11am to 10pm
Website: www.crystaljade.com
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