[SG] Asia Grand Restaurant
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Not a very conventional place for people of our age, I'd expected to see lots of families and old couples yumcha-ing on a public holiday afternoon. Surprisingly, there were quite a number of youngsters who caught up with this hidden gem at Odeon Towers.
Dimsum is always a great excuse to indulge in long lunches and somehow I just don't get sick of it even after consecutive days of the same dishes. Except for its 流沙包 (custard egg yolk bun), all other dishes managed to meet our expectations with its fine dimsum served. For a slightly more authentic touch, some of the senior service staff speak Cantonese as their mother tongue, feeling as though we're back in Hong Kong.
It was a very warm and cosy setting, felt very family-like and I would probably bring my family here for dimsum next time. The dishes were all very finely done and lived up to our expectations in general. It quite matched up to Royal China, in my opinion, as I like different dishes in both places. Seems like they're also famous for their Peking duck, tempting to go back for a taste of it!
Dimsum is always a great excuse to indulge in long lunches and somehow I just don't get sick of it even after consecutive days of the same dishes. Except for its 流沙包 (custard egg yolk bun), all other dishes managed to meet our expectations with its fine dimsum served. For a slightly more authentic touch, some of the senior service staff speak Cantonese as their mother tongue, feeling as though we're back in Hong Kong.
Charsiew-sou ($4.00)
Some of my friends say this is a staple for all dimsum meals. I'm not a fan of charsiew, so I can't offer my take on this. It has managed to satisfy my two other picky friends' tastebuds though, so I reckon this is above average and worth a shot!
Egg tarts ($4.00)
Bite-sized egg tarts with flaky crust, this is my favourite serving style. With its warm fillings and soft tender egg curd, it was goodness encapsulated in a mouthful. I liked how the crust wasn't too thick and complemented the curd well. The fillings were also rich and not overly sweet.
Nom Factor: 8.0/10
Hargao ($5.20)
As you might know if you've read my previous reviews, hargao is my staple at any dimsum places I go to. This hasn't disappointed at all. The prawns used inside were fresh and had a natural sweetness to it, unlike the crunchy processed prawns that some places use. The dumpling skin was thin enough to keep the fillings wrapped yet doesn't fall apart upon your first bite, nor does it stick to your teeth. Have it while it's hot though, while the skin is soft and slightly chewy.
Nom Factor: 9.0/10
Chee Cheong Fun with Prawns ($5.80)
This was perhaps the only other dish besides its 流沙包 (custard egg yolk bun) that didn't quite impress. I thought the 'fun' was a tad too thick and the sauce had a slight peanut taste to it that didn't quite sit well with me. It wasn't too bad, just a matter of preference I guess. There was quite a generous serving of prawns in it, I would have liked it better if the 'fun' was much thinner and smoother. One of my favourites is the scallops rendition from Royal China, right opposite Asia Grand.
Nom Factor: 6.5/10
流沙包 (custard egg yolk bun) ($4.20)
It didn't flow at all ):
It was quite an interesting presentation and we thought we ordered some fanciful dish without us knowing. The death sentence is always pronounced, at least to me, when you peel open so cautiously to realise it doesn't flow at all. The fillings weren't well mixed, it had a much higher proportion of egg yolk and I couldn't really taste the slight sweetness of the custard in it. There was also an odd aftertaste that was kinda familiar, yet a first to appear in 流沙包. We couldn't quite figure out what that was, but it didn't enhance the dish for sure.
The brown swirls didn't have any taste to it, quite deceiving as I thought there would be some special flavour to it. I didn't quite like the bun too, it was a bit too thick, and it had a loose airy texture that made it rougher than the usual.
Nom Factor: 5.0/10
Siew Mai ($4.80)
An ordinary looking dish but managed to impress quite a bit! For a start, there's real fish roe toppings. The fillings were very fresh and juicy, with tender meat and prawn chunks, and I like how it was different from usual siew mai, with a stronger mushroom taste in it. It added a unique fragrance to the dish and wasn't just the normal 'boring' siew mai. It would have been better if there was just a little less skin though. But that's just me being a little picky, as the excess at the edges bothered me a little, tasting some parts with just skin.
Nom Factor: 8.0/10
Shrimp Roll with Mango ($5.20)
This reminded me of the wonderfully addictive dish at Kow Loon Tim Sum. This wasn't quite well done though, the mango and prawn pieces felt like two distinct dishes instead of a complement to each other. The type of mango chosen wasn't perfect for this, it wasn't ripe and sweet enough to melt in your mouth and add on to the sweetness of the prawns. Fresh prawns used and I liked the crunch and flavour of the sesame coated skin nonetheless.
Nom Factor: 6.0/10
Fried Pork Dumpling ($4.20)
Pan fried to a nice golden brown (albeit abit oily), this is perhaps the best part of any gyozas to give that extra crisp. It could have been crispier, as this one with juicy meat packed inside felt more like a xiaolongbao. The skin was also a tad too thick, but I liked the tasty fillings inside.
Nom Factor: 7.0/10
Beef Balls ($4.20)
This is supposed to be a seasonal dish, and we were surprised by the huge serving size. The meat was succulent and had a slight chew to it. It had a very homemade touch to it with the irregular edges. A personal preference though, I didn't quite like the strong taste of vegetables and spring onions in it. Quite a recommended dish if you like vegetables!
Nom Factor: 7.5/10
Nicely designed cup handle so that it's safe for kids as well.
Happy family yumcha-ing (:
It was a very warm and cosy setting, felt very family-like and I would probably bring my family here for dimsum next time. The dishes were all very finely done and lived up to our expectations in general. It quite matched up to Royal China, in my opinion, as I like different dishes in both places. Seems like they're also famous for their Peking duck, tempting to go back for a taste of it!
Overall Nom Factor: 8.0/10
331 North Bridge Road #01-02
Odeon Towers
Singapore 118720
1 comments
Very good dish!
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