The above blinds were not to be taken lightly! One of the servers kindly explained to us that these goldfish were carefully embroidered with precision and the sheer size of this embroidery was a marvel! 

Chilled sliced lotus roots marinated in honey and stuffed with glutinous rice- 云腿密莲藕片($75/-)

Not quite a fan of lotus roots, so I did not get to trying it but according to the other diners at the table, this was quite a well-received dish with a mild sweetness from the honey to glaze the soft and evenly sliced lotus roots. The sweetness from the honey was well infused into both the lotus roots and glutinous rice, giving it a very distinctly bold flavour.

Verdict: 7.5/10

Chilled sliced trotter with marinated jelly fish with vintage wine - 海蜇醉花蹄 ($90/-)

Pig's trotters were really first brought onto the tables of fine-dining by Chef Marco Pierre White who inherited the recipes from his mentor Pierre Koffmann. The trotters were evenly sliced, exposing a thin layer of fat surrounding the tender meat. The selected cut had a perfect mix of lean meat and fat to give each bite a juicy and succulent touch. Complemented with the accompanying chewy, bouncy and elastic jelly fish infused with wine, it offered a good balance in texture and summed up a very flavoured appetizer.

Verdict: 7.5/10

Deep fried Macau sole with spicy salt - 椒盐龙脷仔($75/-)

I thought that the rabbit cherry tomato was a good decorative item on the serving plate, just to dress the dish and infuse some 'life' into it. This was a classic Cantonese dish in my opinion with spicy salt but the sole was deep fried to a perfect golden brown with a sheer layer of crispness. It was brittle and snapped easily with each bite, though there was barely any flesh from the fish to savour. It was more of a tantalizing treat for the taste buds, giving a solid punch of flavours from the spicy salt and a great texture from the crunch.

Verdict: 8.0/10

Chilled marinated cucumber with thousand year old egg - 手拍青瓜皮蛋 ($50/-)

I enjoyed the texture of crunchiness from the fresh cucumber chunks balanced with the softness from the century eggs but the marinate did not suit my palate. The garlic taste was overwhelming and empowered the flavours of this supposedly light starter. The century eggs were however fresh but the condiments to the dish did it injustice.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Double-boiled sea whelk with birch seeds and red dates - 滋补炖响螺 ($110/bowl)

The soup was light but very tasty in flavour, with a warm, hearty punch. You could tell by tasting that it was a perfect bowl of slow-cooked soup which brought out all the flavours from the ingredients. 

Verdict: 8.5/10

Double-boiled shark's cartilage with conpoy and bamboo piths - 瑶柱竹笙炖鲨鱼骨汤 ($95/-)

This was a stark contrast to the sea whelk soup, for this was rich and luscious. It was explained to us by the servers that it had been double-boiled and slowly cooked to perfection, resulting in the shark's cartilage melting into the broth, which gave a very substantial after taste after each sip.

Verdict: 8.5/10

Shredded roasted duck with cantaloupe, melon, mango and caramelized walnuts - 锦绣玉鸳鸯 ($180/-)

This was one of the best dishes of the evening in my personal opinion. Recommended by the server as one of the owner's favourite dishes, we thought it would be worth a try, considering that the dish was inspired by Singapore's version of 'Yusheng' enjoyed during Chinese New Year. There was a lot going on with each mouthful, the natural sweetness from the ripe melons supplemented by the caramelized walnuts to give a bolder flavour. This was contrasted by the piquancy delivered from the fresh mangoes, which gave a sharp tinge of sourness that bit but in a pleasant fashion to complete the palate. The succulently tender shredded duck meat coupled with the crunch from the walnuts and the crisp roast duck skin augmented the overall texture of the dish, giving substance to the refreshing dish.