Imperial Treasure Teochew Cuisine

Imperial Treasure Teochew Cuisine – 391 Orchard Road, Ngee Ann City, #04-20A

The more I visit Chinese restaurants, the more I begin to think that service is a Western ideal. Forget about them noticing that one of my party was clearly very Indian and spoke not a word of Chinese, every member of the wait staff simply rattled away in mandarin. Do not even expect thought to be put into your pace of eating when dishes are served for everything is dumped on your table at once; too bad if much of it grows cold before you manage to get round to it or if you lack room to move. Yet, these places manage to draw snaking queues because the food miraculously redeems all that with its variety and scrumptiousness. My party of three racked up a massive $115.93 bill and polished off every last morsel.

Our order of Marinated Duck's Tongue ($8) had a most curious texture midway between crunch and gelatinousness. While rather fussy going with a central shard of bone, it was excellent with a sharp white vinegar dip.

Vermicelli Soup with Roast Goose ($8) had a mixed reception for the jury's still out on whether the roast goose was pleasantly moist or soggy.

However, the thick, milky vermicelli soup with wonderful springy noodles found a fan in me for it seemed to have drawn inspiration from sliced fish noodles, one of my favourite comfort foods.

The Deep Fried Pig's Intestines ($8.40) were absolutely sensational. Extremely crisp on the outside, luxuriously soft and creamy on the inside while managing to remain not the least bit oily; it bordered on perfection.

Alas, the Pig's Trotters with Egg and Black Vinegar ($5.50) was proof that some things are best left to home cooks. The ginger sections were unpeeled, leaving a chewy, unappetizing layer of skin to ruin the mouthfeel of the tender young roots. Furthermore, the meat was not braised nearly long enough for the fat to be emulsified by the vinegar so the trotters were still tough and fatty rather than melt-in-your-mouth with little visible marbling. By cutting corners and saving time, all that remained noteworthy in this simple dish was a pleasantly syrupy sauce.

The Stewed Pig's Shank with Peanuts ($5) fared much better with its thick, rich gravy, generous chunks of gelatinous tendon and soft, delicate layer of skin.

The Steamed Teochew Dumplings ($3.30) were one of the more unusual dim sum offerings. Stuffed with turnip slices, black fungus and peanuts, they had a wonderful combination of textures.

I had to try a steamer of Har Kau ($4.40) which had delightfully soft skins stuffed till the verge of bursting with deliciously crunchy shrimp.

The Siew Mai ($4) were a touch too salty though but otherwise aced the combination of tender, juicy chicken stuffing and still more springy shrimp.

I loved the strong, grassy pungency of chives in the Pan Fried Chive Dumplings ($3.50) but they could have been far less greasy.

The Steamed Chicken with Fish Maw ($4.80) presented a gorgeous amalgam of flavours and textures with spongy fish maw, chewy shiitake, meaty ham chunks and juicy chicken pieces.

Shanghai Steamed Pork Dumplings ($3.60) are my perennial favourite but - as always - featured skins that were way too fragile. Nevertheless, I enjoyed whatever dribble of thickened meat broth and marinated mince that reached my mouth.

The Fish Maw Soup with Pearl Leaves ($9) was decidedly average though I always marvel at how a swim bladder can even be rendered edible. The crunchy fungus and small bits of mince provided the bulk of the texture and flavour though.

I much preferred the Minced Beef with Vegetables in Thickened Soup ($8) as the beef was not overcooked to toughness and flavoured the eggdrop-thickened soup generously.

A Chinese restaurant meal is never complete without a Mango Pudding ($4) and this one was a princely specimen with actual mango chunks embedded in the gelatinized mango purée, no chemical aftertaste detected.

The Walnut Cream ($4) was another winner with a pleasant viscosity and that bittersweetness I adore.

Less remarkable were the Egg Tarts ($3) which were a little too flaky but the custard struck a good balance of firmness and moistness.