Jia He Grand - Exquisite CNY Set Menu 2024 [MEDIA INVITE]

Enter the auspicious Year of the Dragon with Jia He Chinese Restaurant and its sister establishment Jia He Grand. From 21 January 2024 to 24 February 2024, both establishments will dazzled the guests with meticulously curated menus tailored for families, friends and business associates. What better way to celebrate the Lunar New Year than with Jia He Chinese Restaurant and Jia He Grand.

For this Media Tasting session at Jia He Grand, we tried their Jia He Exquisite CNY Set Menu 2024, priced at $2688++ for 10 persons.

Jia He Prosperity Five Auspicious Blessings "Yu Sheng”

The feast commences with Jia He Prosperity Five Auspicious Blessings "Yu Sheng” (嘉和五福彩玉捞生). This Yu Sheng contains 5 key ingredients with Auspicious Blessings: Fish Maw, Sliced Roast Duck, Shredded Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Salmon. Served together with Bellpeppers, Juliene of Radish, Salads and Special sauce.

Jia He Prosperity Five Auspicious Blessings "Yu Sheng”

After the fun session doing the “Lo Hei”, the Yu Sheng is plated individually and the service staff ensure we got all the ingredients on our plate. As each of the ingredients contributed their unique texture and flavour, it is like having a party in your mouth. On top of that, the special sauce from Jia He added fireworks in the mix, as it contains Sichuan chilli sauce and yuzu. WOW. (Do note that for those who do not or are unable to take spicy stuff, you can request the non-spicy version)

My Yu Sheng Plate

Sea Cucumber

Double-boiled Buddha Jump Over the Wall with Red Ginseng (红参佛跳墙). This sumptuous yet nutritious double-boiled Buddha Jump Over the Wall is unique, especially with the extra ingredient of Red Ginseng.

Double-boiled Buddha Jump Over the Wall with Red Ginseng
(红参佛跳墙)

First serving, Fish Maw and Shark Fin. For this first serving, I enjoy the crunchy texture of the shark fin and the bouncy & collagen of the fish maw. While the clear broth looks light, it contains the essence of all the ingredients, including the red ginseng in the broth. Usually, when we see the shark fin, we automatically reach for the vinegar, in this case, there is no need for it. There is no fishy smell from the shark fin and the fish maw.

First serving, Fish Maw and Shark Fin

Second serving, sea cucumber, mushroom, pork tendon & dry scallops. The broth of the second serving is thicker, more robust and filled with umami flavour. The sea cucumber and pork tendon are soft, but crunchy. While the mushroom soaks up the essence of the ingredients beautifully. A lovely and fulfilling broth.

Second serving, sea cucumber, mushroom,
pork tendon & dry scallops

Steamed Australian lobster with Sea Urchin in Egg White and Chinese Wine (海胆威龙). An Exquisite bowl of Chawanmushi. When this dish is presented, a serving of Singapore whisky is lit on fire and poured over each bowl. The lobster is cooked to perfection, delivering a sweet, smooth and silky texture that pairs nicely with the sea urchin. The pillowy egg white and Chinese Wine added a delicate flavour, while the whisky gave a contrasting flavour of oak and smokiness.

Steamed Australian Lobster with Sea Urchin
in Egg White and Chinese Wine (海胆威龙)

Poached Sliced Spotted Garoupa with Wild Mushroom and Superior Lobster Soup (野菌龙虾汤堂灼星班). While the preparation is done in the kitchen, the cooking and plating are done table side. The sliced fish and wild mushrooms are pan-fried table side with oil and butter. Once cooked, lobster stock is added to complete the dish. The result is soft, silky smooth garoupa slices, accompanied by robust stock complete with umami flavour. A very comforting dish. Yummy!!

Poached Sliced Spotted Garoupa with Wild Mushroom and
Superior Lobster Soup (野菌龙虾汤堂灼星班). 

Roasted Suckling Pig with Australia 3 Head Abalone, Fried Rice with Yam and Sakura Shrimp (香芋櫻花虾3头鲍鱼有米乳猪). This dish can also be considered as the third serving of Buddha Jump Over the Wall, as the abalones used here were cooked inside the broth.

Roasted Suckling Pig with Australia 3 Head Abalone, Fried Rice with Yam and Sakura Shrimp (香芋櫻花虾3头鲍鱼有米乳猪).

The suckling pig has a paper-thin crispy skin, followed by juicy and fatty flesh. The fried rice is fragrant, filled with the flavour of the Sakura shrimp and the drippings from the suckling pig. The abalone is soft and flavourful. Don’t forget about the pickled Roman tomato and cucumber on the side, not only they are very yummy, it will help to balance the richness of this dish.

My Serving of Suckling Pig

Desserts are Daifuku filled with Mandarin Orange and Cream Served with Bird's Nest-Ginseng Xiao Long Bao (橙香雪梅拼泡参小笼包燕窝). The Bird’s Nest-Ginseng Xiao Long Bao is best eaten when it is hot. It is refreshing, while the broth is medium sweet, offset with a touch of bitterness from the ginseng.

Bird's Nest-Ginseng Xiao Long Bao (泡参小笼包燕窝)

Meanwhile, the Daifuku is packed with orange flavour, refreshing and just bursts in your mouth.

Daifuku filled with Mandarin Orange and Cream (橙香雪梅拼)

We had an additional treat of Nian Gao from our host. It is pan-fried without coating, resulting in a crispy exterior, with a nice caramelisation. It has a medium sweetness followed by a warming taste of the ginseng.

Nian Gao

Overall, Jia He Grand Exquisite CNY Set Menu 2024 exceeded my expectations. It is packed with flavour, nutritious and tantalises your palate. Jia He Exquisite CNY Set Menu 2024, priced at $2688++ for 10 persons and advanced booking are required. Ganbei! Cheers!

Thank you very much Sharon & Jia He Grand Team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 9/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 8.5/10

Budget per Person: $81 & Above.

Jia He Grand @ One Farrer Hotel

One Farrer Hotel, Level 1

1 Farrer Park Station Road,

Singapore 217562

T: +65 6538 9688 / 6538 2788

W: https://www.jiahe.com.sg/jiahe-grand

F: https://www.facebook.com/JiaHeRestaurant

IG: @Jiaherestaurant

OH: Daily 11.00 – 14.30 (LO 14.00); 18.00 – 22.00 (LO 21.00)

CNY Menu and other information is available online

Sister Restaurant

Jia He Chinese Restaurant

1 Farrer Park Station Road,

#01-14/15/16 Connexion,

Singapore 217562

T: +65 6694 8988 / 6694 9466

W: https://www.jiahe.com.sg/jiahe-chinese-restaurant

F: https://www.facebook.com/JiaHeRestaurant

IG: @Jiaherestaurant

OH: Daily 11.00 – 15.00 (LO 14.30); 18.00 – 22.00 (LO 21.30)

Online Shop: https://shop.jiahe.com.sg/cny

Myung Ga II – Authentic Korean Family Recipe [MEDIA INVITE]

Myung Ga (명가) II is a name famous in Singapore’s Korean food scene, that has become synonymous with dishes rooted in authentic Korean family recipes. The restaurant is expanding its legacy and proudly announces the opening of its second outlet in Singapore’s Litte Korea, Tanjong Pagar.

Myung Ga II

We started the tasting with Original Kimbap Spam ($11). These colourful Kimbab fillings include spam, omelette, carrot, spinach, pickled radish and burdock root. We like the chewy of the rice and seaweed, followed by the different textures of the fillings. I feel they can be a bit more generous with sesame oil wash on the seaweed. A good start to the meal.

Original Kimbap Spam

Banchan

Donkatsu ($20). I have tried a few Korean donkatsu in Singapore and I must say the version at Myung Ga II is the best one I tried in Singapore. The pork cutlet is fried to the point of very crispy, and the sauce has a nice balance of sweet and sour. The best part is the pork cutlet remains crispy even when it is covered with the sauce for a while. Served together on the donkatsu are corn kernels, baked beans, salad and pickled radish.

Donkatsu

Cheese Gyelanjjim ($15). The slightly charred cheese on top of gyelanjjim is just so inviting. The egg is fluffy and tasty, while the cheese adds the stretch factor and umami flavour to the egg.

Cheese Gyelanjjim

Seafood Pancake - Haemu Buchu Jeon ($20). Crispy externally, moist and pillowy internally. They are very generous with the ingredients, as I get a bite of the seafood in each part. The pancake itself is very tasty, I did not use the dipping sauce.

Seafood Pancake

Altang ($23) Korean Spicy Fish Roe Stew. Once we saw the fish roe and fish milt on the menu, we decided we must order this soup. The fish roe has a firm eggy texture, while the milt is soft and easily melts in your mouth. The soup is hot and spicy, suitable for LD but too spicy for me. The good thing is the portion of fish roe and fish milt are very generous as well.

Altang - Korean Spicy Fish Roe Stew

Spicy Stir Fried Octopus - Nakji Dupbap ($20). One of LD’s favourite Korean dishes, the octopus is tender, slightly chewy and spicy but shiok. Definitely a rice thief.

Spicy Stir Fried Octopus - Nakji Dupbap 

Finally, we have Sliced Iberico Pork Belly ($22 for self grill / $24 for served grill). A speciality dish for Myung Ga at Tanjong Pagar. It is a time-honoured tradition of frozen pork BBQ. With the latest technology, frozen pork now delivers a better flavour compared to the vintage year.

Sliced Iberico Pork Belly 

The frozen thin slices of pork belly are grilled and seasoned with salt and pepper. The result is crispy pork belly. You can eat the pork belly with seasoned gochujang, salt & sesame dip, green chilli and lettuce. I recommend that you ask the staff to do the grilling for you. Also for the first order, there is a minimum of 2 pax.

Perfectly Grilled Sliced Iberico Pork Belly 

The sidekick for grilled pork belly

The décor of the restaurant is like a casual café setting. You won’t see any suction pipes coming down from the roof as it is not a Korean BBQ restaurant. The restaurant is bright and the ambiance is spruced up with K-pop music.

The Dining Area

Overall, Myung Ga II served solid Korean homecooked food. The dishes are well executed and they are very enticing as well. We’ll come back to try the rest of the dishes plus the Altang and Nakji Dupbap.

Our Desserts

Thank you very much Protegie and Victoria + Myung Ga II Team for the invitation.

Food & Drink: 8.5/10

Value: 8.5/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 7.5/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Myung Ga (명가) II

28 Tanjong Pagar Road

Singapore 088451

T: +65 8042 8025

F: https://www.facebook.com/myungga2.sg

IG: @myungga2.sg

OH:

Tue – Sun: 11.30 – 15.00; 17.30 – 22.00

Closed on Monday.

Other Location

1 Jln Anak Bukit

#B1-55 Bukit Timah Plaza

Singapore 588996

T: +65 6469 5123

OH:

Tue – Sun: 11.30 – 15.00; 17.30 – 21.30

Closed on Monday.

Forbidden Duck – Signature Slow Roast Duck

Forbidden Duck (“FD”) is the first Singapore restaurant by Three Michelin-starred Chef Alvin Leung. Nestled at Marina Bay Financial Centre, the Demon Chef and his team will be serving two versions of the Peking Duck. One is the classic Peking Duck, known as Forbidden Duck on their menu. The other is the Signature Slow Roasted Duck, a slow-cooked Pecking Duck that is dry-aged to intensify the flavour while retaining all the natural jus. It is then roasted on high heat to sear and crisp the skin.

Since it is only LD and I dining, we ordered Signature Slow Roast Duck ($58, half). I was expecting the duck to be sliced tableside, however, that was not the case. The roast duck set is brought to the table already sliced. It is served with calamansi buns, roast duck sauce, sliced cucumber, spring onion, rock salt and Dijon mustard.

Signature Slow Roast Duck - Half

Roast Duck Sauce, Sliced Cucumber, Spring Onion,
Rock Salt and Dijon Mustard. 

I like the glistening golden brown colour of the duck skin as it just looks perfectly roasted and very appetizing. Unlike the traditional Pecking Duck, where they slice the duck in three parts, breast skin, breast meat and thigh meat; FD sliced their duck in Cantonese restaurant Peking Duck, where the skin and the flesh are still attached and sliced together.

Crispy Skin - Front

I found one slice of the skin that almost void of the meat, it was crispy and tasted like duck crackling. I also noticed that due to the slow roasting method, the duck seems less fatty as the fats have rendered into the flesh.

Crispy Skin - Back

For the rest of the plate, the skin is crisp with a layer of fat between the skin and the pinkish flesh. The sauce reminds me of regular roasted duck sauce instead of the usual hoisin sauce. It is savoury and binds the meat together with bun and garnish. The calamansi bun is soft, with a refreshing Asian citrus flavour.

Calamansi Buns

My Peking Duck

Do take note there is no second serving for the duck here.

Jellyfish with Green Onion ($18). The jellyfish is crunchy and coated with the fragrant sesame oil flavour. It is lightly salted together with the spring onion delivering a refreshing taste.

Jellyfish with Green Onion

Diced Chicken Tofu & Salted Fish ($24). A must-order dish for LD in a Cantonese restaurant, also her “rice thief” dish. We can smell the lovely aroma from of the dish when it was brought to our table. The tofu is soft with a slight caramelisation externally, while the chicken is juicy and succulent However, the salted fish were chopped too finely, it melted into the gravy. For us, it is the bits of fried salted fish that are considered as one of the important characteristics of this dish.

Diced Chicken Tofu & Salted Fish 

Duck Meat and Rice Noodle with Five Willow’s Sauce ($22). We ordered this dish because of its catchy name and something that we never tried. The shredded duck has a lovely caramelisation and the bee hoon is packed with sweet before, tangy and savoury flavours from the Five Willow Sauce. A nice dish to end the savoury dishes.

Duck Meat and Rice Noodle with Five Willow’s Sauce 

For dessert, we ordered Vanilla, Lemongrass and Aloe Vera Grass Jelly ($7) and Chef’s Recommendation Sweet Soup ($7). The Chef’s Recommendation Sweet Soup has a similar taste to our local Cheng Teng. While the Aloe Vera Grass Jelly remind me of Aiyu Jelly. Both desserts are light and refreshing.

Vanilla, Lemongrass and Aloe Vera Grass Jelly

Chef’s Recommendation Sweet Soup

The décor of the restaurant is Modern Chinese Restaurant theme. The signature Forbidden Duck design is mainly focused at the entrance of the restaurant. Service is professional but almost robotic.

Forbidden Duck

Overall, Forbidden Duck served a nice Peking Duck. Although we only tried their Signature Slow Roasted Duck, we find the it very promising plus we get to taste the flair of the Demon Chef. We’ll make a return visit to try their Peking Duck and the dim sum here. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7.75/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 7.75/10

Budget per Person: $81 & Above

Forbidden Duck

8A Marina Boulevard

#02-02 Marina Bay Link Mall

MBFC Tower 2

Singapore 018984

T: +65 6509 8767

W: https://www.forbiddenduck.sg/

F: https://www.facebook.com/forbiddenducksg/

IG: @Forbiddenduck.sg

OH: Daily 11.30 – 15.00; 18.00 – 22.00

Menu available Online