Location: Shang Palace, Shangri-la Hotel, Singapore
Author: My Husband
So… most of us have had dim sum in Vancouver, and we all seem to end up ordering the old standbys: prawn dumpling (蝦餃), meat dumpling (燒賣), steamed cakes (馬拉糕), glutinous rice rolls (糯米雞), spring rolls (春捲) and maybe even some chicken talons (鳳爪).
But what is dim sum in Asia like? Is it the same old same old, or have restaurants there moved the game on? I took the opportunity to find out when I was in Singapore several weeks ago. I had my heart set on going to Lei Garden, but alas, the improbable happened – they were closed (gasp!) for renovations! So, I looked to my foodie aunt for guidance and she took me to yum cha at the Shang Palace instead.
The entrance to the restaurant.
In most Asian Shangri-la properties, there is a Shang Palace restaurant serving fine Cantonese cuisine. Interestingly, the Vancouver Shangri-la doesn’t have a Shang Palace. I’ve also mentioned that the Shangri-la in Vancouver is way too small, and the reason I said that was because “real” Shangri-las look like this:
The Singapore Shangri-la lobby is probably big enough to swallow the first 5 floors of the Vancouver Shangri-la.
Every public space is built on a grand scale.
Anyway, I digress. Here’s a sampling of what dim sum at the Shang looks like:
Deep fried Taro croquettes. These had a nice balance between the taro shell and the meat filling. Neither one overpowered the other.
An upper-class version of fried Radish “cake”? Truth be told, I prefer the regular version.
Roast suckling pig. The crackling was super crispy, and the meat juicy and tender. A stupendously good dish.
Kurobuta Pork neck charsiu – this had a superb mouthfeel and tenderness, and my aunt commented it did not have the gaminess of Canadian pork.
