Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant (Jalan Besar)

Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant in operation for more than 50 years is a well-known dim sum restaurant which is extremely popular among Singaporeans and tourist. It has been featured on many newspapers, magazines as well as food shows. Unlike most other dim sum restaurants, Swee Choon's operating hours are from 6pm to 6am catering ensuring that Singaporeans have an extra option for supper and are well-fed throughout the night. Lucky for us, now we can all have dim sum even at midnight or in the wee hours of the morning! 

Swee Choon located at Jalan Besar opposite Berseh Food Centre is so popular that it occupy 5 units of shophouses along this stretch of road. It is in the between both Farrer Park and Lavendar MRT stations, a good 10 to 15 minutes walk away from either stations.

Occupying 5 units, Swee Choon offers both alfresco dining and air-conditioned (indoor) dining. In addition, it has a unit which cater only to walk-in customers who order takeaways. 

As we already knew that there would be a long queue if we arrived late, we made it a point to arrive at 630pm on a Friday for dinner. Luckily for us, we got the last available table at the indoor (air-conditioned) dining area. 

Menu

Menu

Menu

The menu with the prices. As you can see, Swee Choon offers a wide variety of Hong Kong and Shanghai dim sum, and local zi char dishes. 

Chrysantheum Tea $1.30 per pax

For drinks, we ordered their Chrysantheum Tea which cost $1.30 per pax. It was served in a metal pot and is refillable. They mixed the tea bags themselves. The Chrysantheum Tea was quite good as it was light, refreshing, fragrant and help to wash down the grease. 

Century Egg Porridge $2.50

The Century Egg Porridge $2.50 was served in a small bowl. It was decent, but not the best. There were chunks of century egg and chicken meat in it. 

Mee Suah Kueh $2

Swee Choon's signature Mee Suah Kueh $2; deep-fried vermicelli cake (mee sua) which can only be found at Swee Choon. Show this kueh to anyone and they would associate it with Swee Choon. Almost every table ordered this. I thought that this was unique and not bad. But  I will not rate it as a die die must try as the standard seemed to be inconsistent and it was a little too greasy. One of the kueh could have been fried a little longer. The texture was unique. Crisp, rough texture on the outside while the interior was moist. 

Fried Golden Doufu (Tofu) $3.50

This Fried Golden Doufu (Tofu) $3.50 was surprisingly good. Despite the simplicity, it was well executed. The tofu was fried till it was crispy on the outside. The addition of the pork floss at the top was the icing on the cake.

Carrot Cake $2

The Carrot Cake $2 was not bad too. There were a good mix of radish, dried shrimps and chinese sauages in it. It was also a little too greasy. 

Pan Fried Pork Dumpling $4

The Pan Fried Pork Dumpling $4 was pan fried till it was so crispy. In addition, they were so generous fillings. Dipping it into the vinegar along with slices of ginger made this just so delectable. 

Beancurd Prawn Roll $2.80

The Beancurd Prawn Roll $2.80 with minced meat and prawns in it was ordinary.

Steamed Pork Ribs $2.50

The Steamed Pork Ribs $2.50 was a let down. The part of the pork served was not pork rib and it was either too fatty or was all bones.

Overall, Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant is worth a try. There were hits and misses in the dishes we ordered. Service wise, despite the restaurant being full, the staff were efficient. It was easy getting the attention of the staff. Do note that this restaurant only accepts cash or nets. They do not accept credit card. Also, they do not take any reservation. 

As we left Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant at close to 8pm, we saw a queue! It was very thoughtful of the restaurant owner to provide chairs outside. If you are planning to visit this restaurant during dinner time, do remember to come early. 

Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant (Jalan Besar)
183/ 185/ 187/ 189/ 191 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208882
Tel: 62257788
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 6 pm - 6 am 
                          Close on Tuesday
Website

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map

The Eastern Restaurant (Centrepoint)

Edited on Oct 2013: Closed. 

The Eastern Restaurant, a restaurant located in the heart of Orchard specialises in serving authentic Northern Chinese cuisine. It is tucked away in a deep quiet corner of Centrepoint. It has been located at the same spot for many years. With virtually no signs to guide anyone here, most people would have probably missed or not know of this place. Even we ourselves who had been here before got lost while trying to recall how to get to the restaurant.

I first got to know of this restaurant more than five years ago, way before I started FoodieFC. I remember that the food here was not bad and its Xiao Long Bao was worth a try. So here I am, back here again for its Xiao Long Bao! Visited on a Saturday evening. 

The seating capacity at the restaurant seemed to considerably reduced. Previously, the tables and chairs extend all the way out and there were also tables and chairs under the escalator next to the restaurant. This time, the tables and chairs have been removed.

You may noticed in the above photos that it has a open kitchen concept. You can scrutinise view how your food is being prepared. Moreover, it also assure customers that their food are prepared diligently and hygiene is well taken care of. 

Despite the reduced seating capacity, the Eastern Restaurant was full! Quite surprising, considering the location and lack of signs. 

Clean, air conditioned environment. Even though there was such a crowd, our food was served fairly quickly within 10 minutes upon ordering. 

Wanton with Hot Chilli Sauce (5 Pcs) $6

The Wanton with Hot Chilli Sauce an authentic Sichuan cuisine was very well executed. The use of vinegar and spicy oil caused a distinct difference in taste that made it hard for me to stop at one. The skin of the wanton seemed slightly thicker than the other wantons else where helped hold the fillings in place and adsorb the immense flavours of the sauce. Very spicy and sour, yet addictive. If you are can't take spicy food, you should refrain from ordering this. 

Xiao Long Bao (4 Pcs) $4

The Xiao Long Bao, one of their signature items did not disappoint. The skin was slightly thicker in comparison to the other Xiao Long Baos I have tried. Each Xiao Long Bao contained alot more hot soup in it (more than those in Crystal Jade/Ding Tai Fung). Most probably, the thicker skin was required to hold the soup in place. The hot soup was tasty and well flavoured while the meat was well marinated. The only issue I had was that the skin at the top was too thick. This may not be the best Xiao Long Bao I had, but it was certainly one of the better ones. 

Noodle in Hot & Sour Soup $8

I ordered the Noodle in Hot & Sour Soup, which is another Sichuan Cuisine - spicy and sour. Luckily the sauce used was different from the Wanton with Hot Chilli Sauce. The sauce this time was more sourish and less spicy. It came with diced mushrooms, peas, black fungus, shredded beancurd and meat. The noodles were too hard and could have been cooked for a long period of time. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this dish despite feeling the spiciness towards the end. Kudos to the chef as he got the difficult part right - balancing the taste of the hot & sour soup.

Stewed Beef Brisket Noodle Soup $8.80

The partner ordered the Stewed Beef Brisket Noodle Soup which was one of the recommended items in the menu. The soup was light, clear and flavourful - very forgiving and not salty. Generous serving of beef chunks were given and the meat was stewed till they were incredibly soft and tender. It would have been perfect if the noodles were cooked longer as we felt that it was a tad too hard. 

Overall, the dining experience at The Eastern Restaurant was good.  It's a hidden gem. There's no need to queue even during weekend peak hours. The food that we ordered was delicious. Despite being at full capacity  the service was prompt and efficient. Price wise, it was reasonable. In fact, I would say affordable considering that this is in the heart of Orchard.

The Eastern Restaurant (Centrepoint)

176 Orchard Road

#01-57 Centrepoint

Singapore 238843

Tel: 6736 2638

Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Facebook
Location

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒 (Tanjong Pagar) 2nd Post

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒  located along Tanjong Pagar Road, is just a few units away from 2D1N Soju Bang. It is essentially a teahouse that specialises in conducting tea appreciation and tea tasting classes. In addition, they serve chinese cuisines and dim sum too. 

Yet again, we were surprised that we were the only one! Not a single customer except for the two of us. 

This time, we noticed the decorations on the ceiling. Quite nice and fits the oriental theme of this eatery. 

Menu Cover

As you may recall, we were quite please with the foodie experience during our first visit. This time, we decided to try different dishes while still sticking to ordering Carrot Cake again.

Carrot Cake $3

The Carrot Cakes was steamed before serving. Most probably to make it hot, as it would be quite impossible for them to make from scratch only upon customers' orders. The Carrot Cakes were not oily or salty. They were topped with lots of spring onions and scallions that enhanced the taste further. $3 for only 3 pieces, this was so value for money. 

Steamed Chicken Rice $5

The Steamed Chicken Rice would be sufficient for one person. Marinated chicken, sausages and mushroom were added on top of the rice and steamed. It was also drizzled with chicken sauce. It was an average dish with nothing great in particular. 

Mee Sua $6

The Mee Sua on the other hand was well executed. The taste of the different ingredients were extracted out into the Mee Sua. And the vegetables provided a different texture to this dish. Delicious! Thumbs up! 

Soup of the Day $5

The Soup of the Day was Watercress Soup. It came in a small bowl that did not justify the price tag. Moreover, the watercress stems were hard, could have been cooked for a long period.

Overall, still a positive dining experience. We had the whole place to ourselves again! Food-wise, it was delicious! Service was good and the staff brought out extra smaller plates for us so that we could share the dishes. In addition, they had actually  use 2 plates to hold the carrot cakes. This was because, they had steamed the carrot cakes with the plate. Hence, when they served this dish, they added another plate so that customers will not be scalded when they shift the plate. To add the icing on the cake, there was no service charge or GST. The prices shown on the menu are all NETT. So affordable considering the quality and taste of the food. 

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒 (Tanjong Pagar)

30 Tanjong Pagar Road

Tel: 6224 6961

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 10am - 9pm

                         Sun 10am - 7pm

Website
Facebook

Location

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒 (Tanjong Pagar)

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒  located along Tanjong Pagar Road, a few units from 2D1N Soju Bang is a teahouse that specialises in conducting tea appreciation and tea tasting classes. In addition, they serve food and dim sum too.

Located just outside a bus stop

2 units

As we happened to be in the area on a Friday evening at around 715pm, I suggested this place. However, when we stared through the glass of the 2 units of the tea house, we were shocked to see that there was no one! It was empty, not a single customer. Should we enter? How come there was no one on a Friday and also considering that the past few eateries we walked past was filled to the brim especially 2D1N Soju Bang which had a long stretching queue.

After standing outside for what must have been a good 5 minutes, we decided to enter. 

As mentioned earlier, we were the only one. There's another unit next door which was empty too. The teahouse had an Oriental theme decoration with Chinese music being played softly in the background. It provided a good ambience for a chat and unwind away from the fast paced life. 

Activities

The activities board full of tea appreciation and tasting that was conducted for students, exchange students, foreigners and organisations.

Tea pots and tea leaves

Tea pots

A wide range of tea pots and tea leaves available. 

White Tea $4

White Tea $4

White Tea (tea leaves) $4

The White Tea was classified under special Chinese tea together with the likes of Pu-er, Jasmine and Oolong tea. To be frank I have never heard of White Tea before. Nor have I seen such tea leaves (so much for a foodie).

The White Tea (refillable) had a fragrant subtle flavour and was slightly sweet. It seemed to be accompanied by a grassy after-taste. Best for you to try this yourself. The best part is that this is refillable; sit down relax and enjoy the tea.. Also, of all the teas, this has the least caffeine. 

Regular Chinese Tea $1

Regular Chinese Tea was well, average (note: this is not refillable).

Carrot Cake $3

The Carrot Cake was soft, smooth and flavourful. It was steamed and was not oil or salty. Topped with shallots and dice spring onions, it was so savoury. At $3, this is well worth the price. We were told that they made the dim sum themselves (not factory made). 

Chicken Feet $3

The Chicken Feet was decent and was well marinated. 

Fried Rice $5

The Fried Rice was surprisingly good with generous amount of ingredients. Suitable for sharing with two person. It was well fried and not overly oily.

Special Pancake $6

Yixing Xuan's Special Pancake was indeed special. It is a dessert and will be served at the end of the meal. The appearance of this dish reminded me of Bak Kua (BBQ Pork Slices). Outside, the pastry mixed with green tea was incredibly crispy. Inside (in between the layer of pastry), it was filled with warm melted red bean paste. The sweetness of the red bean paste was just right. A must try.

If you want to learn more about tea and the authentic Chinese tea experience, this is the place. Moreover, Yixing Xuan Teahouse is not only a place for tea lovers, but also THE place for food lovers! I am quite impressed with the quality of food and dim sum and the fact that it is so value for money. If I pass by this area again, I am definitely coming back for more! Last but not least, all prices are in NETT! No plus plus (gst, service charge).

ps: if you are wondering, we were the only customers throughout our meal. Quite a number of people did peep through the glass and none entered.

Yixing Xuan Teahouse 怡心軒 (Tanjong Pagar)

30 Tanjong Pagar Road

Tel: 6224 6961

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 10am - 9pm

                         Sun 10am - 7pm

Website
Facebook

Location

View FoodieFC's Singapore Food Map in a larger map

Chuk Yuen Seafood Restaurant 竹園海鮮飯店 (Hong Kong)

This is our last lunch in Hong Kong. We did not have dim sum during this trip and were searching for a dim sum restaurant near our hotel. In the end, we found this restaurant called 'Chuk Yuen Seafood Restaurant' located 10 minutes walk away from Tsim Sha Tsui MTR.

Chuk Yuen Seafood Restaurant is a local seafood restaurant that has been around a long time. It is known for its fresh seafood at reasonable price and generous portions. As you enter the restaurant, you will notice many fish tanks filled with a variety of seafood such as lobsters, crabs, fishes, crayfish, calms, frogs and prawns.

Entrance of Chuk Yuen Seafood (Tsim Sha Tsui)

The entrance to Chuk Yuen Seafood Restaurant is easy to miss as it has just a small entrance. The restaurant is located at the basement and has a huge sitting capacity!

Dim Sum Menu (a)

Dim Sum Menu (b)

They have an English menu for customers which is not a common practise as most restaurants only have Chinese menu. All you would need to do is tick and indicate the number of plates of dim sum you wish to order. 

Hairy Crab Menu

As it is the hairy crab season, we were actively looking for hairy crab when we were in Hong Kong. Hence, when we saw that this restaurant serves hairy crab, we decided to order 3, half for each of us. We did not order 6 as we had already ordered too much food. (eating hairy crab in Singapore can burn a hole in your pocket. The best place to eat hairy crab is in China, where it is cheap and good!) 

Chicken Feet in Chinese Herbal Soup HK$30 (S$5)

I like eating chicken feet / claws. But I must admit this is the first time I had such a dish/dim sum; Chicken Feet in Chinese Herbal Soup. Surprisingly, this dish is a cold dish. I am a fan of herbal stuff and also chicken feet. Hence, of course, I would strongly recommend this dish! 

Look at the amount of herbals being used in the Chicken Feet in Chinese Herbal Soup. There was just a little amount of soup in the bowl (as shown in above picture). Nevertheless, I drank up almost all the soup. The soup was very strong in herbal taste. If you are not a fan of herbs, this is a dish to avoid. 

Steamed Rice Flour Roll with Barbecued Pork HK$19 (S$3.16)

The rice flour roll was thin and smooth, was an average dish. 

Steamed Rice Flour Roll Up Crispy Stick HK$19 (S$3.16)

The Steamed Rice Flour Roll Up Crispy Stick was delicious. Outside was soft and smooth. Inside was crispy and rough. 

Baked Barbecued Pork Pastry HK$22 (S$3.66)

Crispy pastry on the outside, inside filled with fragrant barbecued pork. 

Steamed Creamy Yolky Bun HK$16 (S$2.67)

The Steamed Creamy Yolky Bun was average. the custard inside was more solid than liquid (should be molten) and not aromatic. I prefer the Golden Egg Yolk Lava Bun at Victor's Kitchen in Singapore.

Pan Fried Turnip Cake with XO Sauce HK$19 (S$3.16)

The Pan Fried Turnip Cake with XO Sauce was on the oily end. Despite that, this dish was delicious! Slices of chilli was added to give it a slightly spicy taste. By the time this dish arrived, we were already quite full. 

Steamed Mini Meat Bun HK$19 (S$3.16)

The Steamed Mini Meat Bun or Xiao Long Bao (commonly called in China and Singapore) was disappointing. Not much soup in the bun. The skin was too thick. 

Steamed 'Siu Mai' Topped with Crab's Seed HK$22 (S$3.67)

The Steamed 'Siu Mai' Topped with Crab's Seed was also disappointing. In addition, the meat had a weird after-taste. 

Deluxe Shanghai's Crab HK$198 (S$33)

The Deluxe Shanghai's Crab is what we commonly call Hairy Crab (steamed). If you noticed, the picture above only shows half a crab. Well, the reason was because we ordered 3 hairy crabs, but there were 6 of us. When the waiter arrived with the crab he noticed this and immediately asked if we were sharing. We replied yes and the waiter took the dish back. When he came back, we noticed that there was 6 plates. In each plate, there was half a crab each. Each plate had the same number of legs (4), same number of pincer (1) and half the body! What a service! Everything has been cut up nicely. 

The roe of the hairy crab was good! Delicious and sinful! I am a fan of hairy crab! Although, I have tasted better ones from Shanghai, this was my first and only hairy crab in 2011. Hence, I was satisfied!

Moreover, each of us were given a set of 'tools' to assist us with eating the hairy crab.

Hot Face Towels

When we went into the toilet, we saw this (above photo) next to the sink. When we opened it, we saw that there were hot face towels in it! I am won over by the service in this restaurant, when the staff cut and spilt the hairy crab equally. With this hot towels, it blew me over! I am amazed over the little things the restaurant pay attention to give customers a good overall experience.

To conclude, Chuk Yuen Seafood Restaurant provides very good service and good food! The must order if you visit are Chicken Feet in Chinese Herbal Soup, Steamed Rice Flour Roll Up Crispy Stick, Pan Fried Turnip Cake with XO Sauce and  Deluxe Shanghai's Crab (if hairy crab is in the season). 

Food for thought: it has been a long time since I entered a restaurant in Singapore that provides good food and good service (to the extend of this restaurant). When was the last time hot towel was given to you in a restaurant? Hmmm, I can't recall.  

Chuk Yuen Seafood Restaurant 竹園海鮮飯店 (Hong Kong)

Basement, HK Pacific Centre

28 Hankow Road

Tsim Sha Tsui (Near Tsim Sha Tsui MTR, Exit C1)

Tel: (852) 2722 0633

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 11am - 12mn

                          Sun 10am - 12mn

Website (for the rest of the outlets)

Location

Location

View FoodieFC's Hong Kong & Macau Map in a larger map