Xin Cuisine - Nice and Interesting Dim Sum

This year, I do not intend to write lots of posts for this site since I had kind of foreseen that I will not be visiting new restaurants within the year plus the plan to focus on my other writing projects. But guess what, here I am writing about another restaurant! This is where those vouchers get me to: checking out new restaurants. And when the food at the restaurant is good, I feel obliged to write about it.

While the interior is of nice modern Chinese theme, Xin Cuisine mainly wins me over with its selection of interesting and unique dim sum items, especially those under Sunday Special.

One of the highlights is Seafood Dumpling with Pumpkin Paste. This is a very interesting dim sum in which the tasty meat filling, completed with juices like what is found in Xiao Long Bao, is wrapped within a thin layer of deep fried pumpkin paste. The exterior of the pumpkin paste is very crispy, contrasting so well with the moist filling. And the earthly sweetness of pumkpin adds dimension to the saltiness of the meat. I like this creation a lot.

Highly recommend the Steamed Shrimp Paste Ball with Marinated Glutinous Rice and Chinese Wine. Yes, this is one of the Sunday Specials. I like the unique texture of the glutinous rice coating the shrimp ball. And one bite into this, one can immediately catch whiffs of the light floral aroma of Chinese wine. The shrimp is fresh, tasty and springy in texture. This is my favourite among Xin’s offerings because it is so unique.

Shrimp Dumping with Fish Roe, more commonly known as Siew Mai, is packed with lots of ingredients such as fish roe and prawns, so this staple dim sum is a good choice to consider. I am expecting Xin’s Sweet, Sour and Spicy Dumpings to be like those spicy dumplings soaked in vinegar and served with chopped spring onion and chillies. Alas, I am wrong. But smooth texture of the dumping skin and generous meat filling make this a pretty nice treat.

Pan-fried Pork Bun aka Gou Bu Li is another must order. The bun is so fluffy and its surface is slightly pan-fried to bring out the flavour of the dough. The meat filling is very flavourful and juicy.

Stir-fried Radish Cake in X.O sauce here is spicer than its counterparts in other restaurants, and I like it, surprisingly as I am generally not really into real spicy food.

Yam Dumpling with Chicken and Mushroom looks really pretty and I enjoy savouring the crispy exterior that shatters at a light bite. But I will like it more if the yam coating is thinner since too much sticky yam eclipses the taste of the filling.

Service is pretty much the same as the standard of most Chinese restaurants, efficient and the aunties are friendly.

With so many interesting dim sum items that I have yet tried, I am really looking forward to go back and check them out.

My Thoughts: Nice!

Nearest car park: Holiday Inn Atrium's car park
Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru or Chinatown

#04-00 Holiday Inn Atrium
317 Outram Road
Singapore
Contact No: 6731 7173

Tandoor North Indian Restaurant - Bursting with the Goodness of Spices

First thing first, ditch that stereotyped concept of Indian food being oily and spicy, consisting only of roti prata and curry chicken/mutton. At this restaurant in which North Indian food is served, the food is neither oily nor very spicy, despite having countless of spices added into the food. I can even say that the food here is quite healthy, and yummy.

With regards to set lunch, I only have thumbs up for the spread since both the soups of corn and spinach, and tomato are gathering of splendid, soothing flavours, and the four types of kebabs are pretty tasty and provide variety to the whole meal. The main course of fresh sea perch/butter chicken are absolutely flavourful in which the accompanying curry serves to enhance the taste of the meat instead overshadowing it. The rice with saffron is so beautiful in taste where the light fragrance of saffron highlights the natural goodness of the fluffy basmati rice. I'm not kidding when I say the rice can really be eaten on its own, without the need for sauces, meats and vegetables.

The main source of carbo here is soft naan, not the oily roti prata. The food here consists of soup, grilled meat and vegetables (No fried food! Which is all good with me), and curry filled with chunks of meat and vegetables, all are so flavourful, bursting with the goodness of spices, yet being hardly spicy at all. Highly recommended is the butter chicken that is insanely flavourful and juicy due to the fragrant and creamy curry. The desserts are a tad too sweet, though strangely, I could finish it.

As for the buffet which is available on Sundays and special occasions, my opinion is that it is better for non-Indians to go for the set lunch instead, since a lot of dishes available in the spread are curries of different kind, which is kind of overwhelming for me (and the only ones that left good, strong impressions on me are butter chicken, rice, soup, salad with Raita sauce and the grilled items).

The service is good, a vast improvement from the past. The staffs are outstanding in providing friendly and prompt service. Especially Nitin and Arif, who remember the regular patrons and always make a point to come up to ask how we are. Also helps that they are willing to accommodate to our dietary preferences if possible. We also appreciate the quiet sincerity of the staff, Boon Leong.

The ambience of this newly renovated place is of lush golden splendour theme.

This is definitely the place I'll go to, for high end Indian food.

My Thoughts: Very Flavourful Food!

Nearest car park: Holiday Inn Hotel's car park

Nearest MRT: Somerset

11 Cavenagh Road
B1 Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre
Singapore
Contact No: 67300153