Food, Lifestyle, Travel & Photography: Royal China Gathering

Friday, September 27, 2013

Royal China Gathering

Walked up the flight of colonial stairs of our majestic Raffles Hotel and it will bring you to the sign of Royal China's Signboard. Their Chinese name, 皇朝 (Huang Chao), was rather suggestive and immediately links one mind to some Atas Dining back in the era of those Emperors Dynasty.

Up from the stairs of Raffles Hotel

Standing guard with 2 auspicious lions in front of the country theme white doors with glass grids entrance gave us a mixed feelings of both a modern yet traditional as beliefs of a Chinese Custom were well displayed in there.

Main Entrance

The interior had caught us in surprise as one would have never expected it's theme color as the modern Tiffany blue in a traditional Chinese / Cantonese Restuarant. Color Settings were elegant, calming and comfortable with white colors blending in. Chinese Music in the background was slow, outdated (Songs famous in the early late 70s, early 80s) but soothing to ears.

Tiffany Blue Settings

All tables were prepared with folded Napkin on the side plate with complete set of dining utensils. Frankly speaking, it was our first gathering in a restaurant besides our friend's wedding ceremony and I must praised my pal as she had made perfect choice on this location especially as the place was rather quiet and central to all of us. Moreover, everyone's voice on the round table can be heard clearly.

Dining Set

We had chosen the easiest way out and took up one of their Menus for 10 persons.

Our First dish was none other than the Barbecued Peking Duck with Caviar & Homemade Pancake, one of Royal China's hot item in the menu. Handled by 2 lady servers, with one skinning the blistered looking Peking Duck while the other busying preparing the Pancake by the side of our table.

Server Slicing Off the Peking Duck's Skin

Looking Serious!

Well Done! With the expert trained servers, our dish was prepared in no time.

Skinned!

Comes in a plate of 20 pancake cakes accompanied by their sweet black sauce, each of us get to enjoy 2 pieces of it. The pancake itself was doughy with flour particles on it and wasn't that favorable. Luckily, it packed an aromatic duck flavour under its wrap and this unique taste had superseded the "powdery" feeling of the dish.

Homemade Panacake

Every pancake comes with a rectangular piece of delicious and crispy Peking duck skin. Flipped open its case and add the sweet black peking duck sauce to suit one's taste. On top of that, add the given Caviar (Black Fish Roes) and here you go! Enjoy these crispy and gritty texture on your taste buds!

Inside of Homemade Pancake

Braised Shark's Fin with Fresh Crab Meat and Shredded Chicken in "Tan Jia" Style was the 2nd of our courses just like any other traditional Chinese wedding which cannot be skipped! :) Pumpkin was used with a fantastic harmony generous portions of crab meat and sharks fin.

Shark's Fin

The 3rd dish, Sauteed Scallop & Asparagus in Homemade XO Chilli Sauce. This is the point when the standards gradually went downhill. No doubt that the dish packed with crunchiness from the stalks of the asparagus & red capsicums, food was more towards a salty side.

Vegetables

Poached "Soon Hock" in Chef's Creation with Crispy Beancurd and Black Fungus was almost tasteless. All of us on the table would prefer Soon Hock fish to be served in steamed style as this would probably brings out the freshness a fish.

If you ever wonder where did the peking duck meat went to, Stir-Fried Diced Duck Meat with Diced Vegetable Served in Iceberg Lettuce is where we can find them. Their idea of having the meat diced with capsicums, chestnuts and celery with Chinese parsley as garnishing had bought me over. This dish packs a crunch especially if you hand held them and consume with the lettuce. Yums!
The only let down I would say its that, it abit salty.

So where did the duck meat went to?

Braised Homemade Beancurd with Mushroom in Abalone Sauce was salty just like other dishes. However, the vegetables were soft and easy to chew at. The abalone sauce was a perfect marriage to the beancurd and mushroom. Love the 2 textures of the beancurd - Fragile & Wobbly in the inside and protected by the brownish firm skin on its outside.

Baked Seafood fried rice wrapped in lotus leaf was divided equally into smaller bowls by the attentive servers, each bowl of fried rice had it grains packed with smoked smell. It tasted close to any Zi Char Stall's fried rice. Nothing to shout at.

Fried Rice

Last on the menu: Chilled fresh mango juice with sago and pomelo. I would say it's milky and refreshing with diced mango included, not the best but pretty decent to sum up the meal for the night.

Desserts

Perhaps there were more misses than hits but this place serves a good location for big group gathering if you want a quiet surrounding especially nearing the weekend. Service was better than average with attentive servers who refill our cups of tea promptly even after payment were made. Hygiene and serving standards were well maintained as every side plate was exchanged for each course.

Total Cost: $538++ for 10 Persons (Menu A)
(+) Enjoy discount with OCBC credit card