New executive chef Melvin Lim has launched a new a ala carte menu at Flavours at Zhongshan Park in Ramada Singapore, bringing diners a bigger selection of Straits Chinese delights. It’s my first time here in the restaurant and I am pleasantly surprised by the combination of Peranakan dishes that the restaurant offers, while maintaining a carefully selected mix of international and western favourites.
Our meal starts off promisingly with Nonya Pork Salad ($12.90) and Kerabu Green Mango Salad ($13.90). The former uses slow cooked pork belly tossed with crispy shallots and sambal belachan; while the latter has thin shreds of green mango and crab meat tossed with tamarind sauce and served with dried shrimp sambal on the side. The tangy tamarind sauce refreshes your taste buds whilst the dried shrimp sambal adds a little spice to the dish, making this full flavoured started a must-have to begin your Straits Chinese dinner with.
Clear Oriental Oxtail Soup ($13.90) is infused with herbs and spices. Note that the photo above is a tasting portion. Their original portion has got oxtail in it. Not too greasy, it warms up the tummy instantly.
The Braised Beef Cheek Rendang ($24.90) is perfect. The fork tender beef cheek is first sous vide to retain its flavours and then simmered in a homemade spice paste with lemongrass infusion. It is best to eat with rice.
Competing for rice space is the Ayam Buah Keluak ($19.90) which has a distinctive and complex flavour. Unfortunately, the chicken meat I had that day was tough and did not absorb the flavours well.
Tamarind Prawns ($22.90) uses fresh prawns cooked in tamarind gravy with pineapple and ginger bud. The tamarind gives the prawns a subtle sourness, which gives a tangy and bold coat.
Slipper lobster with chilli ($25.90) is one of the signatures of the restaurant. Resembling our local chilli crab, the succulent slipper lobster is stir-fried in a thick, savoury paste of tomatoes and chilli served with deep fried mantou. Not spicy at all, which is good for people who cannot handle chilli well. And the price we are paying, it is pretty worth it.
For the dessert lovers, Chef Melvin has created the Pandan Tiramisu ($12.90). By infusing mascarpone with home made pandan essence, the resulting dessert wafts with aromas of pandan leaves and gula melaka that is smooth, rich and yet light on the palate.
In order to maintain the freshness of the pandan essence, only 15 portions of the Pandan Tiramisu are available each day. Other desserts include the crowd favourite Durian Pengat ($10.90), Sago Gula Melaka ($10.90) and Dark & White Chocolate Mousse with Cherry ($13.90).
The durian pengat here is very smooth, with hand-peeled durians blended and mixed with gula melaka and pandan jelly. The dessert is chilled for at least 4 hours to ensure a light and moist texture. It’s rich, flavourful and but I prefer to have some fibres of that of the durian in it!
Dinner at Flavours at Zhongshan Park is an enjoyable one. The space here is huge with a contemporary setting, so you can have business meals here or a casual meetup with friends.
Flavours at Zhongshan Park
Address: Level 1, Ramada Singapore, 16 Ah Hood Road
Tel: 6808 6846