NEW! Chill-Out Spot @Jiu Zhuang 酒庄, Dempsey Road

Thanks to my informant cum dear Sister, Janice for bringing me to this new joint (as she has a girlfriend working there).  I heard it is about 3 months' old only!

Jiu Zhuang
6C & 6D Dempsey Road
Singapore 247664
Tel: 6471 1711

Well-hidden and secluded from the main blocks in Dempsey Road, one must walk passed the "IN" CM-PB (Contemporary Melting-Pot and Bar), all the way to the back and you will find Jiu Zhuang on the right-hand side.  Refer to location map# below (#Source: jiu-zhuang.com).

 
 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ THE INTERIOR ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The interior of the bar (Block 6D) is strongly influenced by the Shanghai style in the 1920s era.  Exudes a certain elegant air and lavish of opulence in the atmosphere.  The ambience is cosy and intimate, with the entire place dimmed with warm yellow light shining through antique side lamps and hanging Chinese lanterns.  Listening to the remix versions of Chinese songs (some of which are songs we are familiar listening to growing up) in jazzy tunes under such ambience, and couching into those comfortable leather chairs, enable one to fully relax (provided no big groups present at the same time for laughter are unavoidable).

I exceptionally like the owner's choice of the bar counter, breaking away from the conventional type of bar counter with liquors displaying at different heights of shelving.  To enhance the appreciation and feel of 1920s' Shanghai, replica pictures of Chinese women dressed in cheongsam (typically featured in calendars and posters during the old days) adorn the area.  If you look closely, you can also detect the slight European flair introduced in some of the furniture chosen.

 

On the other side of the bar (Block 6C), there is alfresco and private dining area, with a walk-in wine cellar.  A nice, quiet corner for couples and friends who prefer more serenity.

 

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ THE MENU ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Their thoughtfully designed Dining Menu (left) and Drinks Menu (right) resemble the Chinese Kungfu manuals and scripts.  The little lock on the Drinks Menu intrigued my Hubby and kept him entertained for a while..hee

You will be spoilt for choices with their extremely wide selection of wines and liquors.  Jiu Zhuang also carry award-winning Japanese Sake from Iwamura Brewery.

  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ THE TASTE ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Home-made Lotus Root Chips - The first time I have ever heard and tried this snack.  Only salt is lightly used to add some flavour.  The first few bites may seemed saltish, but after that you will be hooked to it.  It is liked extremely crispy thins in the form of lotus root.  Commendable on how the Chef came up with this healthy snack and slicing the lotus into such insanely fragile thickness.

 

Complimentary bite-size prawn chips with chilli powder and black sesame seeds sprinkled over it.  Goes very easy with drinks.  Super addictive!

 

Pinot Grigio (white wine handpicked & recommended by our girlfriend) - Sweetness at right amount!  Also, very smooth down the throat.  Good quality wine!

  

Fried Chicken Wings in Prawn Paste - Scotching hot on our fingers when we attempted to eat it.  Beat the standard of many Chinese restaurants and "Zi Char" eateries!  Normally I will stop at 2 pieces the max., but this dish got me wanting for more (eyeing my Hubby's share)!  *2 thumbs up!!*

  

Jiu Zhuang Xiaolongbao, infused with Whisky - This traditional Shanghainese soup dumpling has taken a new different twist.  I was surprised by the slight bitterness brought onto my taste buds due to the whiskey.  Somehow I still prefer the traditional xiaolongbao with flavourful soup.

 

Guo Tie with Minced Pork Filling & Foie Gras - I love foie gras and guo tie (pork dumpling) but first time eating them together is something new.  A pity that you can't really taste the foie gras, perhaps a waste on this luxurious ingredient to go with such strong taste filling like pork.

 

Shrimp Dumpling with Baby Abalone - This is one dish you have to gobble it up as a whole.  Splendid to add in the baby abalone and fish roe in elevating the usual taste of a shrimp dumpling.  May not be my favourite but it's a "can-try".

 

Jiu Zhuang Wanton Dumplings with Dried Scallops, in Superior Broth  - "Power" is the word for this dish.  For I am a Cantonese who grew up eating dianxin and boiled soup on a regular basis, fresh ingredients and long hours are crucial to extract the essence of a good soup.

 

Felt so pampered to be able to enjoy fresh, piping hot dianxin cooked with the most extravagant ingredients during wee hours.  What a premium gourmet experience!  Definitely something new and worth trying out!  I last heard from the Management of Jiu Zhuang, that they are coming up with Sunday brunch menu and improvising the menu with more dianxin items.  Hence this could be an alternative dianxin spot to bring my family for gatherings. 

To end this review, I urge you to share with me other dianxin spots which you may have known and worth recommending, as good (& not-so-oily) dianxin is hard to come by in Singapore. 

Hubby's Birthday 2013 - Part 3 (final) @Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck

Following the next day, to celebrate with the Family, we made a last-minute reservation (1 day in advance) for a table and a duck at the Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck, situated at Paragon.  Despite having reservation, the waiting queue and crowd gathered outside the restaurant on a Sunday morning was scarily huge!  We finally got a table inside the restaurant after nearly 40min of waiting, as we do not want to take the outside seating..!


Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck Restaurant & Bubbles Champagne Bar
@Paragon
290 Orchard Road #05-42/45
Singapore 238859
Tel: 67327838 

After we are seated, another long wait for the duck to be served..which we almost gave up!  Luckily, we ordered some dianxin before the last order for that noon.  Otherwise, we would have collapsed from the prolong wait.

Mini egg tarts taste great and a must-try!  It was luke warm when served to us, with the outer crust soooo crispy and fluffy that it melted in my mouth effortlessly!  The soft egg center is the best thus far I have tried before (as compared to Red Star, Swee Choon etc.), it has rich taste yet not too over.  You can easily eat more than 2 pcs with its bite-size!  You can easily tell it is freshly-made and not frozen overnight.

 

Next on, the mini custard buns (流沙包).  The custard buns are ok, at least meet my benchmark. *hee*

 


At last, the main character of the day "Peking Duck" and braised chicken feet.  The braised chicken feet were very well braised, with the flavoured gravy fully immersed into the feet (many hours must have gone into cooking this dish)!  Nice!!  The first 4 slices (in a separate plate) are suppose to be the "best" part of the duck, sliced from its neck.  This Peking Duck tasted somewhat different from the authentic Peking Duck I have tasted in Quan Ju De (全聚德) and national-awarded restaurant DaDong (大董烤鸭), Beijing.  Perhaps it's the kind of duck you can get in Singapore, it is less fat or more like no fats at all?!?  It did not melt in my mouth, so kind of disappointing..  In short, it is not that bad but cos' I had ate Beijing style, hence Singapore style still have room for improvement.







































The Chef could only sliced the duck from afar,
cos' the interior tables are placed very close to each other





The right way to eat Peking Duck meat is to go with the complimentary crepes (薄饼皮), cucumber strips, onion strips (though more additional ingredients & flavouring e.g. sugar are given in Beijing) and the essential sauce, also allows diners to wrap according to own preference and eat up.  Crepes have too much 'flour' taste, thus also thicker than it should be.
 
To make full use of the whole duck, diners are usually recommended to use the remaining meat to cook fried noodles or make into soup.  We chose to cook with ee-fu noodles, which turned out to be surprisingly nice!

Their service isn't up to standards of normal Singapore restaurants, though I would compliment the service staff who make the efforts to check on us every now and then.  However, they are nowhere to be seen when we needed their assistance or call for bill (how can there be no Supervisor overseeing the floor?!).  Due to their quality dianxin, I would come back again to just try out the full selection of dianxin with my hubby but only when we have plenty of time to wait and laze at the bar top - for a "East meets West" experience.