Royal China @ Raffles Hotel

I wonder if Blake Edwards, director of 1961 hit film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" starring Audrey Hepburn knew what kind of following he would have created decades later.

Tiffany's is every girls' dream, the same way diamonds are a girl's best friend. The robin blue box with white ribbons sends bubbles of happiness down the nervous system.

To date, both the film and the robin blue box are my favourites.

Classic.

Then, there's Royal China at Raffles. Not quite the same shade as tiffany blue but a shade of blue that's so soothing and well, dreamy. It could be the whole Raffles Hotel charm that lent this restaurant some royal charm, it was on my "to-eat" list for quite awhile now.

Doors promptly opened at 11am for lunch.



Doesn't the hall look like a scene out of Beauty and the Beast? Look hard enough and you'd spy a mirror playing up the spacial effects.



Blue and white, so complementary.



The blue must have gotten to me, the fingers could not stop snapping.



A pot of refillable chrysanthemum tea to warm the tum and hopefully wash away the grease (if any).



The fried hae bee-chilli paste that whetted the appetite greatly.



No superfluous royal emblem on the chopsticks. Neither was there a signature embroidery on the napkins.



Steamed Prawn Dumpling ($4.80 for 4)



The thinness of the dumpling skin is pure artistry of the dimsum chef! It amazes me so when the skin is so thin yet does not tear upon removal of the basket. I almost couldn't bear to eat this. The chewy translucent skin reveals fresh plump well seasoned prawns. I found the first love.



Minced Pork Dumpling ($4.80 for 4)



When served, I spent a good 10 seconds absorbed in its beauty. Slowly I reeled from the amazement; caviar siew mai in layman's terms. No doubt well made with fresh prawns and pork, the flavours were a tad too heavy here. Caviar made this saltier than it should but otherwise, one of the better siew mais eaten!



Royal China Special Cheong Fun ($4.80 for 3 rolls)
Prawns, Barbequed Pork, Scallops

Silken rice rolls stuffed generously with fillings. My order of preference goes as follows; prawns, scallops, barbequed pork.



Barbequed Pork Bun ($4.80 for 4)



Feathery light pau with savoury lean barbequed pork within. The first few bites were delightful, but the barbequed pork ended up too sweet and heavy on the palette. The pork taste was too evident, rendering us to conclude the marination for this was lacking.



Steamed Glutinous Rice with Lotus Leaf ($4.80 for 2)



Insanely fragrant. Grains of soft rice, I'd have preferred if it had more bite though. Royal China's rendition was different from the rest, they tossed in dried scallops, mushrooms and salted egg.



A bite of the sea, anyone?



Crispy Taro Roll with "Bak Kwa" ($6.40 for 4)
In Chef's Creation



The fine threads of the taro pastry got me all excited. Melt in your mouth fried yam shreds, ohsogood. I loved how this was so cliche-ly well fried, crispy on the outside and mushy within. Bak Kwa I barely tasted but no complaints about that, a second love!



Baked Barbequed Pork Puff ($5.60 for 4)



Smooth fragrant luxurious pastry with a less overpowering char siew filling. The main letdown was still the char siew.



Baked Egg Custard Tartlet ($4.80 for 4)



Tai Cheong it ain't. A different kind of egg tart(let) altogether. Not too sweet jelly like egg custard with a tart base so crispy, for once I'm sold on flaky tarts. It can jolly well pass off as a french pastry with a chinese twist.



Now you know why it's called a tartlet and not exactly a tart?



Steamed Layer Cake with Salted Egg Yolk ($5.60 for 4)

Layers of pau with salted egg custard and shreds of coconut flesh in between. Not too sweet, found it alright.



Steamed Bun with Salted Egg Yolk and Sesame ($5.60 for 4)



Do not expect usual fare like lotus paste or red bean pau in the department of sweet paus. I was there for the molten salted egg steamed bun, only to be told that it was phased out and replaced. It baffles me greatly when chefs choose to remove items that are considered signature; same goes for Royal Copenhagen Tea Lounge's Honey Date Pudding. Both of which I did not get an opportunity to try!

Back to this. Molten it was not. The pau was slightly dry, the fillings although coloured black from the sesame tasted more of salted egg. Not too bad, I just have the feeling the one I intended to try could have been way better.

Royal China allows for the dishes to be ordered according to the number of people at the table, something I appreciated. No chair for the arm candy. Service was too prompt, at times. The waitresses literally eyed your table carefully, replacing plates, refilling drinks and your dishes within a snap of a finger.

The quality of food is unquestionably tops, all dishes arrived piping hot, as if they were freshly made before serving. I'll give them credit, most their dishes did not require my chopsticks reaching out to dip in any of the condiments for extra seasoning.

Royal China, Singapore's answer to Brunch at Tiffany's. I walked out satisfied, as if I woke up from a sweet dream. Charmed I have been, another to add to the list of classics.

Reservations are highly recommended.

Royal China
Raffles Hotel