before you embark on this gastronomical , thirst-quenching journey with WADA.... there is one golden rule that you must never forget..... TRUST YOUR OWN SENSES! A rating is a rating ....YOU are your best judge. Never let us tell you what is good or not, TRY IT FOR YOURSELF and create your own journey. The ratings should be used as a directional guide and never be used to take you to your destination. With that in mind... we officially kick off WADA with the first offical review! .............
For the WADA's first ever official review, it is only appropriate that my current most favouritest restaurant be scrutinised objectively.
IMPERIAL TREASURE (CANTONESE CUISINE)
1 Kim Seng Promenade, #02-06 Great World City, Tel: 6732-2232 Opening hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6 to 10.30pm
WADA rating: 57+30=87pts
QPI: 8 ($20-$40 per pax for dim sum and $30-$60 for dinner, depending on whether live seafood is ordered)
WFI: A- (Free corkage, Riedel stemware, staff are wine-adept)
Tasted various times since 2007.
What’s Hot?
Claypot Chicken with Liver or "Ju Ju Kye Po" in cantonese
- I love the fragrance of this dish… even without the claypot lid opened, one can smell the saliva-inducing fragrance of burnt soy sauce infused with the sweet caramelized aromas of the liver. I love to have my Ju Ju Kye Po stirred , not shaken…because it helps to ensure every piece of chicken and pig liver is “stroked” gently against the steaming hot claypot…causing more food smoke to be thrown into the air. Believe you me…neighbouring tables will definitely be intriqued by the delightful smells emitting from your table (that’s how I first got to know about the dish).
The dark brown gravy is perfect in its consistency…. almost gluey yet thin enough to form a silken robe cocoon around the chicken and liver…the savory hoi-sin sauce flavours of the gravy perfectly lifts (to a higher realm) the sweet flavours of the juicy, tender chicken pieces and the exceptionally fresh pig liver. The liver is one of its kind that I have eaten…its like… tai ji quan…a hardness that is delicate…a softness that is tough. Try it for yourself…its hard to describe.
The finish is long…ending with savory sweet notes from the sauce that seems to take its time to glide down your throat.
I have never been a big fan of liver but … every since that fateful day… I have been craving for Ju Ju Kye Po everytime I pass by Great World. Order this dish in advance because they always run out of it… I have only been able to successfully order this dish twice out of the 10 times that I have been there…that means like a 20% hit rate. The staff there tells me the shortage is because of the limited quantities of freshly delivered pig liver every morning….no frozen livers are used even though gahmen propaganda tells us that frozen meats are supposed to taste good?!! …
Mee Pok in Truffle Oil
- Call me “Atas” if you want but… the intoxicating aromas of earth and damp wood from the truffle oil is complexity-ly alluring like a top range Grand Cru Burgundy…say DRC (haven’t tasted one before but am guessing it wld be as heavenly). Its looks like such a humble dish… the mee pok is malnourished-looking, thin and all ruffled up like a vagabond dressed with a few straw and enoki mushrooms. Nothing grand or awesome.. and its got a dirty worn-out brown colour to it. BUT! …the earthy, smoky, burnt rubber bands and wild mushroom flavours that slowly permeate in your mouth , through your nostrils and up to your brain… and down again through your esophagus and finally settling in your stomach.....oooohhh mann… I love this kind of “crouching tiger, hidden dragon” type of food. The mee pok has good “wok-hei” and tastes like what a gd ole bowl of fried mee pok with truffle oil would taste like back in the 70s, when policemen wore shorts.
Claypot Chicken with Yam
- this unique claypot dish consists of mouth-size chucks of chicken pieces swimming in a wonderful pool of yam “soup?”. Smells like yam paste soup watered down with fresh soy bean milk. This is a very balanced dish…its like a pinot... u either fall crazily in love over it or you think its diluted fart water. The milky and slightly powdery yam stock gives the dish a mild dessert-like sweetness to it yet the tender chicken pieces carry are slightly salty and savory. Its like Orh Ni (yam paste dessert) but instead of ginko nuts you have chicken bits. It strikes a pretty good balance of being a main dish with traits of dessert-like qualities. Pretty unique.
Dim sum
- so far the best range of dim sum I have tried with consistent levels of quality across the full range of items. Also tasted various times throughout the past 2 years with consistent notes everytime. It is noteworthy that the main chef helming the Great World outlet was the head chef at Crystal Jade (or so I heard), which Dim Sum is still quite good (will do a review soon). The Char Siew Pau is soft and fluffy with char siew fillings that are coated to a shiny healthy glaze of moderately sweet sauce. The baked version of the Char Siew Pau is just as good and unique (more aromatic too). The other dim sum staples like Siew Mai, Har Gao, Phoenix Claws, Carrot Cake and Black Bean Spare Ribs are better than average and most importantly… FRESH and served HOT!... nothing beats freshly-made piping hot food. Basically.. their steamed selections can be described in three words….Juicy! ..Juicy!...Juicy!...
Try also the Shark’s Fin Dumpling Soup…
the soup is deliciously light soy flavoured with hints of scallop sweetness. Some parts of the dumpling skin could be thinner but all trespasses are forgotten once the fillings of shark’s fin and other tasty morsels spill out from the dumpling…..overall, it is one tasty broth (especially with some red vinegar and ginger shreds)!
What’s Not?
Food wise… I have no major complaints. However, I think the roast goose looks and taste more like roast duck but its difficult to get good goose in Singapore compared to those in HK. The roasted pork with mustard comes in too small a portion (for the hefty price tag) but its chock full of crispy goodness.
They also tend to recommend expensive live seafood dishes which are yet untasted but I suspect that it will be a pocket burning experience.
Comments:
Their private dining rooms are awesome especially the one with a table large enough to fit 20 pax (I think)...take a tour while waiting for your food.
Very elegant dining atmosphere with reasonably priced food for all occasions and at anytime for Dim Sum brunch, business luncheons or family dinners. This is the reason why it is my current favourite dining establishment. So far, I have enjoyed many memorable meals and wines here with my family, childhood frens, best frens and of cos my DBF.
The menu is quite extensive so I suspect that WADA will have more follow up reviews in future…really hope to try their seafood dishes one day.
Food Tasted:
All the above mentioned as well as the roasted meat combinations platter, the roasted duck, roasted chicken, concubine (Gui Fei) chicken and a myriad of their appetizers from fried salt & pepper squid / silver fish etc.
Wine Pairings done:
Can't really remember the many wines tasted at this restaurant , therefore will not attempt to rate as it would be unfair. Will provide some tasting notes of the ones that made the most impression and make some recommendations for wine pairings.
Bowen Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, Coonawara (JO94) -tasted at Teck's birthday dinner
Well-structured with good mellowed down tannins. Mint, plums and medium red to dark fruits. Slight french influence noted. Agreeable with the non-claypot dishes.
Waipara Sauvignon Blanc 2007, NZ - tasted at Teck's birthday dinner
Am sure all my WADE frens that were at the dinner remembered this wine as.... GUAVA! Guava nose, guava taste and guava finish! Fresh and easy to understand. Easy wine to pair here..we had this with the appetizers.
Schlumberger Kiterle Grand Cru Riesling 2005, Alsace (WS91) - tasted with DBF & frens @ dim sum brunch
Kerosene nose intermixed with some citrus fruit. Palate was forgettable which is why i forgot. V agreeable with dim sum.
Loosen Bros Kabinett Riesling 2006, Mosel Saar Ruwel - tasted with the Lor Selangat crew @ dim sum brunch
Flowery notes on the nose. Pretty pineapplely sweet for a kabinett with some acid balance. I remembered that i had preferred if there had been slightly more citrus type acid, especially to go with the siew mai, har gao and baked char siew pau.
Pavie Macquin Grand Cru Classe B 2001, St emilion (RP89, WS91) - tasted at dinner with my family
Satisfying nose of flowers, dark red fruits and some wild notes. Juicy plums and moderate oak on the palate. Great with the truffle mee pok.
Pairing suggestions:
Have rieslings with the dim sum, in particular a german kabinett or trocken..some residual sugars could go well with the savory steamed dim sum. But avoid overly sweet ones that could cover up the natural sweetness of the prawns that are used in a lot of the dim sum choices . New world rieslings could work too but beware of overly acidified ones.
Cabernet Merlot blends would do well here.... medium fruity ones with some oak..no fruit bombs as again it would cover up the natural sweetness of the fresh produce used at this restaurant.
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