Imperial Treasure Teochew Cuisine (Ngee Ann City)

Back in 2007, we had a delightful Chinese New Year reunion dinner at Imperial Treasure Teochew Cuisine. Fast forward two years and with that experience still lingering on, we returned with high hopes and an emptier stomach (We had only managed to snag the 3rd seating at 845pm). Fatt Choy Salmon Raw Fish - My very first yu sheng of the year and quite a good one at that. The sauce didn't come across as cloyingly sweet and the addition of pomelo gave it a nice lightly bitter/sourish taste. Double Boiled Superior Shark's Fin Soup with Shark Bone - This is the first time I'm having shark bone together with shark's fin and I must say that it was quite a good combination. The soup wasn't too milky/coagulated and came across as smooth on the palate, leaving a seemingly smooth layer of sediment on the tongue. The fins were quite a size and generous as well. Very good! Roasted Goose & BBQ Meat Platter - I've always been a fan of Imperial Treasure's roasted meats (especially their roast pork and goose) and this meat platter wasn't just about to disappoint. The goose's skin was crisp and the meat, tender and flavourful. Spotting an even crispier skin was the roasted pork, which had a very good fat to lean meat proportion. Only gripe I had was the mild overdose of salt. I wasn't too taken by the char siew even though it was tender and mildy sweet with nice bits of fats wedged throughout. It was good, just not outstanding. Sauteed Chicken with Prawn - After splitting this dish up, everyone around the table got exactly 1 prawn and a few slivers of chicken. So much for portion size. That aside, the chicken did seem a tad too oily but I liked the crisp edges and nice savoury taste. I also appreciate the freshness, crunchiness and size of the prawn(s), save for the minor over zealousness in the adding of salt. Braised Sliced Abalone with Dried Oyster & Fish Maw - The sliced abalones were quite substantial (both in quantity and size) and carried quite a bit of bite without coming across as too raw. The fish maw was springy and soft but could have done with a little less cooking. There were quite a few huge dried oysters as well, but honestly, I'm not a big fan of them, so no comments. Steamed Live "Soon Hock" Fish with Plum Sauce - Honestly, the soon hock looked a little out of sorts when I first saw it. But aesthetics aside, the fish was very fresh with flesh being firm and sweet. The sauce was a little sourish and savoury, making for a very appetising eat. Fried Glutinous Rice with Waxed Meat & Waxed Sausages - An integral part of a CNY reunion dinner, the glutinous rice symbolises family cohesion. Imperial Treasure's rendition of this symbolic dish was fragrant without being too oily or dry. The bits of waxed meat and sausages added to the bite while the egg shreds gave it colour. Very good. Sweetened Walnut Cream with Glutinous Dumpling - The walnut cream was very smooth, harbouring a lightly burnt taste sans the sugar overload. A lone sesame filled tang yuan in the equation made this dessert a nice and not too sweet ending to the excellent meal. Our bill this year was more reasonable, standing at just above $750 for 5 pax (as compared to almost 1k the past 2 years). However, food quality hasn't been compromised and service still remains top notch. It definitely helped that we were seated in a private room as well. With such positive experiences with Imperial Treasure thus far, I'll be most eager to return again. See all my pictures here.

I had lots of great Teochew food and this didn't really taste like Teochew food to me. we had the set dinner for the family and we didn't think it was great. it was very expensive though.

I've probably visited Imperial Treasure (ITTC) too many times to say that this review is unbiased but I trust that the feedback that I have received from all my friends and family whom we bring there is accurate to say, that this is probably one of our favourites.

Once they staff know you, trust me, you can rely on their recommendation on dishes and be sure that you would be getting good quality food. But what makes us go back for lunch every weekend, is the extremely affordable dim sum prices. Dinner is slightly on the higher end, but equally satisfying.

What to order? Well where do I begin? First of all, I find the food overall, much much better than their competitor next door. The ever=popular Crystal Jade, whom I find, have neglected finesse in their dim sum and dishes. So here's the list

- Roast duck over their roast goose (prob the best in Singapore after the one in Marina Square food court.)
- Har Kow (generous servings of prawns. natural sweetness)
- Scallop and Spinach dumplings (perfectly balanced)
- Yam Puff (my grandmother and mother are Teochews and this has passed their picky Orh-nee taste buds)
- Almond Cream (let's just say, we'd pack this back everytime we're in Takashimaya, regardless of whether we've dine in ITTC. ask them for added egg white for a touch of luxury. for even more, double-boil birds nest at home and add that to this luxurious cream of almond)

I could go on, but I cannot neglect the ala carte menu
- Yellow Flower Croaker (?), Ng Huey Tor. Just pan-fried. Yes, it may be pricey $16 per fish, but this is what you call natural sweetness. If your old relatives talk about fish being sweet. Try this!
- Braised Spinach Tofu in Mushroom Gravy
- Cucumber fried with Eggs (not an easy dish to prepare at all!! But excellently executed here)
- Fried Rice with Egg White and Conpoy (passed the pickest of tastebuds, a family friend who runs restaurants in Hong Kong)
- Claypot Eggplant and Minced Pork (ordinary dish, tasting extraordinary)
- Soup of the Day (a must have! don't bother about what they are serving. just order it and you won't regret it.)

Thats enough for now I think. Although there's so much more to share here. But I'll leave you, the diner to decide.

PS. Take my review for Service with a pinch of salt. They treat us excellently and I might be biased.

I went there a few weeks ago to celebrate a birthday.. and the food did not disappoint.

We had a reservation but reached late due to the terrible after-work jam. As soon as we gave the green light, they served our first dish very promptly. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was the most expensive dish ($980, if I'm not mistaken) we had and it was delicious! It was served in a few rounds and the serving was huge. Just that dish alone filled me up! The abalone was big and of great texture - not tooo chewy, the mushrooms and scallops were tasty and the shark's fins came in huge pieces, unlike other restaurants where it's shredded and almost invisible.

Another superb dish was the goose that was served with mint sauce. I was a little skeptical about trying the mint sauce, but once I tasted it, I was hooked! It was a great combination and the waitress kept on craving the meat and serving it once your plate has emptied.

The fish was fresh, the claypot rice was very fragrant, the quail was so delicious I put down my cutlery and used my hands instead. I couldn't stop eating the sang mien (which I don't normally eat. And mind you, I was already very bloated at that time, but I finished my bowl anyway). And our dessert, yam paste, is fattening. haha, everyone knows that. What I want to say is... It was so good I finished all of it too! It was light and I didn't get ge-lat of it. There was pumpkin paste in it and mixing the 2 of them together only made it more fragrant and tasty.

The frog legs and asparagus dish, however, was disappointing. The meat tasted bland, but the asparagus was nice.

The service was great, with the waitresses adding in a sentence or two into our conversations. The manager came in to ask for feedback, and was really friendly. We asked about the ingredients in the food and they answered it to the best they could.


p/s: David Gan was there that evening

From time to time, i would get dimsum cravings so i'll come to imperial treasures instead of the usual crystal jade :S

Been here 4 times already and have not been disappointed yet - its a must try for the salty lovers ( people who like salty food )

I always eat their
a. BBQ steamed pork bun (normal)
b. BBQ pastry (normal)
c. deep fried prawn balls with mayo
d. flat rice flour with pork/shrimp (the texture is comparatively thinner than elsewhere which makes it really easy and smooth to eat plus the sauce is sinfully salty !)
e. glutinous rice in leaves (normal)
f. egg tarts (the BEST and cutest ive eaten as the pastry is really thin unlike some other places with really thick pastry)

...

for main dishes ive tried the
a. fried rice with salted fish/chicken &
b. braised efu noodles with shrimp roe

after all the above, ive really no more stomach for anything else :]

Their interior/atmosphere is also really quiet & peaceful ; twice i had the chance of eating in a private room without any prior reservation and their normal booths are really big and spacious too. Amply privacy compared to the typical eateries elsewhere that put you so close to other people :/

So def a must have for those dimsum craving days !

Which was supposed to be Truffled.

Came here for a quick meal. Meal fell short of expectations probably coz I didn’t heed advice and ordered the wrong stuff. My ratings here are only for what I ate this visit.

1. White Truffle Oil Braised Mee Pok with Mushrooms ($18 small) – no hint of any truffle oil. It’s not bad by itself actually if it wasn’t glamorously named as “white truffle oil mee pok”. The white truffle part was a misnomer.
2. Sautéed Scallop with Egg White in Italian White Truffle Oil ($8 per person) – same problem here. No truffle oil but the lonely scallop was still succulent and sweet
3. Sweetened Mashed Taro with Pumpkin ($4 per person) – sorrie about this but I have to burst your bubble coz this the worst orh nee I’ve ever eaten. It lacked that requisite layer of onion oil and it was served tepid. No oil to insulate the orh nee so it wasn’t piping hot (like it must be) and it came dry, thick and sludgy. No bak yu was used I think so the traditional taste was lost.
4. Home brewed Water Chestnut (hot as per request) ($2 per glass) – the only nice thing I consumed.

All in all the food was ok, passable but certainly not the best Teochew food around. For authentic Teochew which won’t cost you an arm or a leg, try Lee Kui Ah Hoi at Mosque Street. Slightly more expensive but still authentic try Huat Kee at Amoy Street. And for chic chi Teochew go for Crystal Jade Golden Palace at Paragon.

But this is based on one single visit. I may just return for the dimsum dishes which were highly recommended by previous reviewers. Service was fine, functional, captain was knowledgeable on the menu and daily specials etc. The waitstaff were sometimes overly intrusive. Could try to maintain a little more distance from diners.

A favourite place for dinner and lunch @ anytime of the week. Reservations is recommended, and corkage is FREE, so start those wines rolling...

The daily soups are excellent,and served in different sizes, in a porcelain pot. Not really a fan of Teochew food, but this place coupled woth the exquisite decor sures makes me give the thumbs up.

Although this restaurant says it serves Teochew cuisine, it serves a lot of Cantonese dishes and dim sum, which is just as well since my father loves Teochew food while me and my mum love dim sum and Cantonese food. The food is expensive, but the fine quality is definitely evident.

We ordered Salmon Yusheng ($32+), Thick Soup with Mushrooms, Shark's Fin and Bamboo Pith ($20), Goose Web with Sea Cucumber ($14), Teochew Satay Beef Hor Fun ($16), Fried Silverfish, Braised Duck's Tongue, Roasted Pork
Dim Sum: Har Gao, Siew Mai, Egg Tart, Charsiew Cheong Fun, Black Sesame in Pumpkin Ball

My parents loved the tea that came in the four tiny cups. Being tea connoisseurs, you'd have to take their word for it. The appetisers were also pretty good, according to them.

First was the Salmon Yusheng, which was expensive but my Mum thought it was better than the one she tried preparing at home. (lol)

The Soup was quite good and they were quite generous with the ingredients, but I have had better double-boiled thick soups.

The Duck's Tongue was very good. It was chewy on the outside and soft inside. It was braised well, and I thought theirs was the best duck's tongue I've had so far. (Better than many so-called Shanghai Eateries)

The Goose Web was marvellous! The skin was so soft and tender, it literally fell off the bone. It was braised to perfection in the lovely abalone sauce. It was IMO better than my previous favourite at Ah Yat Abalone Forum Restaurant (Where the skin stuck more to the bone). Unfortunately, the petite sea cucumber wasn't good.

The Silverfish was another miss. It was oily and large, and we could not taste the salt and pepper seasoning. It was soft and not crispy enough. We decided it tasted better when dipped in the vinegar that came with the duck's tongue.

The Roasted Pork was another winner. Crisp skin and juicy fats plus chewy but tender meat. Only gripe was the petite size... aww.. :(

My Father enjoyed his beef hor fun, which he commented was true to the "Teochew taste". My Mum thought the sauce was pretty good and the beef was tender without too much tenderizer detected.

Dim Sum:
Har Gao was a miss. Prawn was not crunchy and the did not taste good.
Cheong Fun was average.
Black Sesame Ball was delicious, according to my parents.
Siew Mai was also excellent.
I would say their Egg Tart was the best I've had so far. It came piping hot and fresh, with a crisp pastry and deliciously fragrant and soft custard.

The food served here is definitely a worthy contender with my favourite Chinese Restaurant, Ah Yat at Allson Hotel. Total damage was $192 for two, but the quality of the food is worth the extra bucks on special occasions. Be sure to make reservations; we were given seats only because the guests who reserved the seats would arrive an hour later. :)

Highly recommended by a friend who is not easily excited by food, we decided to check this place out. We were so impressed that we went back for dinner a second time within a week after a fabulous lunch.

For light midday, the freshness exuded by the dim sum can melt your heart. Hum sui gok, fen guo, radish cake, congee, siu mai are a class above the run-of-the-mill dim sum fare offered in most restaurants. We were however, not used to the hay chor which has a whole prawn filling instead of the classic cut minced meat rolls.

For diner, the choices are unlimited and we were glad to have taken some of the waitress' suggestions. The soon hock is a must have. The osmanthus fried shark's fin was superb. We went for the geoduck clam instead of lobster. Whether eaten as sashimi or dip in superior stock, the taste is refreshing and naturally sweet. Of course the goose is something not to be missed in Teochew cuisine. The thinly sliced goose meat is tender and not too salty.

The bill was reasonable considering the good quality food we ordered for dinner. Everyone in the family was contented with the sumptuous meal.

Be sure to make reservations especially on a week day to avoid disappointment and long queue.

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Made a reservation at for 1930hrs at Imperial Treasure Teochew Cuisine for our yearly reunion dinner. Surprisingly, Imperial Treasure only had 2 seatings, one at 6pm and the other at 730pm, which of course gave us plenty of time to finish up our food.

Stepping into the restaurant, the interior struck me as rather haphazard and cramp. Fortunately for us, we managed to snag a semi private booth seat which was rather cosy with pretty overhanging lights and wooden paneling.

Salmon Yu Sheng - For one, I must admit that I'm not exactly a fan of Yu Sheng but this one was quite well done. Slightly heavy on the sesame taste with fresh thinly sliced salmon and lots of other condiments, it didn't make me cringe like so many other Yu Shengs that I've tried.

Double Boiled Superior Shark's Fin - The quality in this dish was evident. The fins were quite a size (Bao Qi) and held quite a bit of bite while the broth was light and tantalizing. Simple yet tastefully done.

Roasted Crispy Goose - Although I honestly prefer my goose braised Teochew style, the roasted goose was nothing short of excellent. Succulent and tender meat beneath a layer of crispy skin that crackled with every bite. It was sheer goodness.

Poached Live "Soon Hock" Fish with Chinese Rice Wine - The flesh was firm and sweet without the fishy undertones - an indication of freshness. There was a strong, almost overwhelming presence of rice wine in the milky gravy but when drizzled over the fish, it mellowed subtly and complemented the fish very well.

Sauteed Australian Lobster with Ginger & Shallot - I doubt the lobster weighed in more than a kilogram. In fact, I suspect its weight hovered in the range of a mere 600-800 grams. Size aside, execution was commendable with the meat fresh and sweet with a nice and light ginger overtone.

Sweet & Sour Pork - This dish was in addition to our set menu and rather average if I may say. The flour coating was a tad too thick while the sauce was too sweet for our liking. Predictably, there was quite a bit of left over when we were done.

Stewed South African Sliced Abalone with Dried Oyster & Fish Maw - Presentation wise, this dish was awful, with everything looking mashed together under a blanket of really starchy gravy. But as the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. It was a treasure pot of sorts with a respectable amount of abalone slices, fresh (not the usual dried ones) fish maw and a few dried oysters. The only gripe I had was that the oysters were a tad undercooked.

Stir Fried Vegetables with Mushrooms - Another addition to the menu and a most average dish. True, the mushrooms were nice but the vegetables were lacking in the quintessential wok hei taste.

Fried Glutinous Rice with Dried Meat & Mushroom - This was probably the only low in the otherwise excellent set menu. The rice was tasteless and a tad too dry. Ingredients were minimal as well.

Chinese New Year Pastries & Yam Paste with Pumpkin and Gingko nuts - The cookies were decent whereas the yam paste aka Orh Nee was a tad too watery for my liking. But I guess it all boils down to personal preference as my parents found it quite decent.

With a dinner for 5 hitting $930 without any drinks save for tea, its almost breaching the insanity mark. But well, its Chinese New Year and the food is really quite good. If such standard of food can be attained even during the CNY period where the food quality in most places would dip, then its a reasonable assumption that it would be better on normal days. I'll be eagerly awaiting.

See all my pictures here