Starting October 2015, Resorts World Sentosa’s Feng Shui Inn introduces the New Timeless Classics menu which brings a refreshing twist to its signature dishes.
Chinese Head Chef Li Kwok Kwong has taken popular Cantonese classics, prepared the ingredients in new ways and present them to you side by side. This way, you get the best of both worlds when dining at Feng Shui Inn.
If you like choices when it comes to food, the New Timeless Classics Menu is perfect for you. Whether you are a long-time fan of Feng Shui Inn or a new patron, you’ll find the New Timeless Classics menu a good choice to have two different flavours in the same dish.
New Timeless Classics menu
RWScoop tried out the dishes from the New Timeless Classics menu at a tasting session. Here are the dishes:
Geo-Duck Clams
(Left) New: Poached Canadian Geo-Duck Clams in Preserved Vegetable Broth
(Right) Traditional: Canadian Geo-Duck Clams Sashimi
I was told that the longer Geo-Duck is left outside, the tougher it becomes so the dish has to be prepared only when ordered.
The two dishes are cooked in totally different ways. The traditional version comes in raw sashimi form while the new dish is cooked in broth.
New: Poached Canadian Geo-Duck Clams in Preserved Vegetable Broth
Instead of the usual clear soup broth that comes with clams, the Thai-inspired broth has a tangy taste of tomato. I find that this makes a good appetiser to prepare the palate for the rest of the meal.
Thanks to the chef’s skills, the slices of Geo-Duck in the vegetable broth do not feel any different from the sashimi version. You’d imagine that cooked Geo-Duck will be tougher but the slices in this dish is still chewy. No MSG (Monosodium glutamate) is used in this dish which means there is no thirstiness that follows.
Traditional: Canadian Geo-Duck Clams Sashimi
With the signature way of preparing Geo-Duck in sashimi form, the freshness of the clam stands out. The taste is a mix between abalone and fresh oysters. It has the texture of an abalone with the taste of fresh oysters that hints of sea water.
Crispy Fish Skin
(Left) New: Crispy Fish Skin with Salted Egg Yolk and Calamansi
(Right) Traditional: Hong Kong Crispy Fish Skin
The challenge of creating tasty crispy fish skin is to make sure that the batter is thin enough to provide a crunch to the ingredients and fried just right so it doesn’t burn.
New: Crispy Fish Skin with Salted Egg Yolk and Calamansi
It’s a wonder how the chefs manage to coat the fish skin in rich salted egg yolk without discounting much of the crunchiness of the dish.
The salted egg yolk coats your tongue like butter while the dash of sour calamansi sauce tempers the saltiness of the dish.
Traditional: Hong Kong Crispy Fish Skin
If you’re worried about cholesterol, this dish might be a better choice since it does not have extra eggs coated on it.
The traditional way of preparation makes the fish skin crispy. With each bite, you’ll hear the “crunch, crunch” sound which makes it even more delightful. I’m not sure if the slight over-saltiness is a deliberate choice or not.
Prawns
(Left) New: Crispy Prawns with Golden Threads served with Mashed Potato Sauce
(Right) Traditional: Stir-Fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk
The prawns are prepared in two different ways: the new dish has unshelled prawns while the traditional dish has shelled prawns.
(Left) New: Crispy Prawns with Golden Threads served with Mashed Potato Sauce
For those who might think that unshelled prawns are too much of a hassle, this dish is worth your effort. Rolled around the prawns are “golden threads” of sweet potato. Once you break them up, it tastes like shoe-string fries but sweeter.
The shell of the prawns will be a bit of a challenge but the restaurant provides fork and knife just for this dish. Break open the sweet potato threads, slice open the shell and you will come across the juicy prawn flesh.
To get the best of the dish, have all three of the prawn, sweet potato thread and mashed potato sauce in one mouthful. This combines the best of the sweetness of the three ingredients.
(Right) Traditional: Stir-Fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk
In contrast to the new dish, the traditional Stir-Fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk might seem a little…dare I say…boring. But the fresh, plump prawns, coated with thick salted egg yolk proves otherwise.
The spices in the sauce creates a tingle to the tongue while the fresh milk used in the sauce makes the dish not as overly rich. The salted egg yolk sauce makes a good accompaniment for rice.
Grouper
(Left) New: Special Pan-fried “east Star” Grouper Fillet
(Right) Traditional: Stir-fried Sliced Grouper with Fresh Huai Shan and Luffa
The dish presents two versions of cooking grouper: pan-fried and stir-fried. The tendrils of vegetable not only look good but taste fresh.
(Left) New: Special Pan-fried “east Star” Grouper Fillet
The new dish is surprisingly oil-free despite being pan-fried. Fried to a perfect golden brown, the exterior is crunchy but not charred while the interior is still tender.
(Right) Traditional: Stir-fried Sliced Grouper with Fresh Huai Shan and Luffa
If you like your dish to come with sauce, you will prefer this dish over the other. The main attraction of the dish–the fish– goes down smoothly with the sauce. You’ll enjoy bites of the Fresh Huai Shan and Luffa which gives the dish a healthier bite.
Fried rice
Have you ever wondered why Chinese banquets serve the carbohydrates (usually rice or noodles) last?
It’s so that guests can have the carbohydrate dish at the end of the meal to fill full. With the rice served at the end, guests are able to enjoy the (more expensive) main dishes without filling themselves up.
New: Hong Kong “Tai O” Style Fried Rice
Feng Shui Inn uses “Tai O” sauce that comes straight from Hong Kong. “Tai O” is a fishing village in Hong Kong that’s famous for its shrimp paste.
If the thought of “shrimp paste” conjures up the pungent smell of belachan, you’ll be glad to know that “Tai O” sauce doesn’t smell like the fermented shrimp paste from Singapore/Malaysia region. Taste-wise, the shrimp paste is not overpowering and the dish tastes like soy sauce fried rice.
Traditional: Fried Rice with Fresh Crab Meat and Egg White
The traditional version of the dish feels more decadent because of the fresh crab meat. The rice is fried well and doesn’t have the overly oily feel that some fried rice do.
If you’re choosing between the traditional and the new, it all comes down to whether you like your rice in light or darker colour.
Desserts
The two desserts use totally different ingredients and each have their merits.
New: Steamed Red Dates Cake
At first glance, the cakes look like jelly. But once you try to cut into it, you’ll discover that the texture is similar to Chinese sticky rice cakes.
When you pop one into your mouth, you will taste the red dates and longan used in the cake. The restaurant boils these two main ingredients together until it becomes a concentrate of red dates and longan. Feng Shui Inn then adds in cornflour to create the sticky texture.
This dish is just right for those who prefer their desserts to be less sweet.
Traditional: Double-boiled Almond Cream with Glutinous Rice Balls
The traditional dessert is made from almond cream that is grinded at Feng Shui Inn. The cream is deliciously thick and smooth. The dish does not have the “chemical” taste that some almond dishes have.
The Glutinous Rice Ball in the cream is gigantic and filled with sweet black sesame paste. A must try.
New Timeless Classics Menu at Feng Shui Inn
The New Timeless Classics Menu is best for sharing so you can have a chance to taste more dishes. Bring your family, friend or colleagues to Feng Shui Inn for a chance to taste these traditional and new creations.
| Location: | Crockfords Tower, Level G2 How to get here |
| Operating Hours: | Lunch: 11am-3pmHigh Tea: 3pm – 5.30pm (Last order for Dim Sum at 5pm)Dinner: 5.30pm – 11pm (Last order at 10.30pm)Supper: 11pm – 1am (Fri & Sat, Eve of Public Holiday) (Last order at 12.30am) |
| Tel No.: | +65 6577 6688 |
Visit RWSentosa.com for more information on Feng Shui Inn.
