Peach Garden Restaurant

Peach Garden Restaurant
273 Thomson Road
#01-06 Novena Gardens

301 Upper Thomson Road
#01-88 Thomson Plaza

133 New Bridge Road
#02-36 Chinatown Point

60 Airport Boulevard
#036-084 Changi Airport Terminal 2

9 North Buona Vista Drive
#02-02 The Metropolis

1 Orchid Club Road
#02-35 Orchid Country Club

401 Havelock Road
Level 3, Hotel Miramar

76 Nanyang Drive
#02-01B NTU Block N2.1

65 Chulia Street
#33-01 OCBC Centre

https://www.peachgarden.com.sg/

Fried Carrot Cake With X.O. Chili Sauce (SGD $12)

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Updated Post, Dated Jun-2019

Exquisite Cantonese Dishes

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 9
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $70 per person.

Update Jun-2019: On occasion, I've returned to Peach Garden Restaurant several times over the last 8 years. Founded by Veronica Tan and Angela Ho in December 2002, the vision of Peach Garden Restaurant was to create a culinary sanctuary for connoisseurs of traditional Chinese Cantonese cuisine, enabling them to experience exquisite dining and fine living. Back then, the concept was a huge hit, and Peach Garden Restaurant quickly expanded across Singapore, establishing itself as a premier Chinese Mandarin dining destination of choice. Today, Peach Garden Restaurant is still regarded as among the better Modern Chinese Cantonese restaurants around.

Ambience at Peach Garden Restaurant exudes a simple yet elegant Oriental splendor. Shades of red, white, black, brown, and wood adorn the spacious and neatly laid out dining area, which is brightly and comfortably lit. Comfortable cushioned chairs surround the circular cloth covered tables. Ambient noise is usually the clink of cutlery, with background of chatter.

Service at Peach Garden Restaurant is helpful and down-to-earth. The older staff know how to treat guests, yet are fairly casual in conversation. The younger staff seem hurried and impatient though. Staff are decently efficient at clearing finished plates throughout your meal, and have sufficient menu knowledge to offer recommendations. However, they tend to promote the more expensive dishes.

Food at Peach Garden Restaurant is a mix of traditional Chinese Cantonese dishes and Modern Chinese Mandarin cuisine. The longevity of the brand is evident in the consistently tasty, above average execution of their dishes. Portions are sized for communal group dining. Prices vary widely for a mid-range restaurant, some dishes are cheap, others are really expensive. Budget about SGD $70 per person for a meal here.

Peach Garden Restaurant Exterior

Peach Garden Restaurant Interior

Straightforward Tea Pu'Er (SGD $2.50) to accompany a meal. An alright choice of beverage, with a robust earthy flavour.

Tea Pu'Er (SGD $2.50)

The Candied Walnuts (SGD $4) feature deshelled walnuts coated in a sugar syrup, studded with white sesame seeds. These have a delicious crunch, with a bold sweet nutty earthy flavour. Expensive for a small plate though. As it's served when you're seated, you can choose to refuse it.

Candied Walnuts (SGD $4)

The White Rice (SGD $1.50) here has a fluffy soft texture, with the white rice being slightly more sticky than elsewhere. Has a delicate grainy flavour.

White Rice (SGD $1.50)

The BBQ Honey Pork Char Siew (SGD $12) feature thin slices of barbecue pork loin char siew, with a balanced ratio of fat to pork meat, coated in a light honey glaze. This gives the tender moist pork loin char siew a bold sweet salty savoury flavour, nicely meaty and fatty on the palate. Wish it was slightly thicker for a more succulent bite. Worth ordering!

BBQ Honey Pork Char Siew (SGD $12)

BBQ Honey Pork Char Siew

The Roasted Crispy Pork Cubes (SGD $12) stood out for the ultra crisp, crunchy pork skin crackling. Otherwise, the tender moist chewy texture of the roasted pork belly was decent, with a savoury salty flavour that carried a hint of gamey taste. Accompanied by a dollop of sharp tangy yellow mustard. Worth ordering!

Roasted Crispy Pork Cubes (SGD $12)

Roasted Crispy Pork Cubes

We loved the Fried Crispy Eggplant With Pork Floss (SGD $12). The deep-fried eggplant / brinjal / aubergine strips have a slightly crisp, crunchy exterior, which gives way to a soft, juicy interior. Has delicate vegetal salty sweet flavour. The generous portion of stringy pork floss lends good meaty savoury flavour, complementing the dish. Not overly oily. Good!

Fried Crispy Eggplant With Pork Floss (SGD $12)

Fried Crispy Eggplant With Pork Floss

The signature Fried Carrot Cake With X.O. Chili Sauce (SGD $12) is a must-order everytime we dine here. The large but soft and moist cubes of daikon radish carrot cake are tossed with fluffy eggs, cunchy bean sprouts, chewy preserved radish / chye poh / chai poh, and a special 'extraordinary' dried shrimp and chili paste. This gives the dish a bold savoury sweet earthy eggy flavour, fragrant and appetizing. Addictively yummy. Highly recommended!

Fried Carrot Cake With X.O. Chili Sauce (SGD $12)

Fried Carrot Cake With X.O. Chili Sauce

The Double-Boiled Corn Soup With Crab Meat (SGD $8.80) was below average. The Chinese Cantonese style of double-boiled corn soup / broth has a thick, gloopy, rich texture, with delicate vegetal grainy sweet flavour. The ingredients within (winter melon, eggs, deshelled crab meat) have been stewed till soft, tender, and slightly mushy in texture. Overall weak, too light on taste for my liking. Had better elsewhere. Could be improved.

Double-Boiled Corn Soup With Crab Meat (SGD $8.80)

Double-Boiled Corn Soup With Crab Meat

Disappointed with the Poached Tien Chin Cabbage With Soya Bean Paste (SGD $20), because it tasted bland. The napa cabbage is super soft in texture, while the dried soya bean sheets are spongy with a light crunch. Garnished with goji berries / wolfberries, the thick gloopy gravy looks rich, but is flat on taste. Would be better with some salt or seasoning. At least it's healthy. Could be improved.

Poached Tien Chin Cabbage With Soya Bean Paste (SGD $20)

Poached Tien Chin Cabbage With Soya Bean Paste

The marquee Deep-Fried Soon Hock / Marble Goby Fish With Superior Soya Sauce (SGD $12 per 100g, $96 for 800g) was the most expensive dish during our visit, amounting to half of the total meal price. But it's really tasty. The whole soon hock / marble goby fish is flash fried, resulting in a super crisp, crunchy exterior that breaks gently to reveal the tender, flaky, moist interior. The fish meat has a delicate salty savoury flavour from the superior soy sauce gravy, and comes easily off the bones. Garnished with fresh shredded spring onions, which lend a bright vegetal note. Good!

Deep-Fried Soon Hock / Marble Goby Fish With Superior Soya Sauce (SGD $12 per 100g, $96 for 800g)

Deep-Fried Soon Hock / Marble Goby Fish With Superior Soya Sauce

Deep-Fried Soon Hock / Marble Goby Fish With Superior Soya Sauce

I recall the beef here was incredibly tender with a bouncy moist chew to texture, and the Pan-Fried Beef Tenderloin Cantonese Style (SGD $10) was just as good as ever. The medium sized beef tenderloin can be shared between 2 people, and with the gravy, has a lovely savoury sweet meaty flavour, with a hint of sour note on the finish. The crunchy white onions and tender broccoli florets lend good vegetal sweet flavour, rounding off this dish well. Highly recommended!

Pan-Fried Beef Tenderloin Cantonese Style (SGD $10)

Pan-Fried Beef Tenderloin Cantonese Style

Pan-Fried Beef Tenderloin Cantonese Style

The Warm Yam Paste With Ginkgo Nuts In Young Coconut (SGD $8.80) is unique for being served in a young coconut. The warm yam / taro paste is thick and gloopy in texture, with a rough mashed texture, and good earthy sweet flavour. Garnished with tender ginkgo nuts and rich coconut cream, the pairing of yam / taro paste with the tender juicy young coconut meat is an unusual combination of flavours. Not unpleasant, but somewhat acquired. Worth ordering!

Warm Yam Paste With Ginkgo Nuts In Young Coconut (SGD $8.80)

Warm Yam Paste With Ginkgo Nuts In Young Coconut

The modern Chilled Avocado Cream With Ice Cream (SGD $6.50) is a good dessert. The thick creamy texture of the chilled avocado cream is almost like a rich stew, with bright vegetal earthy grassy flavour, not unlike matcha green tea powder. The scoop of creamy coconut ice cream lends body and depth, with a delicate fruity earthy sweet flavour. Completed with bouncy globules of coloured tadpole bubbles. Good!

Chilled Avocado Cream With Ice Cream (SGD $6.50)

Chilled Avocado Cream With Ice Cream

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Original Post, Dated Aug-2011

Celebrated Dad's birthday at Peach Garden Restaurant. The day we came, they had an offer on their Duck... If we ordered a Whole Duck, they would prepare it in 3 ways: Roast, Peking Style with Wrap, and one method of our choice. We choose to wok-fry it with noodles. The duck was a little on the dry side though.

The beef tenderloin was a surprise. Tender and juicy, it had the melt-in-your-mouth quality. The accompanying black pepper sauce just gave that extra oomph. Easily the best dish we had at Peach Garden Restaurant that day.