Szechuan Court Tasting Session

Szechuan Court Tasting Session
80 Bras Basah Road
Level 3 Fairmont Singapore

Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 12pm - 2:30pm (Lunch), 6:30pm - 10:30pm (Dinner),
Sat - Sun: 12pm - 3pm (Lunch), 6:30pm - 10:30pm (Dinner)


http://www.fairmont.com/singapore/dining/szechuancourt/

This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session.
Attended with representatives from HungryGoWhere, Chubby Botak Koala, Purple Taste, and The Arctic Star.


Fine Dining With Szechuan And Cantonese Cuisine

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 9
Ambience & Setting: 10
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 10
Value for Money: 7
Budget about SGD $90 ++ per person.


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A long serving stalwart of the Fairmont Hotel Singapore, having opened together over 30 years ago, Szechuan Court is a reowned Chinese fine dining restaurant known for its excellent Szechuan and Cantonese cuisine, impeccable and attentive service, and stunning Imperial Chinese decor. The high level of quality and ability to consistently deliver continues to draw many diners to Szechuan Court, and despite its high prices, makes one feel it's still value for money.

Szechuan Court Exterior

Ambience at Szechuan Court exudes a luxurious and sophisticated elegance, having been recently renovated in 2011. The Chinese Imperial style royal decor within the spacious setting is enhanced with gleaming black onyx lacquered surfaces, contrasted by rich fabric colours in red, scarlet, white, and gold. Walk past the Imperial styled entrance, and choose to dine in 1 of 2 areas, the spacious and bustling open restaurant, or the quiet private booths which offer a view of the city skyline. Impressive, all around excellent!

Szechuan Court Interior

Szechuan Court Interior

Service at Szechuan Court is courteous, professional, efficient, and hard-working. Staff politely greet guests, and quickly usher you to your selected seats. If questioned about the menu, they are able to describe dishes in basic detail. I realise however, they are more fluent in Mandarin than English. Staff proactively top up tea / water without being asked. Observant and attentive, they arrive quickly when beckoned, offering near personalised service. I also appreciate that staff change your cutlery and plates after every dish, good effort! Memorable service with almost nothing to fault!

Table Setting

Food at Szechuan Court comprises traditional, familiar Chinese Szechuan and Cantonese flavours, presented in modern fine dining style, arranged neatly on clean, white dishes. Staff will present you the dishes, then assist to portion it out. Generally, the ingredients used are fresh, prepared with respect, and well executed, full flavoured with excellent taste. Completely delicious!

We tried mainly the Szechuan dishes, and I must say that looks are deceptive, because while they look non-spicy, there was always the hidden presence of chili, spice, peppercorn, or chili oil. Yet the skill of the kitchen is such that the heat is palatable, not overwhelming. Portions are designed for communal dining. Perhaps the only drawback of Szechuan Court is the high prices, as expected of a fine dining establishment. Be prepared to splurge between SGD $80 - $150 per person for a meal here. I personally feel this is good value for money, as you can expect a consistently high standard.

Tea Aged Pu-Er 12 Years (SGD $12)

Head Chef Mok Wan Lok has been leading the Szechuan Court kitchen team since 2012. His experience, and deft hand at crafting exquisite Chinese Szechuan and Cantonese dishes is evident!

Us With Head Chef Mok Wan Lok

A bite of the house made Szechuan Pickled Mustard Tuber, and you know the food here is good. More crunchy than soft, with a sour salty taste that isn't overwhelmingly so, and a slight hit of spicy heat that quickly fades. Makes you want to have more! The Braised Peanuts In Soy Sauce I felt were decent, soft in texture, but I would have preferred it to be more salty.

Szechuan Pickled Mustard Tuber

Braised Peanuts In Soy Sauce

The Chong Qing Style Poached Chicken, Spicy Peanut Sesame Sauce (SGD $18) has fresh, chilled, clean tasting poached chicken, with succulent, sweet, tender white meat. Coated in a spicy peanut sauce that is actually quite fine, fragrant from the sesame, but I didn't get much of the crunch of peanuts. Despite looking fiery, the spicy heat is rather mild, with little burn, teasing the palate.

Chong Qing Style Poached Chicken, Spicy Peanut Sesame Sauce (SGD $18)

Chong Qing Style Poached Chicken, Spicy Peanut Sesame Sauce

The Braised Beef Tripe, Shimeiji Mushrooms, Peanut Chili Sauce (SGD $18) has chewy pieces of chilled, clean tasting beef stomach / tripe, tossed in a savoury spicy peanut chili sauce, with earthy and tender shimeiji mushrooms that lends a nice meaty texture. Taste is good, and the dish is well executed, but this was still my least favourite dish of the evening, as I personally prefer tripe to be more salty savoury in taste.

Braised Beef Tripe, Shimeiji Mushrooms, Peanut Chili Sauce (SGD $18)

Braised Beef Tripe, Shimeiji Mushrooms, Peanut Chili Sauce

The Braised Bird's Nest, Cabbage, Chicken Broth (SGD $42) is a large, filling, luxurious, individual bowl of yummy soup / broth! The chicken soup / broth is light with a slight savoury taste, filled with fresh chinese cabbage / bok choy, wolfberries, and a generous portion of bird's nest! Quality is evident, the strips of bird's nest are off-white / pearl white and translucent in colour, doesn't stain the soup / broth, is sweet with no fishy taste, and is smooth and slippery in texture, like thick egg-white. Chef says this is his favourite dish!

Braised Bird's Nest, Cabbage, Chicken Broth (SGD $42)

Braised Bird's Nest, Cabbage, Chicken Broth

The most surprising thing about the Wok-Fried Sliced Chicken, Young Ginger, Sweet And Sour Sauce (SGD $28 / $42) is the sharp, tender slices of young ginger, releasing a burst of freshness when bit. Yes, it's meant to be eaten together with the tender slices of clean tasting chicken, and crunchy bell peppers / capsicum! The sauce is more sweet than sour, turning this savoury dish into a slightly more sweet dish, which I found mildly unusual.

Wok-Fried Sliced Chicken, Young Ginger, Sweet And Sour Sauce (SGD $28 / $42)

Wok-Fried Sliced Chicken, Young Ginger, Sweet And Sour Sauce

Loved the Cod Fish Steamed With Soya Bean Crumbs (SGD $18), with its fresh, tender, white flesh that flakes off nicely. The savoury salty soy sauce lends a fragrant aroma, and I like the crunchy soya bean crumbs that lend texture. Portion is thick, and the cod fish skin comes off easily, without any slimy texture. There's apparently a secret ingredient mixed with the crumbs! Straight forward dish, done well. Utterly satisfiying!

Cod Fish Steamed With Soya Bean Crumbs (SGD $18)

Cod Fish Steamed With Soya Bean Crumbs

The Stir-Fried Duck Breast, Black Fungus, Pickled Wild Chili (SGD $32 / $48) has duck meat which is cooked till tender yet not dry, similar to the texture of venison. An earthy, aromatic, savoury dish with bell peppers / capsicum, black fungus, and soft garlic, the duck has also picked up some spicy heat, and there is a slow burn that builds while eating this. Surprisingly, the pickled wild chili isn't spicy, instead, it's face-scrunchingly, intense sour.

Stir-Fried Duck Breast, Black Fungus, Pickled Wild Chili (SGD $32 / $48)

Stir-Fried Duck Breast, Black Fungus, Pickled Wild Chili

Absolutely loved the Braised Pork Belly Ribs, Crispy Rice, Sweet Vinegar Sauce (SGD $30 / $45)! The pork meat has a fork tender, moist texture, with a sweet, clean taste from the unique vinegar. The exterior is coated with Sezchuan peppercorn spice, which you don't feel at first, until it starts to numb your mouth, though there isn't any spicy chili burn. The small selection of diced tropical fruit lend a tinge of juicy sweetness, while the small bits of crispy white rice is genius as a garnish, eye-catching while lending a crunch to texture. Exotic, and really good!

Braised Pork Belly Ribs, Crispy Rice, Sweet Vinegar Sauce (SGD $30 / $45)

Braised Pork Belly Ribs, Crispy Rice, Sweet Vinegar Sauce

The Wok-Fried Fish Noodles, Shredded Pork, Black Pepper (SGD $28 / $42 / $56) is unique for its chewy, savoury smoky noodles made from fish! Along with crunchy bean sprouts, tender bell peppers / capsicum, and savoury salty shredded pork, the noodles are filling, and carry the fragrant taste of wok hei / breath of the wok. Coated liberally in black pepper, there is a gradual increase of spicy heat with a lingering burn. Fiery!

Wok-Fried Fish Noodles, Shredded Pork, Black Pepper (SGD $28 / $42 / $56)

Wok-Fried Fish Noodles, Shredded Pork, Black Pepper

The Pandan Ice Jelly, Honey Sea Coconut (SGD $8) is sweet and refreshing, a great palate cleanser. The pandan / screwpine leaf ice jelly is smooth, wobbly, and fresh, with a hint of the sweet, floral, grassy taste of pandan / screwpine leaf. I also noticed the even texture and consistency of the sea coconut, all of which had a slightly firm exterior, and a soft interior, evidence of their attention to detail. Very good!

Pandan Ice Jelly, Honey Sea Coconut (SGD $8)

Pandan Ice Jelly, Honey Sea Coconut

Overall, I had a lovely experience dining at Szechuan Court, with its modern Imperial ambience, professional service, and tasty Chinese Szechuan / Cantonese dishes. I'll visit again, but the high prices mean that Szechuan Court isn't a place for everyday, regular dining, more so the kind of establishment I'll visit for special occasions. Communal dining of at least 4 or more people is highly encouraged, for best value for money.


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