Peach Blossoms Restaurant

Peach Blossoms Restaurant
6 Raffles Boulevard
Level 5, Marina Mandarin Hotel

http://www.meritushotels.com/en/marina-mandarin-singapore/dining/peach-blossoms.html

Stir-Fried Nameko Mushrooms, Honshimeji Mushrooms, Bamboo Pith, Wu-Er Fungus With Mixed Vegetables Served In Mini Pumpkin (SGD $24 for 2 - 4 people)

Exquisite Cantonese Fine Dining

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 9
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 7
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $68 per person.

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As the in-house Chinese fine dining restaurant of the Marina Mandarin hotel, Peach Blossoms Restaurant remains a stalwart of the Chinese Cantonese fine dining scene in Singapore, serving up both traditional and modern dishes with a touch of elegance. With a long history stretching back to 1987 and their philosophy of fresh ingredients and comforting, homely flavours, Peach Blossoms Restaurant is a go-to destination when dining to impress.

Ambience at Peach Blossoms Restaurant exudes a sophisticated elegance. Shades of red, wood, black, and gold adorn the place, with floral patterns arranged in oriental patterns. The sturdy cushioned wooden furniture is tightly packed within the curved, plush carpeted space. Warm decorative lighting hangs overhead. Choose a window seat if possible, as the view looks out towards the Singapore Flyer and Gardens By The Bay, and is also great for watching the sunset.

Service at Peach Blossoms Restaurant is good, but not great. Staff are polite and friendly, according diners personalised attention. They display good product knowledge, able to speak on dishes, as well as the various offerings throughout the day. I note they proactively clear away empty or finished plates throughout the meal, as well as regularly check that teapots are topped up. However, they don't introduce dishes as it's served, and if ordering ala-carte, there is no logical flow to the dishes, seemingly served in random order.

Food at Peach Blossoms Restaurant is traditional Chinese Cantonese cuisine, with classic and homely flavours presented fine dining style. Needless to say, the kitchen team hits the mark on execution, most dishes are delicious and well crafted. Portion sizes vary, most are for communal group dining, but even those labelled as 'individual' can actually be shared between 2 people. Prices are reflective of fine dining, if you need to ask how much it costs, you might be better off dining elsewhere. Budget about SGD $68 per person for a meal without drinks here.

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Peach Blossoms Restaurant Signage

Peach Blossoms Restaurant Exterior

Peach Blossoms Restaurant Interior

Awards

Table Setting

Table Setting

Seating

The Tea Pu'Er (SGD $3 per person) is the default beverage recommended by staff, and among the most affordable beverages on the menu. Strong and earthy in flavour, pairing well with the bold flavours of the dishes.

Tea Pu'Er (SGD $3 per person)

Tea Pu'Er

Some Braised Peanuts (SGD $2) to whet the appetite, served chilled. It's already laid out on each table when you're seated. Light savoury salty flavour from the braising sauce, with a soft tender texture to the peanuts.

Braised Peanuts (SGD $2)

The Barbecued Meat Trio Combination With Sour Plum Sauce, Dijon Mustard (SGD $36 for 2 - 4 people) is perfect for the undecided, because it offers a sampling platter of the best Chinese Cantonese roast meats here. The Honey Glazed Barbecued Pork Belly has a succulent, chewy texture, each bite releasing juicy fatty savoury sweet flavour. The Crispy Roasted Pork has crispy skin and tender meat, with a delicate savoury sweet flavour; best paired with dijon mustard. The Roasted Duck has a succulent texture with a light chew, a crunch to the skin, and good savoury salty flavour without much gamey taste. The sour plum dipping sauce lends a fruity sour sweet note to it.

Barbecued Meat Trio Combination With Sour Plum Sauce, Dijon Mustard (SGD $36 for 2 - 4 people)

Barbecued Meat Trio Combination

Honey Glazed Barbecued Pork Belly

Crispy Roasted Pork

Roasted Duck

The Double-Boiled Almond Flavoured Soup With Fish Maw (SGD $22 per person) has a unique flavour, with the savoury notes of collagen rich fish soup / broth, flavoured with the nutty sweet notes of almonds. Garnished with tender gingko nuts, crunchy water chestnuts, and slippery silky fish maw. The double-boiling technique renders everything soft and easy to eat.

Double-Boiled Almond Flavoured Soup With Fish Maw (SGD $22 per person)

Double-Boiled Almond Flavoured Soup With Fish Maw

Double-Boiled Almond Flavoured Soup With Fish Maw

The Sweet Corn Soup With Crab Meat (SGD $12 per person) is warm and comforting, with the thick, rich texture, and delicate eggy vegetal sweet savoury flavour of the egg and corn soup / broth. Chunks of juicy sweet corn kernels and shreds of fresh deshelled crab meat fortify this, making each spoonful a delight.

Sweet Corn Soup With Crab Meat (SGD $12 per person)

Sweet Corn Soup With Crab Meat

The Steamed Silver Cod Fish In Superior Light Soya Sauce (SGD $22 per person) is well executed, though I suspect they've used a frozen fillet of cod fish, but it's really difficult to tell because it's so good. The tender, flaky, oily texture of the cod fish is pleasing, and the light soya sauce lends a savoury salty touch to the natural sweet flavour of the fish meat. Aromatics come in the form of green onions. Simplicity at its best.

Steamed Silver Cod Fish In Superior Light Soya Sauce (SGD $22 per person)

Steamed Silver Cod Fish In Superior Light Soya Sauce

The Sweet And Sour Kurobuta Pork With Pineapple And Lychee (SGD $24 for 2 - 4 people) features large yet tender and moist slabs of kurobuta pork loin, coated in a light, crisp all-purpose flour batter, glazed with a bold sweet and sour sauce. Chunks of colourful bell peppers / capsicum, white onions, pineapple, and lychee round out the flavours, lending juicy crunchy bursts of vegetal fruity sweet notes. Best paired with white rice, as the flavours are really strong.

Sweet And Sour Kurobuta Pork With Pineapple And Lychee (SGD $24 for 2 - 4 people)

Sweet And Sour Kurobuta Pork With Pineapple And Lychee

Sweet And Sour Kurobuta Pork With Pineapple And Lychee

The Pan-Fried Kurobuta Pork Chop With Bonito Flakes In Home Made Special Sauce (SGD $26 per person) didn't come with vegetables as stated, but I love the super tender and easy to eat kurobuta pork chop, with its juicy, fatty, savoury sweet flavour. Glazed in a house special sauce, it's garnished with chewy katsuobushi / bonito fish flakes, the salty slightly fishy flavour complementing the pork. Nicely done.

Pan-Fried Kurobuta Pork Chop With Bonito Flakes In Home Made Special Sauce (SGD $26 per person)

Pan-Fried Kurobuta Pork Chop With Bonito Flakes In Home Made Special Sauce

The Stir-Fried Nameko Mushrooms, Honshimeji Mushrooms, Bamboo Pith, Wu-Er Fungus With Mixed Vegetables Served In Mini Pumpkin (SGD $24 for 2 - 4 people) is vegetables as art. A hollowed pumpkin is filled with a medley of fresh vegetables, including nameko mushrooms, honshimeji mushrooms, bamboo pith, baby corn, carrots, snow peas, and snow fungus. Layered and complex textures of creamy smooth, juicy, chewy, crunchy, tender, and bouncy, with flavours of vegetal earthy sweet savoury salty woody. Almost too pretty to eat, the portion is actually fairly substantial.

Stir-Fried Nameko Mushrooms, Honshimeji Mushrooms, Bamboo Pith, Wu-Er Fungus With Mixed Vegetables Served In Mini Pumpkin (SGD $24 for 2 - 4 people)

Stir-Fried Nameko Mushrooms, Honshimeji Mushrooms, Bamboo Pith, Wu-Er Fungus With Mixed Vegetables Served In Mini Pumpkin

Stir-Fried Nameko Mushrooms, Honshimeji Mushrooms, Bamboo Pith, Wu-Er Fungus With Mixed Vegetables Served In Mini Pumpkin

The Braised Rice Vermicelli With Diced Assorted Seafood In Egg White Sauce (SGD $24 for 2 - 4 people) features a base of thin rice vermicelli which has absorbed a light soya braising sauce, giving it a delicate savoury salty flavour. Garnished with egg, bean sprouts, white onions, bell peppers / capsicum, prawns / shrimp, and chunks of dory fish. The overall flavours of sweet savoury salty eggy, along with the medley of textures; juicy crunchy tender bouncy chewy, make this pleasant to eat.

Braised Rice Vermicelli With Diced Assorted Seafood In Egg White Sauce (SGD $24 for 2 - 4 people)

Braised Rice Vermicelli With Diced Assorted Seafood In Egg White Sauce

Braised Rice Vermicelli With Diced Assorted Seafood In Egg White Sauce

The Double-Boiled Hashima With Red Dates, Figs And Lotus Seeds (SGD $24 per person) has a thin, clear, sweet dessert soup / broth, filled with slippery gelatinous hashima and lotus seeds, with soft red dates and fruity figs as a garnish. Served warm, this elegant and luxurious dessert has a comforting feel.

Double-Boiled Hashima With Red Dates, Figs And Lotus Seeds (SGD $24 per person)

Double-Boiled Hashima With Red Dates, Figs And Lotus Seeds

The Chilled Puree Of Avocado With Chocolate Ice Cream (SGD $16 per person) is a piece of performance dessert art. The chilled avocado puree, thick and creamy rich with vegetal sweet flavour, is garnished with a scoop of creamy chocolate ice cream, and a pandan / screwpine leaf for aroma. Served in a clear bowl, dry ice and water underneath creates billowing clouds that swirl and dance in the air, attracting every table's attention when it's served.