Diamond Kitchen Tasting Session
87 Science Park Drive #01-01
5000F Marine Parade Road
#01-22 Laguna Park Condominum
https://www.diamondkitchen.com.sg/
This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session, but I did pay the standard price during subsequent visits.
Attended with representatives from Her Pen And Fork, msginginly, Little Tiny Sun, With Rachelle, Epicurious Caniggia, and Chubby Botak Koala.
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| Mongolian Crab (SGD $49.90 for 3 crabs) |
Feast On Crabs For CNY 2021
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 7
Value for Money: 8
Budget about SGD $35++ per person.
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Established since April 2011, Diamond Kitchen is named because one of the founders deals in the diamond business. As a heartland Chinese Zi Char casual eatery, Diamond Kitchen has a wide range of options on the menu, most of which you can find elsewhere, however, they do have a few signature dishes, in particular, the wide range of crab flavours available.
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| Diamond Kitchen Exterior @ Laguna Park Condominum |
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| Diamond Kitchen Interior @ Laguna Park Condominum |
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| Diamond Kitchen Exterior @ Science Park Drive |
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| Diamond Kitchen Interior @ Science Park Drive |
Ambience at Diamond Kitchen is cozy, modern, and functional. The bright and warmly lit place is neatly arrayed with white-clothed round tables, contrasting the yellow golden hue of the walls. Comfortable metal cushioned chairs lend well for long, lingering meals. The use of mirrors and windows make the air-conditioned place seem bigger than it really is.
Service at Diamond Kitchen is friendly, casual, and efficient. Staff are quick to greet and seat guests, and display decent product knowledge by introducing dishes or offering recommendations. Orders are fulfilled with a short wait. I note they clean up relatively casually when diners leave, although they proactively offer to clear finished plates through your meal.
Food at Diamond Kitchen is focused on Singaporean Chinese Zi Char cuisine, with dishes featuring fresh ingredients and bold yet comforting flavours. While the menu is extensive, the kitchen has some measure of consistency. Quality is above average, and portions are sized for group dining. Prices are comparable to other restaurants, budget about SGD $35++ per person.
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| Diamond Kitchen Signage |
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| Seating @ Laguna Park Condominum |
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| Seating @ Science Park Drive |
The Braised Peanuts (SGD $2.50) features peanuts braised in light soy sauce, till they turn semi-tender. Yielding easily with a soft chew, the braised peanuts have bold salty savoury nutty flavour. Served upon seating, you can choose to decline it.
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| Braised Peanuts (SGD $2.50) |
The unique Cheese & Tartar Sauce Chicken (SGD $16 / $32) features large chunks of boneless chicken, with a crisp exterior. Crunch in, and you get the juicy hot interior, with succulent chicken meat that holds sweet savoury flavour. Dressed with a blend of cheese sauce and tartar sauce, which lends a creamy texture and a bold tangy sweet sour milky flavour. Interesting and more pleasant than the name suggests. Good!
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| Cheese & Tartar Sauce Chicken (SGD $16 / $32) |
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| Cheese & Tartar Sauce Chicken |
Formerly known as "7-Up Pork Ribs", but now with a splash of champagne for marketing, the Champagne Pork Ribs (SGD $16 / $24 / $32) still uses the 7-Up soft drink to marinade the pork ribs (along with a sweet and sour sauce), resulting in it being tender, juicy, and succulent. They've taken the effort to debone it completely, making it easy to eat. With bold sweet savoury sour flavour that is light and addictive, this was a real treat. Highly recommended!
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| Champagne Pork Ribs (SGD $16 / $24 / $32) |
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| Champagne Pork Ribs |
We opted for the Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Leaves With Carrots & Mushrooms (SGD $18). The soft sweet potato leaves are tossed with tender garlic, crunchy carrots, and bouncy straw mushrooms, resulting in the dish being vegetal sweet savoury earthy herbal in flavour. Feels so healthy. Good!
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| Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Leaves With Carrots & Mushrooms (SGD $18) |
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| Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Leaves With Carrots & Mushrooms |
The Three Eggs Chinese Spinach (SGD $14 / $21 / $28) is a combo soup / broth and vegetable dish. Filled with tender Chinese spinach and a trifecta of eggs (regular eggs, salted eggs, and century eggs), which infuses the soup / broth with robust vegetal eggy sweet salty savoury flavour. Warm and comforting, a soulful dish. Good!
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| Three Eggs Chinese Spinach (SGD $14 / $21 / $28) |
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| Three Eggs Chinese Spinach |
The Mixed Seasonal Vegetables (SGD $12 / $18 / $24), also known as 'All Kinds Of Seasonal Vegetables', is a dish made of assorted meats and vegetables (with slightly more emphasis on vegetables). Tossed with crispy pork lard, during our visit, we had tender pork loin, soft mackerel fish slices, bouncy deshelled prawns / shrimp, crunchy broccoli florets, tender carrots, soft cabbage, bouncy mushrooms (straw and button), and firm chye sim / choy sum / Chinese flowering cabbage. This has a beautiful medley of vegetal meaty sweet savoury earthy flavour. Worth ordering!
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| Mixed Seasonal Vegetables (SGD $12 / $18 / $24) |
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| Mixed Seasonal Vegetables |
The Pumpkin Bean Curd (SGD $14 / $21 / $28) has a generous amount of earthy sweet pumpkin puree gravy, whose thick velvety texture complements the wobbly soft silken tofu beancurd, and imparts it delicious flavour. Garnished with bouncy deshelled prawns / shrimp, tender crab meat, and chewy dried scallops, which lend mild salty savoury sweet notes to the dish. Yum. Highly recommended!
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| Pumpkin Bean Curd (SGD $14 / $21 / $28) |
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| Pumpkin Bean Curd |
The Salted Egg Squid (SGD $16) is yummy. The bouncy squid is generously coated in a dry sticky salted egg yolk and curry leaves batter, which clings tightly to the squid. Each bite has a crisp crunch, then you get the enticing salty savoury spice flavours. So tasty we kept reaching for more. Highly recommended!
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| Salted Egg Squid (SGD $16) |
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| Salted Egg Squid |
The Imperial Beef Hor Fun (SGD $10 / $15 / $20) is delicious, with its wide flat hor fun rice noodles, tossed with crisp choy sum / Chinese flowering cabbage, tender beef slices, and wispy egg, in a rich thick gravy of black pepper, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, water, cornstarch, and ginger. With bold meaty savoury salty earthy vegetal spice flavour, plus the enticing smoky aroma of wok hei / breath of the wok, their version of this popular dish is comparable in quality to famous brands elsewhere. Worth ordering!
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| Imperial Beef Hor Fun (SGD $10 / $15 / $20) |
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| Imperial Beef Hor Fun |
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| Imperial Beef Hor Fun |
Loved the Superior Stock Clam Bee Hoon (SGD $16 / $24 / $32) for its medley of sweet savoury flavour that is so delicious. The long thin silky bee hoon / rice vermicelli noodles pick up the rich clam-flavoured soup / broth well, and the garnish of fresh clams, spring onion, ginger, and chili, all add to the taste. I notice the chewy clams are well-cleaned, without any sand grains. Really slurp-worthy. Highly recommended!
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| Superior Stock Clam Bee Hoon (SGD $16 / $24 / $32) |
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| Superior Stock Clam Bee Hoon |
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| Superior Stock Clam Bee Hoon |
Served in a claypot, the Sliced Fish Porridge (SGD $12 / $24 / $36) has thick succulent tender boneless slices of Spanish mackerel fish, with sweet savoury flavour. The rice porridge, perfumed with ginger, carrots, and parsley, is thin but fortifying, tasty with mild grainy vegetal sweet savoury herbal flavour. Nicely comforting. Good!
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| Sliced Fish Porridge (SGD $12 / $24 / $36) |
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| Sliced Fish Porridge |
The Mantou Buns (SGD $1 per piece) can be ordered alongside any crab dish. Served piping hot, these mantou buns are lightly crisp on the outside, with a soft spongy inside that makes it so easy to pick up gravy. Has a natural bready sweet savoury flavour. Worth ordering!
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| Mantou Buns (SGD $1 per piece) |
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| Mantou Buns |
Not sure what sorcery went into the Mongolian Crab (SGD $49.90 for 3 crabs), but it was so yummy. It features 3 large, fresh, meaty crabs, with sweet savoury flavour, coated in a creamy savoury sweet gravy made with secret ingredients. A favourite of many. Highly recommended!
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| Mongolian Crab (SGD $49.90 for 3 crabs) |
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| Mongolian Crab |
The Salted Egg Yolk Dry Crab (SGD $55.90 for 3 crabs) features 3 large, fresh, meaty crabs, with sweet savoury flavour, coated in a thick dry salted egg yolk batter. The batter was underwhelming though. Could be improved.
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| Salted Egg Yolk Dry Crab (SGD $55.90 for 3 crabs) |
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| Salted Egg Yolk Dry Crab |
By contrast, the Salted Egg Yolk Wet Crab (SGD $55.90 for 3 crabs), which features 3 large fresh meaty crabs, was delicious. The thick creamy salted egg yolk gravy carries luscious sweet savoury spice flavour, very enticing. Good!
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| Salted Egg Yolk Wet Crab (SGD $55.90 for 3 crabs) |
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| Salted Egg Yolk Wet Crab |
The Black Pepper Crab (SGD $49.90 for 3 crabs) features 3 large, fresh, meaty crabs, with sweet savoury flavour, coated in a thick dry black pepper gravy. This was excellent, with robust spice savoury salty flavour, and a lingering spicy burn from the black pepper. Highly recommended!
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| Black Pepper Crab (SGD $49.90 for 3 crabs) |
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| Black Pepper Crab |
The Gan Xiang Crab (SGD $49.90 for 3 crabs) features 3 large, fresh, meaty crabs, with sweet savoury flavour, coated in a thick dry secret gravy - I detect at least the use of black pepper, Chinese 5-spice, curry powder, and dried shrimp. This was excellent, with a distinctive salty spice peppery sweet savoury flavour, and a slight lingering kick to the palate. Highly recommended!
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| Gan Xiang Crab (SGD $49.90 for 3 crabs) |
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| Gan Xiang Crab |
The Steamed Crab With Chinese Rice Wine (SGD $49.90 for 3 crabs) features 3 large, fresh, meaty crabs, with sweet savoury flavour, served in a herbal broth of black fungus, light soy sauce, ginger, and Chinese rice wine. So clean-tasting and fresh and succulent, with delicate sweet savoury herbal salty boozy flavour. Delicious and addictive. Highly recommended!
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| Steamed Crab With Chinese Rice Wine (SGD $49.90 for 3 crabs) |
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| Steamed Crab With Chinese Rice Wine |
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| Steamed Crab With Chinese Rice Wine |
The Curry Crab (SGD $55.90 for 3 crabs) was interesting, rather like a combination of a seafood curry with chili crab gravy. It features 3 large, fresh, meaty crabs, with sweet savoury flavour, served in a rich thick curry gravy which packs robust savoury spicy sweet salty flavour. Garnished with tender white onions and soft cabbage, lending vegetal sweet flavour. Good!
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| Curry Crab (SGD $55.90 for 3 crabs) |
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| Curry Crab |
The Pumpkin & Gingko Yam Paste (SGD $16 / $32) is decent enough, with the thick gloopy mashed yam / taro paste being earthy sweet in flavour. The thin but firm slices of pumpkin sit on top (and can't blend in) and contribute earthy sweet notes, while the gingko nuts are soft tender with mild nutty earthy flavour. A splash of coconut milk helps loosen the yam / taro paste, and lends earthy milky flavour. Pretty alright, though purists will disagree. Worth ordering!
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| Pumpkin & Gingko Yam Paste (SGD $16 / $32) |
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| Pumpkin & Gingko Yam Paste |
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| Pumpkin & Gingko Yam Paste |
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| Pumpkin & Gingko Yam Paste |
Loved the refreshing chilled Lemon Grass Jelly (SGD $5 per person), which makes for a great end to a meal. The wobbly translucent jelly is served with shaved ice, chia seeds, and a lemon slice. This dessert carries lovely sweet zesty tangy sour flavour, great as a palate cleanser. Highly recommended!
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| Lemon Grass Jelly (SGD $5 per person) |
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| Lemon Grass Jelly |
Loved our dining experience at Diamond Kitchen, with their cozy ambience, friendly service, and tasty food, all at affordable prices. Have since returned for more of their yummy dishes!
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CONVERSATION