Silk Road Restaurant
165 Tanjong Pagar Road
Level 2, Amara Singapore
https://singapore.amarahotels.com/silk-road.html
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| Silk Road Restaurant Meal Flat Lay |
Decently Tasty Chinese Classics In A Semi-Private Setting
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 6
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $47 per person.
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Established in June 2001 as part of the Amara Singapore hotel's restaurants, Silk Road Restaurant serves culinary delights inspired by the historic trade route through China. Known for their tasty authentic Chinese provincial cuisine and timeless elegant atmosphere, Silk Road Restaurant tends to be relatively quiet, suitable for business meals or intimate gatherings with family and friends.
Ambience at Silk Road Restaurant has an understated Oriental elegance, refined yet quiet, suitable for business gatherings. The spacious dining hall is spot lit, the light over each table lending sufficient illumination, while thoughtfully arranged comfortable furnishings and use of shadows create a sense of privacy for each table. The glass-walled kitchen allows you to view the Chefs at work.
Service at Silk Road Restaurant is attentive and friendly. As there usually aren't that many diners here, staff can afford to devote time and care to guests, proactively refilling water and tea, and offering to clear finished plates throughout the meal. The senior staff display decent product knowledge on the menu, able to offer recommendations. I note staff also clean up quickly when diners leave.
Food at Silk Road Restaurant highlights Chinese Mandarin cuisine, spanning the regions of Sichuan, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shaanxi. Dishes are well-executed with above average quality, making for a decent meal. Dumplings are a highlight here, with several different options. Portions are sized for communal group dining. Prices are more affordable than other Chinese restaurants, budget about SGD $47 per person.
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| Silk Road Restaurant Dining Hall |
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| Seating |
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| Seating |
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| Beverage Serviceware Set Decor |
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| Chef Preparing Peking Duck |
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| Chef Preparing Peking Duck |
The 8 Treasure Tea (SGD $5 per pax) is a novel experience for me, as I rarely ever drink it (or even know that it exists). A blend of rose flowers, chrysanthemum flowers, longan, wolfberries / goji berries, red dates, ginseng, green tea leaves, rock sugar, and water, this has an interesting fruity earthy sweet bitter herbal flavour. Good!
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| 8 Treasure Tea (SGD $5 per pax) |
Their version of Pickled Mustard Greens (SGD $2) has pickled mustard greens that are slightly more juicy and crunchy in texture than elsewhere. Bursts with a vegetal sour bitter spicy flavour that awakens the palate. Has a bit of a kick!
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| Pickled Mustard Greens (SGD $2) |
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| Pickled Mustard Greens |
The Sliced Pork With Garlic Sauce (SGD $12) was interesting, in that the thinly sliced pork belly slices are succulent and juicy with a light chew, and feels refreshing as it's served chilled. The generous garlic sauce looks spicy but isn't, resulting in a sharp taste of meaty savoury salty herbal spice notes. Worth ordering!
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| Sliced Pork With Garlic Sauce (SGD $12) |
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| Sliced Pork With Garlic Sauce |
The Golden Pumpkin Soup With Scallop (SGD $18) has a rich thick warm pumpkin soup / broth that holds beautiful vegetal sweet savoury flavour. Within are chunks of fresh bouncy scallop with mild sweet savoury flavour, and strips of spongy fish maw that absorb all the flavours of the pumpkin soup. Good!
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| Golden Pumpkin Soup With Scallop (SGD $18) |
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| Golden Pumpkin Soup With Scallop |
Despite being called Double-Boiled Shark Cartilage Soup With Superior Fish Maw (SGD $18), this warm soup / broth made from stewed shark cartilage also has other seafood within. The rich milky sweet savoury salty herbal soup / broth flavours the other ingredients, which includes spongy fish maw, fresh bouncy deshelled prawns, and soft wolfberries / goji berries. Perhaps a tad overseasoned here, it left me thirsty. Could be improved.
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| Double-Boiled Shark Cartilage Soup With Superior Fish Maw (SGD $18) |
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| Double-Boiled Shark Cartilage Soup With Superior Fish Maw |
The Shenyang Pan-Fried Snow Flake Dumplings (SGD $16) is evident of the chef's skill, the dumplings being served with the fragile lacy batter forming a lovely pattern at the base of the pan-fried snow flake pork dumplings. Cracking satisfyingly with a gentle touch, the batter crowns each large-sized dumpling. When bit, it bursts with robust meaty salty savoury sweet flavour. Good!
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| Shenyang Pan-Fried Snow Flake Dumplings (SGD $16) |
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| Shenyang Pan-Fried Snow Flake Dumplings |
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| Shenyang Pan-Fried Snow Flake Dumplings |
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| Shenyang Pan-Fried Snow Flake Dumplings |
The Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (SGD $12) is of a good standard, being well-executed. The xiao long bao dumpling skin is medium-thin, holding the fillings well without tearing. Yielding softly to a nibble, you get the beautiful meat juices first, followed by the tender minced pork with sweet savoury flavour. Yum. Highly recommended!
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| Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (SGD $12) |
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| Shanghai Xiao Long Bao |
Essentially a lesser cousin of the snowflake dumplings, the Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings (SGD $14) are decent enough. They have a crisp crunchy skin, with tender minced pork fillings that carry a little meat juice. With bold salty savoury sweet flavour, these pan-fried pork dumplings are tasty and straightforward. Worth ordering!
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| Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings (SGD $14) |
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| Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings |
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| Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings |
The Shaanxi Roujiamo Chinese Hamburger (SGD $14) is decently tasty. The thick wheat bun is soft and chewy, with mild bready sweet flavour. The fillings of juicy cucumber strips, tender pork loin slices, and succulent pork belly strips, lend a combined vegetal meaty sweet savoury salty flavour. Also known as Rougamo or Roujiamo, this is an above average rendition. Good!
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| Shaanxi Roujiamo Chinese Hamburger (SGD $14) |
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| Shaanxi Roujiamo Chinese Hamburger |
The Traditional Beijing Roasted Peking Duck Set (SGD $38 Half) here is above average in quality. The Mandarin Pancake is thin with a light chew and mild bready sweet flavour, yet the pancakes don't tear easily, holding the juicy Cucumbers and crisp Spring Onions well, both of which lend a pleasant vegetal sweet flavour. Besides cucumbers, spring onions, and the rich tianmian / sweet bean sauce, the Traditional Beijing Roasted Peking Duck has a crisp duck skin and tender duck meat. With bold meaty savoury salty flavour, the roasted peking duck is so delicious. Wrap it all together and enjoy. Would order again. Good!
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| Traditional Beijing Roasted Peking Duck Set (SGD $38 Half) |
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| Mandarin Pancake |
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| Cucumbers & Spring Onions |
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| Traditional Beijing Roasted Peking Duck |
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| Traditional Beijing Roasted Peking Duck |
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| Duck Meat |
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| Duck Meat |
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| Peking Duck Wrap |
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| Peking Duck Wrap |
Loved the Cantonese Steamed Cod Fillet With Special Soy Sauce (SGD $36). The duo of large cod fish fillets are fresh and clean-tasting, with a tender flaky moist texture, and natural sweet savoury flavour. Picks up the soy sauce gravy well, which lends a robust salty savoury flavour. Micro greens and fried shallots complete, with a vegetal sweet salty note. Feels so luxurious. Highly recommended!
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| Cantonese Steamed Cod Fillet With Special Soy Sauce (SGD $36) |
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| Cantonese Steamed Cod Fillet With Special Soy Sauce |
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| Cantonese Steamed Cod Fillet With Special Soy Sauce |
The Sautéed Asparagus With Minced Garlic (SGD $18) is simple and well executed. The large crunch stalks of asparagus are tossed with a generous portion of minced garlic, resulting in a bold vegetal sweet spice herbal flavour, so yummy. Good!
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| Sautéed Asparagus With Minced Garlic (SGD $18) |
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| Sautéed Asparagus With Minced Garlic |
The Traditional Mapo Tofu (SGD $20) has soft silken tofu beancurd in a rich thick gravy, accompanied by minced pork and spring onions. Has a bright sweet sour spicy flavour, befitting of a good mapo tofu dish. Nicely appetizing, the flavour profile causes you to crave more. Best paired with a bowl of white rice. Highly recommended!
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| Traditional Mapo Tofu (SGD $20) |
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| Traditional Mapo Tofu |
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| Traditional Mapo Tofu |
The Poached Rice With Seafood In Superior Stock (SGD $26) was a disappointment, being overly seasoned, with intense salty grainy sweet flavour. Noted the freshness of the bouncy squid and succulent juicy prawns within, though this was overwhelmed by the seasoning. Could be improved.
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| Poached Rice With Seafood In Superior Stock (SGD $26) |
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| Poached Rice With Seafood In Superior Stock |
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| Poached Rice With Seafood In Superior Stock |
Loved the Chinese Red Bean Pancake (SGD $8), which was better executed than elsewhere. The pancakes have a thin crisp outer batter, and a soft moist interior, holding the warm sticky red bean paste well. With a pleasant earthy sweet savoury flavour, this Chinese red bean pancake was absolutely delicious. Among the best versions I've had. Highly recommended!
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| Chinese Red Bean Pancake (SGD $8) |
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| Chinese Red Bean Pancake |
The Gula Melaka Coconut Sago Pudding (SGD $8) is an interesting dessert. The center of the pudding is made with sticky chewy coconut sago balls. These take on the flavour of the sticky thick gula melaka / palm sugar sauce, having a deep floral earthy sweet flavour. Several strawberries slices lend a sharp fruity sour sweet flavour for contrast, while creamy coconut milk layers an earthy milky sweet note over the dessert. Can get a little one-note and cloying towards the end though, which is alleviated by some tea (if you ordered tea). Worth ordering!
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| Gula Melaka Coconut Sago Pudding (SGD $8) |
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| Gula Melaka Coconut Sago Pudding |
Their version of the Gula Melaka Coconut Sago Pudding (SGD $8) is just decent at best. The thin milky mango broth has chewy tapioca sago balls and juicy pomelo bits, resulting in a combined bright fruity sweet flavour. Alright, but not outstanding.
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| Chilled Mango Sago With Pomelo (SGD $8) |
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| Chilled Mango Sago With Pomelo |
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CONVERSATION