Jia Wei Chinese Restaurant
50 East Coast Road
Level 2, Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy
https://www.jiaweirestaurant.com/
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| Jia Wei Tofu, Luffa Melon Poached In Egg White (SGD $26) |
Good Quality, Mid-Range Chinese Restaurant Dining
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $58 per person.
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As the in-house Chinese restaurant dining option of the Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy hotel, Jia Wei Chinese Restaurant has been delighting diners since April 2013. Serving quality modern Chinese dishes made with fresh ingredients, Jia Wei Chinese Restaurant is an under-the-radar dining destination for exquisite and well-executed comfort food.
Ambience at Jia Wei Chinese Restaurant is modern casual, having been recently refreshed in 2021. The spacious and brightly lit area is neatly arrayed with sturdy tables and wooden rattan chairs in shades of white, black, and brown. Purposefully partioned sections offer some privacy. There's a few pieces of Oriental decor to set the atmosphere, such as gleaming golden kettles hanging from the ceiling, photos of old tea houses, and colourful decorative plates mounted on the wall.
Service at Jia Wei Chinese Restaurant is attentive and friendly, with the mostly senior staff engaging in friendly conversation. They demonstrate good product knowledge through describing dishes, and proactively offer to clear finished plates throughout the meal. Staff are also well trained on the various seasonal promotions available, and are quick to offer alternative options. I note they clean up quickly when diners leave. However, it does take some time to attract their attention.
Food at Jia Wei Chinese Restaurant is Modern Chinese Mandarin cuisine, featuring both contemporary and traditional flavours. Executive Chef Victor Lee heads up the kitchen, leading the team to serve up consistently well executed dishes, made using fresh ingredients. There's rarely a 'bad' dish here, everything we had was above average to good. Portions are sized for communal group dining. Prices are mid-range as befits a fine Chinese restaurant, budget about SGD $58 per person.
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| Jia Wei Chinese Restaurant Exterior |
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| Jia Wei Chinese Restaurant Interior |
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| Decor |
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| Colourful Plates Decor |
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| Colourful Plates Decor |
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| Seating |
The Braised Peanuts (SGD $2) feature peanuts slow braised in a blend of soy sauce and herbs till soft and tender, taking on tasty nutty earthy herbal salty savoury flavour. Great for opening the palate. Good!
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| Braised Peanuts (SGD $2) |
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| Braised Peanuts |
Made the way grandma likes it. The Ah Ma Prawn Hae-Chor (SGD $22) feature large rounds of tightly packed minced pork and shrimp meat balls, crunchy with a juicy chew, releasing a satisfying meaty savoury sweet salty flavour with each bite. Pairs well with the sticky sweet dipping sauce on the side, as well as a bowl of white rice. Highly recommended!
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| Ah Ma Prawn Hae-Chor (SGD $22) |
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| Ah Ma Prawn Hae-Chor |
The unique contemporary Local Soft Shell Crab With Ice Plant, Ume Infused Tomato, Yuzu Dressing (SGD $22) dish has a base of crisp ice plant and juicy ume / sour plum infused tomato, bright with vegetal sweet sour herbal flavour. The crispy deep-fried soft shell crab is non-greasy, crunching lightly to reveal meaty sweet savoury salty flavours. Dressed with a light yuzu sauce which lends a mild tangy zesty sour sweet kick. Good!
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| Local Soft Shell Crab With Ice Plant, Ume Infused Tomato, Yuzu Dressing (SGD $22) |
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| Local Soft Shell Crab With Ice Plant, Ume Infused Tomato, Yuzu Dressing |
The Deep-Fried Squid Rings, Crispy Garlic, Black Beans (SGD $28) resemble a classic salt-and-pepper squid, with the fresh bouncy chunks of squid coated in a crisp crunchy blanket of fried garlic and cereal. Has an addictive sweet salty savoury grainy flavour, and a bit of spice kick on the end, yum. Pairs well with red chili. Worth ordering!
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| Deep-Fried Squid Rings, Crispy Garlic, Black Beans (SGD $28) |
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| Deep-Fried Squid Rings, Crispy Garlic, Black Beans |
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| Deep-Fried Squid Rings, Crispy Garlic, Black Beans |
Felt a little conflicted about the Steamed Chilean Black Cod Fish Fillet With Black Garlic (SGD $28), because the sauce it's served in resembles a Peranakan assam gravy, thick with sour sweet spicy notes. The Chilean black cod fish fillet is tender and flaky, moist with a delicate sweet savoury flavour. Nicely executed, but wasn't quite what I expected.
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| Steamed Chilean Black Cod Fish Fillet With Black Garlic (SGD $28) |
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| Steamed Chilean Black Cod Fish Fillet With Black Garlic |
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| Steamed Chilean Black Cod Fish Fillet With Black Garlic |
The Jia Wei Roasted Free Range Chicken (SGD $26 Half) was excellent, a highlight of our visit. The crisp chicken skin and juicy tender chicken meat comes cleanly off the bone, releasing an addictive burst of meaty sweet salty savoury flavour with each bite. Served with chicken salt on the side, though I felt the chicken was already sufficiently delicious on its own. Yum. Highly recommended!
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| Jia Wei Roasted Free Range Chicken (SGD $26 Half) |
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| Jia Wei Roasted Free Range Chicken |
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| Jia Wei Roasted Free Range Chicken |
The house signature Jia Wei Tofu, Luffa Melon Poached In Egg White (SGD $26) was delicious. The thick gloopy gravy of egg white and dried shrimp has a lovely sweet shrimpy salty eggy flavour, complementing the soft wobbly tofu bean curd with its mild grainy sweet flavour. The strips of luffa melon have been poached till soft and slippery, yet still holding a mild vegetal sweet flavour. Highly recommended!
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| Jia Wei Tofu, Luffa Melon Poached In Egg White (SGD $26) |
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| Jia Wei Tofu, Luffa Melon Poached In Egg White |
Nearly every other table ordered the Jia Wei Ocean Gems Vermicelli In Opeh Leaf (SGD $28), a visual treat as it's served in a boat-shaped opeh leaf. The silky thin rice vermicelli noodles pick up the gravy well, having a bold sweet salty savoury earthy flavour. The garnish of "ocean gems" include tender boneless mackerel fish chunks and bouncy deshelled prawns, both with meaty sweet savoury flavour, along with crunchy leeks and tender straw mushrooms with vegetal earthy sweet flavour. A dish that practically begs to be slurped up. Highly recommended!
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| Jia Wei Ocean Gems Vermicelli In Opeh Leaf (SGD $28) |
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| Jia Wei Ocean Gems Vermicelli In Opeh Leaf |
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| Jia Wei Ocean Gems Vermicelli In Opeh Leaf |
Loved the Chilled Home Made Coconut Pudding, Vanilla Ice Cream (SGD $15), which is served in a semi-hollowed coconut, with wispy dry ice creating a striking presentation. The creamy soft vanilla ice cream, tender young coconut meat, and wobbly soft chilled coconut pudding, combine with enticing floral earthy sweet milky flavour, very nice. Good!
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| Chilled Home Made Coconut Pudding, Vanilla Ice Cream (SGD $15) |
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| Chilled Home Made Coconut Pudding, Vanilla Ice Cream |
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| Chilled Home Made Coconut Pudding, Vanilla Ice Cream |
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CONVERSATION