As we're seated the customary tea is brought to the table, no chipped rubber capped teapot today though, the teapot is beautiful china inlaid with gold leaf as are the plates and bowls. There's also not the usual procession of trolleys swing past your table by angry old woman ignoring you as you try to order rather a menu to order from and to our surprise the rumors are correct the dim sum is of regular pricing. We rattle off an order and sit back to soak in our opulent surrounding while we wait.
It's not long before the food arrives. Bbq pork pies are one of our yum cha standards and these are exceptional, the pastry crisp and flaky, the pork not too sweet.
The carrot cake is one of my all time favorites, it has no carrots, it's not really a cake and it's all delicious, wok fried with a touch of xo sauce, bean sprouts and garlic sprouts. It has great texture and the kiss of the wok smokiness. Awesome.
Beautiful vegetable dumplings were the next to the table. Cleverly folded to display three small square of different colored peppers. The dumplings were clean and fresh tasting.
Three sui mai with the orange dash of crab roe, plump and firm bursting with sweet pork and crab flavor.
Soup dumplings always present a challenge, I know that they're filled with piping liquid yet I'm always surprised when I burn myself not waiting for the soup to cool a little. This time was no different.
I don't think you can go wrong with black vinegar braised pork belly, sweet sour and unctuous swimming along side shiitake mushrooms and egg.
At yum cha unless you happen to be siting right next to the kitchen by the time the fried goodies get to you they are often soft and not as awesome as the could be. Not this time. Salt and pepper white bait straight from the fryer, paused long enough to get a nice heavy shake of seasoning.Each one a crispy crunchy delight.
I've played around with making steamed pork bun from time to time and the one thing you'll never find in any recipe or that not many people will tell you is the secret to that spectacularly fluffy soft white bun. I don't know if I'm breaking some secret unwritten code here of not but the secret is ammonia. Ammonia was actually one of the first rising agents used by bakers. As long as the bread is not to large the ammonia flavor and smell evaporate during cooking. In the case if the pork bun its what make it so white and fluffy. You can usually buy cooking ammonia in any decent Chinese grocery. But enough history for one day. These buns were good.
To finish up we have our traditional yum cha ender of egg tarts. These were delicious but a touch on the small side. I think we should of had two each.
Yan Ting's dim sum stepped up to the mark giving us as good as we've had anywhere. While the dim sum cost was no more than the usual the twenty dollar bottle of mineral water reminded us of where we were, still you can always just have the bottomless tea, and to sit in such fine surrounds was lovely.
Yan Ting
The St. Regis Singapore
29 Tanglin Road
Singapore 247911
Phone: (65) 6506 6888
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