Tian Fu Tea Room is my secret afternoon high tea dimsum spot. It's always an oasis of calm and serenity, perfect for contemplation and small talk over perfectly crafted nibbles paired with excellent Chinese teas. Of course, feel free to let your inner Chinese scholar/poet come out to play (we couldn't resist giving our best shot at some calligraphy).
There are 3 Tian Fu Tea Rooms at the PARKROYAL Hotels at Beach Road, Top of UOB Plaza, and Kitchener Road, each serving slightly different versions of the high tea. During this CNY period from now till 22 Feb 2016, a special Imperial Reunion High Tea is served from 2.30pm - 6pm daily for $38/pax (usual $30/pax). During this period, diners will enjoy an individual portion of Yusheng (yes even if you dine alone), with 9 other light bites (including a rice/noodle dish). Beach Road and Top of UOB plaza serves the crunchy and refreshing Prosperity Salmon Yusheng with crispy fish skin while Kitchener Road serves a Premium Black Truffle Yusheng!
Fine Chinese teas are paired with the dishes. We started with the Bai Mu Dan (White Tea) and then moved on to the Bi Tan Piao Xue (Flower Tea) with our spicier Sichuan dishes at the Beach Road outlet.
I really love the Chong Qing Chicken with Spicy Bean Paste! The ma la chili really whets the appetite and packs a punch. The Chilled Sliced Duck wrapped with Salted Egg helped to balance that spiciness but honestly you don't taste much of the duck.
Some steamed dimsum bites with the chunky Sliced Prawn in Black Bean Sauce and Steamed Fish Balls with Black Moss, both of which I thought were well made but on the bland side. Somehow they were missing the fresh seafood flavor as the fish paste used in both were a little starchy.
We loved the Pan-fried Glutinous Pancake with Minced Camphor Tea Smoked Duck. This was an expected savory mochi with a dark saucy minced duck filling.
Behold the paper thin crispy layers of pastry! Give me more of that Deep-fried Radish Puff with Dried Scallop. I was mind blown by how that thin puff could hold all that juicy disintegrated radish. We followed the fried dishes with a Dong Ding Wu Long (Oolong Tea), which is said to cleanse our palate (not that the dishes were any oily).
As much as i tried to avoid carbs, i finished every single grain of the fluffy and fragrant Fried Rice with Waxed Meat and Matsutake Mushrooms. This was amazingly good as the rice seemed more steamed than stir fried actually and had the lingering earthy scent of the lotus leaf and prized Matsutake mushrooms.
I'm a new fan of fried nian gao and Tian Fu Tea Room's version in a flaky and crunchy Honey Glazed Pastry Puff was a stellar rendition of this traditional sweet.
We've had way many Liu Sha Baos but this was the first super deep-fried one in a slightly mochi like skin. It was artery-cloggingly delicious but we had to drain some of the oil out of the one for fear of a heart attack while finishing this.
If you're up for more traditional dimsum sort, you may want to check out the Kitchener and UOB Plaza outlets. There is the ongoing UOB card promotion- 1 dines free with 3 paying guests. Time to get your lo hei going!
Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant
PARKROYAL on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road, Singapore 199591
Tel: +65 6428 3170
PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road
181 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208533
Tel: +65 6428 3170
TOP of UOB Plaza
80 Raffles Place #60-01, UOB Plaza 1, Singapore 048624
Tel: +65 6535 6006
Daily: 11.30am - 10.30pm
High Tea: 2:30 - 6:30pm
If you're up for more traditional dimsum sort, you may want to check out the Kitchener and UOB Plaza outlets. There is the ongoing UOB card promotion- 1 dines free with 3 paying guests. Time to get your lo hei going!
Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant
PARKROYAL on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road, Singapore 199591
Tel: +65 6428 3170
PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road
181 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208533
Tel: +65 6428 3170
TOP of UOB Plaza
80 Raffles Place #60-01, UOB Plaza 1, Singapore 048624
Tel: +65 6535 6006
Daily: 11.30am - 10.30pm
High Tea: 2:30 - 6:30pm