Hand In Hand Shandong Restaurant 手拉手山东菜馆 @ 69 Boat Quay

Was doing a staycation nearby, and this was one of our dinner destination. Makan kakis have patronized their Jalan Besar outlet before and this is our first time trying the Boat Quay one.

Had a reservation but the staff had mistakenly put it down as 8pm instead of the earlier timing of 630pm. Hence, there was a bit of a scramble to get us a table. Only available ones seemed to be at their third floor, which involved some steep steps climbing.

restaurant entrance

interior

ready to eat

I trust my buddies to order and we waited for the food to arrive. The food would be sent up using the food lift. And I had a good view of it, so it was always in anticipation if those were our orders.

First to land on our table, was the plate of cold appetiser of shredded cabbage with jellyfish. Hmm, first time having this and it was rather refreshing as it was vinegary and light.

Shredded Chinese Cabbage with Jellyfish @$9.80

Next, was the Peking Duck, served on a tray and looking all glistening and nice.

Peking Duck @$38.80 (half)

yummy

Next, we had a couple of baskets of dumplings but for some odd reason, the speed of serving these started to slow down. The interval between each basket of the dumplings seemed to be between 10 to 5 minutes each.

Steamed Xiao Long Bao @$6.80

Steamed Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao @$9.80

Was too hungry so the steamed xiao long baos were quickly devoured. Loved the crab roe ones. I think they are comparable to another famous brand.

Fresh Cuttlefish Dumplings @$9.50

insides of the cuttlefish dumplings

Dumplings with Chive Egg and Shrimp @$7.50

fully loaded

In total, we had waited for about close to an hour for all the dumplings and with two to three reminders to the wait staff in between.

We had chosen the duck bones to be cooked in cabbage soup and boy, that was a good choice! A huge bowl of soup was brought to our table and just the perfect dish on a cold night. It is rare for me to say but the tofu in the soup was pretty good too. The cabbage had nicely soaked up on the delicious broth and tasted sweet. The glass noodles were slurp worthy as well.

Duck Bone Stewed Cabbage with Tofu and Glass Noodles @$13.80

cabbage soup

The last to arrive was a wrong order but since it was already sent up, we ate it. It was pork shao bing (pork pancake) and, it was pretty yummy albeit a tad oily. Freshly cooked and was somewhat piping hot when served. The shao bing was crisp on its outerside yet airy when bitten into. The fillings consists of bell pepper, pork bits and green onions. Pricier but delicious nonetheless.

Old Beijing Pork Sauce Pie @$13.80

All in all, it was a good meal shared with good buddies. Cheers to our impromptu food adventures and here's to many more to come!

Hand In Hand Shandong Restaurant 手拉手山东菜馆

Address: 69 Boat Quay, Singapore 049857

Website: https://handinhandfood.com/

Contact:  6970 0226

Business Hours:

Daily 11am–3pm, 5:30–10:30pm

[Tasting] Bonding Kitchen Singapore @ Orchard Gateway - Unique Modern Peranakan Experience

Located at Level 2 of Orchard Gateway, Bonding Kitchen is a new place for us to indulge in Peranakan food. With his unique brand of modern Peranakan cuisine, founder Chef Danny Chew has curated daily Set Lunches that is inclusive of some of the signature dishes, which I liked, as the concept allows the diner to sample favourites like Ayam Buah Keluak, Hokkien Lor Ark before bringing over loved ones to try the mains later on. And believe me, I have tried and will want to bring my family and friends to try more (maybe all!) of Chef Danny's dishes. For this initial experience, special thanks to Kris (@msginginly) for the invite and Chef Danny and team for hosting the dinner.

Bonding Kitchen @ Level 2 Orchard Gateway

entrance

menu

interior

The restaurant has a modern vibe to it and comfortably spaced. Loved the blue on the seats. Was ushered into the inner section where the one could enjoy the wonderful private dining experience with Chef Danny.

Bunga Telang Lemongrass Pandan (Blue Pea Flower Lemongrass drink) @$6.50++

While waiting, we started with light snacks of keropok served with piquant and zesty sambal belachan. 

Fish & Belinjau Keropok with Sambal Belacan @$4++

more please

Next up, was Ngoh Hiang appetiser. We watched Chef Danny as he proceeded to plate the Ngoh Hiang.

Ngoh Hiang @$14++

deep fried beancurd skin roll of handchopped pork, shrimps, mushrooms, water chestnut

The Ngoh Hiang, a quintessential deep fried beancurd skin roll that brought a smile to our faces. Loved the generous fillings, bits of juicy mushroom and the likeable overall flavour of this classic dish. Seasoned just right with five spice, slight bouncy texture and crisp exterior. Sauce was minimal.

Next up, we were served with a gorgeous plate of impressive looking prawns. Marinated prawns with delightfully tangy tamarind juices, and pan seared to perfection. Flavour was on-point and I was practically licking off the sauces from its shell. Zesty and savoury combo that rejuvenates the tastebuds.

Assam Ko Prawns @ $28++ to $36++

With the private dining experience, guests could interact with Chef Danny and it was really interesting to hear nuggets of information pertaining to recipe of the food that we were about to enjoy. 

Babi Pongteh in the making

And, it is heartening to see the care and effort being placed onto our meal.

Babi Pongteh @$22++

One of the classic dishes of Peranakan cuisine, besides Ayam Buah Keluak would be stalwarts like Babi Pongteh. Comparatively to the other dishes that we were having that night, this dish was more genteel in flavours when compared to the rest of the mains. Hence, recommend to try this dish first before starting the rest.

Hei Bi Hiam Shimeji Mushrooms @$12++

When I first saw the plate of Hae Bi Hiam mushrooms, I thought of how comforting this dish would be with a bowl of porridge. Tasty, and easy to eat with a touch of heat. Alas, there is no option for porridge at the moment, but do get a bowl of that wonderful looking blue pea steamed fluffy rice.

steamed fragrant rice @$1.50++

eat the way you want it

We enjoyed the pace of the food, which allowed us to fully savour one or two dishes at any point in time. Next up, was the Wagyu Beef Rendang. 

Chef Danny presents the Wagyu Beef Rendang

Wagyu Beef Buah Rendang @$32++

Australian Westholme Wagyu beef ribs, stewed with coconut milk and various herbs and spices which resulted in flavourful meat that was nicely tender while maintaining its form. The dish reminds me of serunding (beef floss) actually but dig underneath to reveal chunky pieces that goes well with rice. Or, savour it with wine. I spied the wine prices here and they are really reasonable. I'll do just that next time, and keep you guys updated. Or, you are welcome to share your experience too!

Nasi Goreng Buah Keluak @$15++

Friend tried the Buah Keluak Fried Rice and enjoyed its nutty eggy flavours. Looks kinda cool, those black grains.

My personal favourite dish of that night, was the Hokkien Lor Ark. I don't think it was due to any bias because am a Hokkien myself, but more because this dish represented itself well enough. Strong flavours, consistently tender texture, meaty plus comforting homely feels. Chef Danny revealed that this was from a family recipe and further refined. The dish uses duck leg that had undergone 1 day of marination. End result was a bowl of yumminess.

Hokkien Lor Ark @$22++

Lastly, we tried the Sotong Masak Hitam. If you think you know Sotong Masak Hitam, try this version at Bonding Kitchen. I can only say, that was one intense flavour! I believe a glass of wine would complement this well.

Sotong Masak Hitam @$20++

And, we ended the meal with icy treat chendol. Lovely fragrance from the gula melaka, and glad that it was not too sweet. Liked the softer red beans too!

Chendol @$7++

A lovely meal with lovely friends. Thank you Kris for the invite, and special thanks to Chef Danny and team Bonding Kitchen for the delicious meal.

Here is a shout-out for the Daily Set Lunch, which I think is a steal for that price. Am eyeing that buah keluak and wagyu beef rendang meal...with a glass of red. See you at Bonding Kitchen!

image credit: Bonding Kitchen

Bonding Kitchen Singapore

Address: 277 Orchard Rd, #02-18, Singapore 238858

Website: https://bondingkitchen.weebly.com/

Contact: 8860 9087

Business Hours:

Sat - Thurs:  11:30am–3pm, 5:30–10:30pm

Fri : 11:30am–3pm, 5–10:30pm

[Tasting] The Sampan @ 63 Boat Quay

It's been over a year, hence a good opportunity to revisit and to check out the new menu. Here is the link previous visit. Thank you Kris (@msginginly) for the invite, and The Sampan team for taking care of us that night.

shopfront

featured menu board

On previous visit, our group was seated right in the center of the restaurant and this time round, we were at the alfresco area with beautiful view by the riverside.

evening view

Happy Hour is still 8pm, but there's also a whole day special where Stella was going for just $9.90+ for  pint. WOoo! But I was intrigued by a 'Liang Teh' under the alcoholic beverage section. "What's this Liang Teh" I asked. Turns out this is a locally brewed beer by The 1925 Brewing Co. Cool! A chrysanthemum lager, it says. Must try, right? Hahahaa!

Liang Teh (The 1925 Brewing Co. Joo Chiat) @$10+

The lager was light, and only a hint of the chrysanthemum with a touch of sweetness. Perfect for our hot humid weather.

behind story

Complimentary cold/warm water is available and if you opted for cold, a jug would be left at the table. Service staff size was lean on weekdays, but they will attend promptly with a gentle wave.

Mocktail @$10+

Let's get started on the food, shall we?

small plates to share

By this time, it was nightfall. Good view, good food, good company!

Glazed Soy Sesame Chicken Salad @$12+

whets the appetite

The glazed soy chicken salad was interesting as there's some fish muruku snack thrown in as toppings. That familiar taste sent us in a loop. Hahaa!

If you prefer something spicier, go for the Singapore Rojak Bandung Salad.

Singapore Rojak Bandung Salad @$13+

This salad has cuttlefish in small bits, kangkong (eh, then this was derived from cuttlefish kangkong dish?), quail eggs (hard boiled), taukwa cubes, crushed peanuts, honey pineapples and sweet red sauce (mee bandung sauce, I think). Overall, this salad was of stronger flavours and just so satisfying. Yummy!

Or, if you prefer meatless appetiser, try the Szechuan Style Tofu & Shitake Mushroom. There's wok fried mushrooms and bell peppers underneath the tofu. Visually, the tofu looked 'rugged' and that's a good thing. Milder flavours for this dish in comparison with the salads.

Szechuan style Tofu & Shitake Mushroom @$8+

Let's move on to the mains. If you prefer seafood, try the Javanese Styled Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaf. For small eaters, no worries as the portion was just right. The grilled seabass was snug in the banana leaf. Fish was firm and the yellow rice could hold its own.

Javanese Styled Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaf @$19.50+

If you prefer duck, then perhaps the Five Spiced Szechuan Duck Breast served with Pimentos Pomme Puree may be more of your thing? The dish was visually appealing, and deep fried kale, what's not to like? The interesting part was the puree. So so creamy! For me, I'd like to combine the airy-slight bitter of the kale with the sweetness of the pomegranate and topped with the rich creaminess from the puree. Slather all those on top of the duck and enjoy! Oooh, not forgetting that tiny tiny burst of peppercorn numbing flavour if you happen to bite into one of those.

Five Spiced Szechuan Duck Breast @$19.50+

The Chicken Roulade served with Red Sauce and Asian Achar was good too, though it was a tad lacking in its visual appeal.

Chicken Roulade served with Red Sauce and Asian Achar @$19+

I'd reckon that the chicken roulade dish as a lighter tasting one. It's flavours were mild and the red sauce was of the masak merah variant but since there's only a spoonful of it on the meat, the taste was subtle. Felt somewhat festive when having the roulade, as it has stuffings in it. Don't forget the achar. Loved those pickles!

Sliced Beef Mee Goreng @$14+

For finale, we had the Sliced Beef Mee Goreng. Not the typical noodles as this looked more like mee pok/pad thai variant. Beef rump was used and it was a tad tough. The noodles were springy and enjoyable although leaning slightly towards the sweeter side. But no worries, just bite onto one of those chili padi to balance it out. Yums!

Overall, The Sampan serves up good quality Asian food, and with adequate selection of drinks for Happy Hour. A tipple with good food, sounds about right. Enjoy!

Thank you Kris, Herman and The Sampan for the invite. Thank you Chef Ahmad and team, for the delightful tasty food!

The Sampan

Address: 63 Boat Quay, Singapore 049851

Website: https://www.thesampan.sg/

Contact: 6732 1698

Business Hours: 

Mon to Fri: 11.30am to 12am

Sat: 5pm to 12am

Closed on Sun