New Home-cooked Specials at Peach Blossoms

As more Chinese restaurants turn to Western cooking techniques and ingredients (think foie gras and truffles) in a bid to stand out from the competition and expand their culinary repertoire, traditional establishments like Peach Blossoms remain focused on serving classic Cantonese dishes without being overly contemporary. Since it opened in 1987 inside Marina Mandarin Singapore, Peach Blossoms has held its own against other modern restaurant rivals.

That’s not to say the hotel restaurant doesn’t try to come up with new ideas to satiate the taste buds of its loyal customer base. Executive Chinese chef Edward Chong, who hails from Seremban, Malaysia, has recently launched several dishes from his hometown to tempt more palates. Having tried some of them, we can safely say that his culinary execution is on point.

A family heirloom recipe of his is the Hakka Yam Abacus Seeds with Dried Shrimps, Minced Pork and Shredded Fungus ($26), an old-school dish so moreish it will make you reach for a third helping. The soft-as-gnocchi abacus seeds are flavoured with fermented beans for an extra kick. Another scrumptious dish – one that Chong used to enjoy at his favourite restaurant back home – is the sour-sweet Pan-fried Pomfret, Penang Style ($138), which is generously topped with crispy pork lard and cherry tomatoes.

If you are looking for a light and healthy meal, well, you won’t find it here. Chong’s dishes are big on flavour and pack a punch. Just don’t count your calories when you bite into The Deep-Fried Radish and Duck Meat served with Barbecue Sauce ($26), which is topped with wafer-thin and glistening slices of Peking duck skin. What we also love is the spring chicken ($38), which is smoked with herbs and simply sided with minced green ginger paste – imagine a more delectable version of the classic soya sauce chicken. The pig trotter ($48), cooked in claypot with a hint of chilli and flambéed with wu ja pi (a traditional Chinese medicinal wine) before it’s served, just begs for a bowl of white rice to mop up the delicious gravy.

With so many scrummy hometown-inspired dishes, it’s a pity Peach Blossom’s Home-cooked Specials will only be available till 31 October. Hopefully, some of these gems will reappear on the menu soon.

Peach Blossoms, 6 Raffles Blvd, Level 5, Marina Mandarin, Marina Square. Tel: 6845 1118