You know you've made it big when your restaurant comes out on a certain Sunday paper. And they sure as hell make sure you know it by putting multiple copies of it around the restaurant. So what makes them so special you ask? They're famous for their empura fish which costs a whopping $700kg and up, and promises an earth shattering orgasm in every bite (including scales). You really can't escape that fact because they keep showing reruns of it on their projector screens. We didn't get to try it and instead were served their other signature dishes.
We started off with the deep-fried prawn coated with creme lemon sauce ($32 per order), which was still firm to the bite, while the sauce gave it a sweet and tangy gloss it deserved. Their all famous honey glazed barbecued pork loin got lots of confused looks from the table. While it was OMG tender, the coating of sugar around the meat that wasn't caramalised added a crunch that left a lot to be desired because of that raw taste. The crispy soft shell crab coated with chicken floss and curry leaves was meh.. The floss was way too sweet and killed off the flavor of the crab while I didn't taste any curry at all.
Next was the Steamed silver cod with pink ginger topping in bonito sauce ($22 per serving). The fish was cooked perfectly and cut like butter while the bonito sauce added a touch of umami-ness, but.. that's where the awesomeness ends. The pink ginger was revoltingly strong and killed my tastebuds.
The roasted ducked with perigord truffle ($28 per order) didn't exactly wow us either. It felt like the truffle sauce was an afterthought and only poured over the duck before serving instead of letting it infuse for a longer period of time. That chili stain you see on the top left was done by a blogger
The tofu crab meat and egg white in carrot & spinach broth ($24 per order) looked pretty as and I felt the flavors came together well.... BUT... the tofu was fried to near death and hence was a letdown.
Like most chinky places, a meal ends with yummy carbs. The Stir-fried crystal vermicelli with pork collar in X.O chili sauce ($24 per order) thankfully wasn't a dud. The wok-hei taste lingering in my mouth for a long time. Mmmmmm.... The noodles were still firm to the bite and drenched with that wonderful sauce. While the fatty pieces of meat weren't needed, they gave a touch of richness to the dish.
Grand Mandarin has opened to much fanfare in the last few months but leaves plenty to be desired. For what you pay you'll definitely be expecting a higher standard of food and service. But that being said, they're still new and would probably get better. No harm giving it a go.
Grand Mandarin
325 New Bridge Road
#01/02-00 S(088760)
t: 6222 3355
One of my favorite places in the city! First of all, the service at Boston restaurants is amazing. The whole vibe of the restaurant is so chill and friendly. Our server made sure to explain everything on the menu, answer questions, and recommend dishes.
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