Lunch with New Friends

I made some new friends in my yoga class and so suggested a Dim Sum get-together for us all. I had read a few complimentary reviews on the net about Imperial Treasure Nan Bei on the fifth floor of Takashimaya, so booked us a table there. Being first to arrive, I had a few minutes on my own to get excited about their extensive lunch menu, which is divided into three – a Hong Kong Dim Sum, Shanghai Dim Sum, and Soup/Noodles menu (these are in addition to their normal a la carte menus).

Once the girls arrived, however the challenge of choosing dishes became somewhat more complex as it turns out amongst five of us we had one vegetarian (who thankfully eats seafood), one vegan (who clearly doesn’t) and one diabetic (who luckily isn’t too restricted by Dim Sum).

Despite this, we still managed to order a generous spread, including many of the favourites:

Char Sui Bao

Har Kau

Teochew Dumplings

Char Sui Sou

Crispy Prawn WanTon

Vegetarian Spring Rolls

And one of my all-time favourites, Barbecued Pork in Honey Sauce:

I also tried Custard Buns for the first time… I know, I know, how could I be such a massive Dim Sum fiend and never had the custard buns? Well usually I am just too pigged out to be tempted, but today on the advice of my friend, I tried them and damn, were they good! My friend was somewhat less impressed, but having not had any previous experience with which to compare, I was suitably satisfied.

All in all it was an extremely pleasant afternoon, and the staff were happy to let us sit and natter over copious amounts of Chinese tea long after the Dim Sum had been cleared away. However… Given that the Crystal Jade Palace, where we recently had an extremely good lunch, is a mere escalator ride away… I’m afraid the quality of the food here just won’t have me returning for more…

Imperial Treasure Nan Bei - Ngee Ann City #05-12/13