Little Bundles of Joy

Occasionally I find a new restaurant that gets me really excited… and Dim Joy on Neil Road did just that. I first heard about it in an old copy of Appetite magazine, which promised ‘dim sum delicacies that triumph some of the larger, popular institutions in town’. Well that sounded right up my street, how could I resist?

I’m glad this was featured in Appetite, because tucked away in a restored shophouse set back from the road on Neil Road, I would never have found this little gem in a hundred years of sightseeing in Chinatown with visitors. In contrast to its traditional facade, the interior of this restaurant was surprisingly modern, decked out with chrome and wooden furnishings, giving it a trendy fast-food feel.

The food however, was anything but fast-food fare (and that’s certainly not intended as a criticism of the speed of service, rather a compliment of the quality). The service also was extremely friendly and attentive.

We kicked off with some old favourites – some Har Gao,

Shrimp and Chive Rice Rolls and some Char Siew Bao.

All of these were superb – the Shrimp was exceedingly fresh, the casing not too thick or sticky. You’ll notice the Char Siew isn’t as red as usual, but it was still sweet and succulent and delicious.

For any vegetarians who usually struggle with choice at Dim Sum – Dim Joy has an extensive selection, and all vegetarian items are clearly marked on the menu with a bamboo symbol. We tried the Prosperity Pouches – a selection of vegetables wrapped up in freshly made pancake parcels – beautifully presented and simply devine!

The Crisp Pumpkin Balls struck just the right note of sweetness,

and the Northern Pancakes (non-vegetarian) were also stunning.

Everything is home made here – even down to the Soy Sauce and Chilli Sauce, both of which were fruity and tangy and worthy of accompanying such superb dim sum.

I have to say this is among the best Dim Sum I have tried in Singapore – its renditions of the old favourites are fantastically executed and there are enough twists to tradition to keep it interesting. The freshness of the ingredients is evident throughout. On top of all this, the bill at the end is more in line with a Yum Cha or Crystal Jade bill, rather than a Shang Palace bill, to which I would liken it in quality.

Mr Greedy Glutton was disappointed that there were no Xiao Long Bao on the menu (to him the biggest attraction of going for Dim Sum), but they had Custard Buns, so I was willing to forgive and forget.

Truly a great find… I was grinning throughout our lunch… and I am sure Dim Joy will become a firm favourite for future weekend lunches…

Dim Joy - http://www.dimjoy.com/
80 Neil Road

Duxton Hill Charmer

Not being a regular of the type of establishments usually associated with Duxton Hill, I have never ventured up there. But one of the girls suggested lunch at Broth, and I had read good things about it before, so we decided to try it out. Once past the neon Chivas Regal signs and KTV bars, a quiet leafy pedestrian oasis awaits, with Broth amidst the beautifully restored shophouses.

We chose an outdoor table to fully appreciate the serenity of our surroundings (serene at least until the construction started next door, but that’s no fault of the restaurant) and took some time to peruse the menu. Describing their food as ‘a modern approach to classic Australian recipes’, the menu features tempting treats such as ‘Lamb Loin in a Green Coat, served with Garlic Potatoes, Fine Beans and Mint Jus’ and ‘Salmon Fillet with Grilled Eggplant Steak, Fresh Soy Beans and Miso Cream Sauce’. They also include a Fish of the Day and a Pasta of the Day.

We skipped starters to allow room for dessert and went straight to mains, for which I chose the Pasta – an Aglio Olio with Clams. Now I’m not a huge fan of eating pasta when I’m out as to me it’s something to be thrown together at home on a mid-week evening, but I can certainly recommend this. Delicately flavoured, with al dente pasta and vegetables and succulent clams - truly delicious.

As promised to ourselves, we went on to order dessert, where I just couldn’t see past the ‘Supernova Pavlova with Whipped Cream, Banana, Passion Fruit and Berries’ – I mean, really, how good does that sound?

And it certainly caused some excitement when it arrived at the table – a large single-portion sized pavlova piled high with cream and fruit. In fact it looked so good that two passers-by actually stopped and came into the restaurant, pointing at my dessert “I’ll have one of those”. Alas, last orders had already been served and so they left, pointedly looking at me, eyes begging for a taste.

Well luckily for them, and unfortunately for me – this was a classic case of never judging a book by its cover - I’m afraid to say that it was hugely disappointing, and more than that, quite horrible… Two of us had ordered one and we spent a few mouthfuls looking across the table at each other in a state of confusion – “Just what is wrong with this Pavlova?” Our deduction? They used Salt instead of Sugar! Yep, it was a salty Pavlova. Whether this was a case of mistaking one for the other, or a deliberate ‘modern approach to a classic Australian recipe’ I don’t know – but I certainly won’t be ordering it again to find out… how disappointing…

Nonetheless, salty pavlovas aside, this is a charming little spot for lunch, and I’m sure also for a relaxed dinner à deux… and I shall definitely be returning for more…

Broth - http://www.broth.com.sg/