Jia Wei Restaurant

Christmas is just around the corner and i was fortunate enough to be invited for a food tasting session at Jia Wei restaurant for their Christmas set menu. Jia wei, literally means a taste from home and is championed by acclaimed chef Lee Tuck Seng, who has forty years of culinary experience under his belt and is no stranger to multiple culinary awards. Special thanks to Keane and Grand Mecure for this wonderful experience.

Location: 50 East Coast Road Lvl 2 Roxy Square, Grand Mecure Roxy Hotel

Contact: 63405678

Price per head: $70-120 per head

Interior

The interior is a portrait of soft lighting and simple chinese furniture with thankfully rounded tables and surprisingly comfortable chairs. Minimalistic but comfortable, the rounded tables make conversation easy and brings people together much better then the normal rectangular ones found elsewhere. To me, thats a plus.

Roasted Walnut with sesame

This is worth a mention because its made in house, is very fragrant, crispy and pleasing to eat.

Dim Sum Appetiser

Another Look

The dim sum appetiser reminded me of similar offerings in taste paradise and the hai tien lo trio albeit of a totally different category. The siew mai is rather big and came with a suitably decadent decor of gold foil. It doesn't add to the taste but it sure is nice to look at. The pork taste is rather strong in this but otherwise, it was a nice and regular offering. The second item is a prawn and scallop dumpling which is generally well received by all at the table. I found the crunchy prawn sweet and fresh while the scallop complimented and enhanced the taste further. Definitely something to try. Next up is the prawn and mango roll which had too much mango for my liking since it covered the taste of the prawn and finally, the last item is the deep fried prawn dumpling. Bascially, its good but rather oily. Not a bad start and this gave me high hopes on the restaurants dim sum lunch offers.

Turkey Ham Salad with fresh fruit and wasabi mayonaise

Another Look

Being a christmas set dinner, our course began proper with a turkey ham salad. The meat itself was rather dry but is nicely counteracted by the tasteful wasabi mayonnaise and the sweet fruits it came with. Rather surprising was how well the entire concoction complimented each ingredient used for a pleasing and appetising effect.

Jia Wei Superior Sharks Fin

Another Look

Slowly becoming a norm and a trend, the sharks fin is served in a hot stone pot to help keep the broth warm. Definitely one of the better items that day, the sharks fin is generous in big pieces and comes complete with crab roe, beansprouts and crab meat. The broth is thick and more starchy then regular sharks fin. In fact, it was good enough to have without pepper nor vinegar, this is a gauge of how good the sharks fin is . Our host also shared that executives nearby will come for the sharks fin for lunch and leave. So yeah, it was pretty good.

Pan Fried Fillet of Pork Spare Rib with Special Sauce

My friends had this so i only had the luxury of a short taste, to be honest, it was way too sweet for my liking and the special sauce tasted just like honey to me. Not bad, but not something i'd order enthusiastically.

Grilled Special Rack of Lamb with Chinese Wine

I wasn't given much of a choice since the menu was decided for me but i ain't complaining. Compared to the pork, i find this done pretty darn well. Medium rare and done with perfection, with a nice hint of chinese wine in the sauce. The meat was tender without the overwhelming lamb taste. In other words, this was a clear winner of a choice for the set menu.

Braised Bai Ling Mushroom with Broccoli

Finally, something lighter to wash the palate. The broccoli is crunchy and tasty while the mushrooms took a lesser stage while still maintaining a nice soft and spongy presence. I liked the generous quantities of dried scallop within but it was quite salty as a whole.

Homemade Noodles with Prawn and Conpoy

Another Look

The final main dish for the day, the homemade noodles were soft and springy but failed to absorb much of the sauce. The prawn, though huge, was hit or miss in terms of quality since it was not springy nor sweet on one side but salvaged on the other half. Overall, this was the one dish that didn't impress.

Chilled Lemon Jelly with Lime Sorbet

Personally, i liked this dessert quite a bit. Even though the lime sorbet is terribly sour, it came with dried fruits and enough lemon jelly to compliment the overall taste. Simply have the entire combination altogether and you'll have a more pleasant experience. I especially like the way it cleans the palate after such a heavy meal.

In terms of costs, this meal would set you back by $98++ per head.

Overall Score: 7.5/10

Last Word:
All in all, the meal was pleasant and our host, Keane filled us in quite abit on the history of the hotel. The food is above average on some and average on others but the overall experience is a good one. If you're looking for a place to spend Christmas away from the crowds, in a nice quiet Chinese setting with loved ones, this is not a bad place to visit. Do note the steep prices however.