Happy 10 years together

My temptation to splurge on food comes whenever I start to make enquiries to restaurants and hotels. Having to source out for a Chinese restaurant for a farewell lunch and that my 10th anniversary with Yuan is approaching, everything seems to fall in place to celebrate this special occassion at Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

Have been very busy with the recent renovation work but a good meal coupled with romantic ambience and a wonderful slice of cake, this is going to be equally memorable when Yuan proposed to me.


Most Singapore hotels will not disappoint in terms of service and Ritz Carlton gladly caters to Yuan's request for a slice of cake. The flavour is chosen by the chef and viola, it turns out to be good.


A simplistic combination of white chocolate mousse and pistachio, the mild flavour of both strikes well on the palette. Instead of an exceedingly sweet white chocolate, the use of almond in the white chocolate mousse neutralizes the sweetness and provides some texture to the white layer. Pistachio is prepared in a similar manner as the almond frangipane, leading to Yuan giving an extra nod to each mouthful. Though the milk chocolate sheets served as a decoration, these thin sheets melt perfectly in the mouth. Hmm...


For those who have been to Summer Pavillion or have read the online reviews, this is going to be no exception. Although I mentioned to Yuan that the crepes are alittle thick as compared to Man Fu Yuan 满福苑 (Hotel Intercontinental), these thin, crispy duck skin with a thin layer of fats simply melts in your mouth. For half a duck, there are a total of 12 servings of duck skin with crepes and for once, we indulge without the slightest worry of calories and cholesterol.


Unlike the regular Chinese restaurant, the ambience this place offers is very close to a dimly lit fine dining restaurant. All the diners are appropriately dressed and what surprise us is the way the Chef recommendations were served. I guess it is a misconception that Chinese restaurants are brightly lit, noisy and the food are served in huge portions. Not the case for Summer Pavilion's Chef recommendation (at least for the next two dishes).

Baked Sea Perch was wonderfully seared with the Hoi Sin Sauce with the interior nicely coated with the fats.


As for the wok-fried beef fillet, the "wok hei" (镬气) is sufficiently felt till the extent one serving is not enough.


The amazing thing about the few dishes we have ordered is that these are items Yuan will seldom order but all of them turn out to be unique and delicious in his opinion. This dish caught us by surprise for its slight chewy skin and soft, silky interior.


The remains of the Peking duck was fried with the XO fried rice. As seen in the picture, each rice grain is nicely seasoned so I will leave the photo to fill you in the details. For your information, the restaurant would recommend having the duck braised in Chinese wine sauce and we kind of regret not sticking to his recommendation. Though the fried rice is good, the smell whiffing from the claypot when served to our adjacent table sent my salivary glands activated. Definitely going to try that on my next visit.

For the first time, we have decided to celebrate this special occassion in a Chinese restaurant. The experience is very different from the regular buffets; and I am glad that this meal is so memorable. Having seated beside the window, the entire setting is lovely since Summer Pavilion is set amidst a picturesque garden. The service is fantastic and makes us feel welcome. I have indeed enjoyed myself greatly and now I am definitely looking forward to my next visit (Right? Yuan).

Summer Pavillion
The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore
7 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039799
Tel: 6434 5286

Operating hours:
11:30pm to 2:30pm (Lunch - a-la-carte & dim sum)
6:30pm to 10:30pm (Dinner - a-la-carte)