*dimsumdolly* - the different morsels of the life of a foodie

Hua Ting

I had heard good reviews of Hua Ting and decided I should give it a try. The occasion? My mum's birthday and my aunt's wedding anniversary.

The restaurant, located at Orchard Hotel, was packed and it was bustling with activity on Saturday. The wooden and earth-toned coloured interiors were very pleasant. The tables were nicely spaced out such that there was enough privacy for each table.

Simple cutlery and crockery ruled, which to me was a wise choice.

The deluxe platter had slices of charsiew, roast pork, jellyfish, and a fish roll. The charsiew was very lean and hence a little dry. I would actually preferred those with a little more fat. I liked the roast pork which was soft and tender. I didn't eat the jellyfish 'cos I don't like eating it. The fish roll was pretty ordinary. It had beancurd skin wrapped around some fish cake and one had to dip it in vinegar. Nothing mind-blowing.

The prawn crackers then came next, acting as a precursor to our Peking Duck. The crackers were very bland and didn't have enough of that prawn flavour. Was a little disappointed with it.

But ah, the star of the night then came along in all its shining glory. That gleaming skin of the evenly roasted duck was a beauty as it lay on the glass platter. The waiter then got round to slicing off its skin and I eagerly awaited for my Peking duck pancakes.

Ah, my favourite. The pancakes were so nice and soft, and was the perfect accompaniment to the crispy duck skins. My 5km jog in the morning just about went up in smoke after eating five Peking duck pancakes! Now you know why I NEVER lose weight despite exercising.

The fried tofu on top of a bed of spinach topped with crab meat was very light on the palate but very tasty. The broth was good and the vegetables suitably moist.

Before I sunk my teeth into this, I was thinking, "This $8+++ had better be good!!!" You eat this stuffed baked chicken drumstick like a steak--with fork and knife. Slice into it, and bits of mushroom come oozing out. The chicken was very tender and the plum sauce gravy complemented the meat.

We were pretty stuffed by the time this Ee-fu noodles came along. This was cooked using the duck meat from the Peking duck we ordered. Chinese chives were added to it as well. The noodles were a little bland and I think it could be a tad saltier.

Overall, it was good Cantonese fare in a very pleasant environment. The service was very good. Tea was refilled promptly, the plates were cleared without being told to do so, and the staff thanked us warmly as we made our way out of the restaurant.

Expect to pay at least $40 per person. 15% discount for UOB, Citibank and HSBC credit cards. 20% discount for Amex Platinum card.

Posted by DSD at October 17, 2005 9:06 AM