The name and the rather kitsch black and pink interiors of this restaurant at the basement of Raffles City didn't exactly make me want to rush into it for a meal. Somehow, the name 'Lulu' seems more befitting for a cabaret bar rather than a restaurant.
Nevertheless, for the sake of trying a new place rather than Shokudo which had a snaking queue, my friend and I decided to eat there. Actually I think many of the diners at Lulu are there only because they changed their minds about Shokudo due to the long queue.
Lulu serves Shanghainese and Sichuan cuisine. Being not a big fan of Sichuan cuisine because I don't like spicy food, we ordered only the Shanghainese food on the menu. We had the sweet and sour braised pork ribs (甜酸小排) which was tender and tasty. My friend, though, found it a tad too sweet for her liking. As for me, I have a sweet tooth, so I actually liked what must have been a big dose of honey in the glaze.
For vegetables, we had stir-fried Kai Lan with preserved fish and black beans. This dish was a bit too oily and I thought the preserved fish and black beans didn't do much for the dish. Somehow those two ingredients didn't add much flavour to the vegetables and the flavours of the individual ingredients didn't meld together. I would much rather have eaten parboiled Kai Lan seasoned with a small amount of oyster sauce. That way, at least the original flavour of the vegetable is retained.
The last dish we had was the Special Fried Rice which I found interesting. It was served in a claypot and contained prawns, squid, diced pumpkins and mashed salted egg. A red-coloured fermented bean paste was then mixed in with the rice to add flavour. Without it, the rice tasted rather bland as the bean paste was both salty and spicy. That bit of chilli added an extra dimension and kick to the dish.
Overall, service was efficient. The service staff were prompt in topping up our glasses of water. Expect to spend about $25 to $30 per person. It's not a place I would choose as my first choice for a place to dine, but for somewhere convenient to eat in that part of town, I wouldn't say no to it either.
Lulu
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-44B Raffles City Shopping Centre
Tel: 6338 7441