If you’re in Bangkok and are on the hunt for eateries that not only have a smorgasbord of delicious food but also a unique layout, this is one place that you should add to your list.

Situated right smack in the middle of Yaowarat—Bangkok’s Chinatown—is Lhong Tou Cafe. This eclectic, cosy eatery is popular for their dim sum as well as their very interesting interior; both of which are incredibly Instagram-worthy.

The common thing about quirkily designed eateries is that they usually have pretty subpar food. This isn’t the case for Lhong Tou Cafe; we never thought that we would ever have some of the best dim sum of our lives in Bangkok and the dim sum here puts some of the ones we’ve tried in Hong Kong to shame!

We’ve attempted to come to Lhong Tou Cafe twice and the very first time we did, we found ourselves stuck in the middle of a 2-hour queue which we left within 10-minutes. This time around, we went at an odd hour of 4pm and it had been raining as well, so we managed to skip the crowds and snag ourselves a table pretty quick.

What we absolutely love about this place is the design of the seating area. Here, wooden panels and metal pipes are strategically placed to form a double-decker structure where people can choose to either sit on the top level or at the cubbies at the bottom when they take their queue ticket.

We also love how the entire place was also filled with plenty of lush greenery, giving the entire space a lovely botanical touch.

We started off with a plate of Lhong Tou Shumai where 3 very plump dumplings were doused in a delightfully sweet and savoury sauce. The dumplings were filled with a generous amount of meat that was chock full of umami and the meat to skin ratio was perfect.

Next up, we had the Thai Tea Bun (which features a fluffy, fragrant bun that comes chock full of satisfyingly good Thai tea custard. Tear open the bun to reveal its rich, creamy contents and watch in satisfaction as it slowly oozes out of the bun. The custard here tastes remarkably like actual Thai tea and we highly recommend this dish to anyone who is a huge fan of the drink.

Salted egg lovers will be happy to know that Lhong Tou Cafe has a menu item that resembles the popular salted egg yolk buns that we have here in Singapore. What makes Lhong Tou Cafe’s Egg Lava Bun so different (and better) is its exterior. Instead of a soft, pillowy bun, the lava is encased in a flaky, crispy pastry that provides the dish with plenty more bite and flavour.

Break open the bun to let out all its sinfully good contents; the egg lava here is both salty and sweet at the same time with a distinctive salted egg taste. Coupled with its pastry exterior, we can safely say that this is one of the best salted egg items that we have ever eaten in our lives and we will undoubtedly be back for it the next time we are in Bangkok.

The most adorable and unique item out of the lot was the Shitake Mushroom Bun. This bun looks like a carbon copy of an actual mushroom and what makes it even better is its earthy shitake mushroom filling. Our only gripe with this one is that we wish that there had been more filling because it was so good!

All in all, we highly recommend this place and you definitely need to check it out the next time you’re in Bangkok.

Lhong Tou Cafe
538 Yaowarat Rd, Khwaeng Samphanthawong
Khet Samphanthawong
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10100, Thailand
Tel: +66 64 935 6499
Daily: 8am – 10pm

]]> https://www.ladyironchef.com/2019/07/lhong-tou-cafe/feed/ 0 https://www.ladyironchef.com/2017/11/the-dim-sum-place-halal/ https://www.ladyironchef.com/2017/11/the-dim-sum-place-halal/#comments Sat, 25 Nov 2017 01:00:11 +0000 Nur Sofia http://www.ladyironchef.com/?p=149547 Continue reading →]]>

Sitting along the old-fashioned shophouses that line North Bridge Road is The Dim Sum Place. You won’t be able to miss it because it has this eye-catching bright orange awning.

This place doles out good Cantonese dim sum with a creative local twist that will allow you to sample a unique mix of flavours in a single meal setting.

The best part? It is halal-certified so our Muslim friends can enjoy the dim sum, too!

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From the outside, this halal-certified eatery does not appear big enough to accommodate large crowds. But step in and you will realise how spacious the restaurant is.

We opted for a mixture of classic dim sum choices as well as some unique creations that are not commonly seen.

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For starters, we attempted the Chicken Siew Mai (S$3.90/3 pcs) and Pan Fried Taro Cake (S$2.90/3pcs). The plating of the dishes was done really nicely. The Chicken Siew Mai was tasty and the sweet chilli dip that went along added a nice punch to the medley of flavours.

The Pan Fried Taro Cake arrived a tad dry but the chilli sauce made it better.

The next two dishes got us super excited—namely the Vermicelli Roll With Beef Rendang (S$8.90) and the Vermicelli Roll With Shrimp & Spring Onion (S$7.90). These essentially act as a modern representation of the typical Chee Cheong Fun.

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The Beef Rendang was tender and the spices really shone through the dish. The Shrimp option was superb and the special light sauce paired well with the crystal-like skin of the rolls.

We also tried the Congee with Shredded Chicken (S$6.90). Albeit its simple presentation, the stock of the porridge was the main star. Scoop up the warm congee and top it off with the shredded chicken. You will find this dish highly comforting.

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The Molten Salted Egg Pandan Buns (S$4.90) and TDSP Cheese Tarts (S4.90/2pcs) were just what we needed to end the meal on a sweet note. The pandan buns did not have molten salted egg oozing out like how we’d like it, though.

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The delicious Cheese Tarts, on the other hand, left us really impressed and wanting more.

The Dim Sum Place
791 North Bridge Road, 198759
Singapore 198759
Tel: +65 66558787
Mon to Thu, Sun: 11am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 5am
Nearest Station: Bugis

]]> https://www.ladyironchef.com/2017/11/the-dim-sum-place-halal/feed/ 0 https://www.ladyironchef.com/2015/06/dim-sum-guide/ https://www.ladyironchef.com/2015/06/dim-sum-guide/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2015 05:00:04 +0000 Editorial http://www.ladyironchef.com/?p=50869 Continue reading →]]>

Ever get confused with the different dumpling names as they are all either in Mandarin Chinese or in a Chinese dialect? We know, it can be pretty frustrating – especially when you are in-charge of ordering. We thought this beginner’s guide to the most commonly consumed dim sum in Asia will do you some good, and they include many of the more popular ones Hong Kong egg tarts to the well-loved Shanghai Xiao Long Baos.

It is actually pretty fun to dissect your dim sum (mentally, of course) and to know what each piece is made of, right? They may be of the simplest ingredients, but these exquisite bite-size delicacies are ever popular with the world for many reasons. We had so much fun understanding more about them as we put this guide together for you.

Feel at ease the next time you visit a dim sum restaurant with our Beginner’s Dim Sum Guide to 15 Essential Dim Sum You Must Try.

#1 SIEW MAI

A siew mai is essentially minced pork and/or prawn wrapped up in a thin sheet of lye water dough, only exposing the top side of the filling, and steamed until cooked before serving. The filling of this dumpling is traditionally mixed in with herbs and seasonings such as chives, soy sauce and sesame oil.

#2 HAR GAO

First introduced and created in Guangzhou, China, the Har Gao is a traditional Chinese steamed shrimp dumpling that features a translucent layer on the outer side to hold the inner filling of minced shrimp. This dim sum staple is usually served alongside the siew mai.

From traditional dim sum teahouses, to the cheapest Michelin Starred dim sum restaurants – here is our guide to Hong Kong’s Top 12 Dim Sum Restaurants.

#3 CHAR SIU BAO

The char siu bao is a freshly steamed bun that contains barbecued pork. The bun is traditionally made in two ways – steamed or baked. In Hong Kong, they created the char siu bo lo where the exterior is made with a crunchy pastry exterior instead of a bread bun. Either way, we love a good BBQ pork bun.

#4 EGG TART

Primarily served as the Hong Kong version in dim sum eateries, the Egg Tart is a popular choice as a dessert or snack around the world. This tart consists of egg custard cupped with a flaky pastry layer. In some instances, the custard is flavoured such as Pandan Egg Tarts or Bird’s Nest Egg Tarts.

#5 BAKED CHAR SIU SOU

Similar to the Char Siu Bo Lo buns but instead, wrapped up in a puff pastry exterior that is made with lard or shortening. The Char Siu inside may be cooked with extra flavours from shallots or various sauces for an enhanced taste.

#6 STEAMED GLUTINOUS RICE WRAPPED WITH LOTUS LEAF

Wrapped up in lotus leaf before steaming, the inside of this popular dim sum dish generally contains sticky rice, chicken, shiitake mushrooms and salted egg yolk. There are different variations of it around the world but this is the basic and most commonly used one.

#7 STEAMED CHICKEN FEET

Chicken feet are fried, the braised before steaming with black bean sauce to extract all the flavour into the skin surrounding the bones in the feet. The process is long, but the end result is a dim sum dish so flavourful that it is a crowd’s favourite in many Asian countries like Singapore and Hong Kong.

#8 STEAMED PORK RIBS

This dish is also made by steaming marinated small cubed pork ribs and steaming them with fermented black beans, chinese rice wine and a variety of other spices and ingredients. In some traditions, they are consumed alongside white rice and the pork ribs are saturated with juicy flavours after steaming for hours.

#9 GUO TIE

The guo tie or pot stickers are essentially pan-fried pork and chive dumplings. These dumplings are cooked by steaming first, then fried on only one-side to bring out the flavours of the fillings. Pot Stickers are traditionally eaten with ginger in vinegar sauce.

#10 FRIED CARROT/RADISH CAKE

Served in most dim sum restaurants, these cakes are made mainly with radish or carrot and steamed before pan frying for a crispy outer layer.

#11 BEANCURD ROLL

The inner pork filling is wrapped up in a layer of beancurd or tofu skin before either deep-frying or steaming it. In some variations, the beancurd roll can be filled with different ingredients such as fish paste or chicken instead.

#12 CHEONG FUN

Cheong Fun is a rice noodle roll originating from Hong Kong. There are various ways of serving this roll. In Singapore, it’s served simply with sweet sauce and chilli. The Hong Kong-style Cheong Fun is sometimes stuffed with minced barbecued pork or shrimp, and drenched in light soy sauce.

#13 SALTED EGG YOLK CUSTARD BUN

Runny salted egg yolk custard is housed inside a warm fluffy bun. There are also a few variations of this crowd-favourite bun – some use duck eggs and some use coconut milk inside the custard to enhance the overall flavour. The molten custard should flow out when you break the bun open, if served freshly steamed.

If we could only pick a kind of dim sum to live on, it would most definitely be the Salted Egg Yolk Custard Bun. Here is our guide to 13 Unbelievable Salted Egg Yolk Custard Buns (Liu Sha Bao) in Singapore.

#14 PRAWN ROLL

The prawn roll is usually served as a dim sum this way – prawn diced up and marinated before wrapping in tofu skin then deep-fried to a golden brown. More often than not, this crispy prawn roll is served with a mayonnaise dip.

#15 XIAO LONG BAO

As one of the most popular dim sum dumplings ever, this Shanghai-originated dish consists of a thin flour skin wrapping up minced pork with a rich pork broth. One bit into, the warm broth will rush out and you will have to sip it in quickly. The Xiao Long Bao is usually served with a side of sliced ginger and vinegar.

The next time your boss wants you to plan a corporate lunch, or you need an outlet to celebrate your Granny’s birthday, here are 31 of the best Chinese restaurants in Singapore.

Ever since I first tried the Char Siew Sou at Yanting Restaurant four years ago, I’ve been on a hunt for the best in Singapore. Sadly, most places serve mediocre Baked BBQ Pork Puffs that aren’t worth the calories.

After trying so many dim sum restaurants in Singapore, I managed to find the really good ones. So here’s my list of the Best Char Siew Sou in Singapore.

Make sure you try all of them and report back to me!

Tung Lok Seafood

Among all the Baked BBQ Pork Puffs that I had before, the one at Tung Lok Seafood stood out with pork floss. When you put pork floss, char siew and puff pastry together, the result is a very good Char Siew Sou ($4).

181 Orchard Road
#11-05 Orchard Central
Tel: +65 6834 4888

Char Siew Sou – also known as Baked BBQ Pork Puff Pastry – is easily one of the most delicious dim sum.

Asia Grand

I don’t think Asia Grand has the best Char Siew Sou ($4), but the ones here are definitely better than average. (Which explains why they are in this list of course.) Moreover, the restaurant is located in a central location, making it the perfect place to meet up with friends to satisfy your dim sum craving.

331 North Bridge road
#01-02 Odeon towers
Tel: 6887 0010

Crystal Jade Palace Restaurant

Crystal Jade Palace’s Char Siew Soh ($4) had buttery and flaky pastry, and I love the sweet yet savoury char siew fillings. Their version of Char Siew Soh is definitely on par with the best.

391 Orchard Road #04-19
Ngee Ann City Singapore
Tel: +65 6735 2388

Li Bai Restaurant

One of the best Cantonese Restaurants in Singapore, Li Bai at Sheraton Towers serves a good array of dim sum on the weekends, and of course, the Baked Barbecued Pork Pastry ($4.80) is definitely a must-order.

39 Scotts Road
GF Sheraton Towers
Tel: +65 6839 5623

Majestic Restaurant

While the Baked Honey Pork Puff ($4.5) at Majestic Restaurant – a stylish Chinese Restaurant in the New Majestic Hotel – is not blow my socks off good, it is one of the better ones that I’ve had, so I’m including it in my list of best Char Siew Sou in Singapore.

31-37 Bukit Pasoh Road
New Majestic Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6511 4718

Paradise Pavilion

I’m sure you know by now that one of my favourite dim sum restaurants is Paradise Pavilion at Marina Bay Link Mall, so I will go straight to the point – they have one of the best Baked BBQ Pork Puffs in Singapore. If you haven’t been there, please make a reservation for yum cha this weekend.

8A Marina Boulevard
#02-01 Marina Bay Link Mall
Tel: +65 6509 9308

Royal China

When it comes to Char Siew Sou, I’d rank Royal China’s rendition ($4) as my top three in Singapore. What’s there not to like when you get to eat a good Char Siew Sou in a pretty Tiffany blue setting?

1 Beach Road
#03-09 Raffles Hotel
Tel: +65 6338 3363

Flaky and buttery puff pastry, sweet and savoury Char Siew filling. YUM.

Yan Ting Restaurant

The very place that got me started on this quest . I’ve been there recently for dim sum, and I’m very happy to tell you that the standard of the dim sum there is still very good.

Yan Ting has the best Char Siew Sou in Singapore.

29 Tanglin Road
The St Regis Singapore
Tel: +65 6506 6888

For more recommendations, read my list of Best Dim Sum Restaurants in Singapore

I love custard buns. It is not a secret that I have been on a quest to find the best custard buns in Singapore.

A good custard bun (also known as Liu Sha Bao) has soft pillowy dough which is filled with egg custard and salted duck egg’s yolk. There are plenty of dim sum restaurants in Singapore that serve it, but most of them are mediocre. Where can you find good custard buns? Where can you go to satisfy your cravings for this popular dim sum?

Here’s my list of the Best Custard Buns in Singapore.

Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine

The Imperial Treasure name is synonymous with good quality and consistently good Chinese food. My girlfriend and I frequent Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine at Marina Bay Sands, and whenever we dine there, it is a must for us to order their Custard Bun.

It is one of my to-go places and this one does not disappoint with the combination of soft bun with very addictive custard filling.

#L2-04, Marina Bay Sands
10 Bayfront Avenue
Tel: +65 6688 7788
Daily: 11.30am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Bayfront

Jiang-Nan Chun

Jiang-Nan Chun at Four Seasons Singapore is known for serving classic Cantonese cuisine in a luxurious setting. While everything on the dim sum menu is absolutely perfectly prepared, my favourite at Jiang-Nan Chun is without a doubt, the Custard Buns with salted egg yolk.

190 Orchard Boulevard
Four Seasons Hotel
Tel: +65 6831 7220
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Sat & Sun (Dim Sum Brunch): 11am – 1pm, 1.30pm – 3pm

Man Fu Yuan

There are many Cantonese restaurants in Singapore, but Man Fu Yuan at Intercontinental Singapore stands out for offering a unique tea pairing service. Here, you can enjoy a range of Chinese tea to go along with the signature dishes and dim sum.

Fans of custard bun will be happy to know that Man Fu Yuan serves two kinds of custard bun ($12 for 6) – deep fried and steamed. Both are equally good, but I prefer the latter.

80 Middle Road
2F Intercontinental Hotel
Tel: +65 6825 1062

Paradise Pavilion

What I love about Paradise Pavilion’s custard bun is that it is always consistently good. I’ve had it on many occasions, and it is always so satisfying. This is the easily one of the best, if not, best custard buns in Singapore. Besides the usual custard bun, they also have a Crispy Custard Lava Man Tou ($8.80) served with vanilla ice cream. It is heavenly.

8A Marina Boulevard
#02-01 Marina Bay Link Mall
Tel: +65 6509 9308
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 4pm, 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Raffles Place

Peach Garden

This should go without saying, but I will reiterate the obvious: Peach Garden has, hands down, one of the best custard buns ($4.20) in Singapore. Besides their signature Wasabi Prawn and X.O. Carrot Cake, the custard bun is the must-order dish when you are at Peach Garden.

65 Chulia Street
#33-01 OCBC Centre
Tel: +65 6535 7833
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm
Sun & PH: 10.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Raffles Place

Royal China Restaurant

Another of my favourite in town is the custard buns at Royal China. Its rendition was packed with a generous filling of the molten salted egg yolk custard and it had a certain “oomph“ to elevate it to something truly special.

1 Beach Road
#03-09 Raffles Hotel
Tel: +65 6338 3363
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Sun & PH: 11am – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: City Hall

For more recommendations, read our guide to the best dim sum places in Singapore

Most Singaporeans will have probably heard of Tung Lok group of restaurants, which serve a range of food from vegetarian to seafood. From upmarket Chinese restaurant My Humble House, to the family-friendly Tung Lok Seafood restaurant, Lingzhi Vegetarian restaurant, or the causal dining Zhou’s Kitchen – there are options available for everyone.

For a long time, I was confused by Tung Lok Signatures and Tung Lok Classics. The former is about gathering the signature dishes and putting them together in a menu – it’s like the best of Tung Lok under one roof. On the other hand, Tung Lok Classics offers timeless classic Chinese dishes from Shanghainese, Sichuan, Hubei and Cantonese dishes.

It seems like my memory is starting to fail me. I can’t recall if this is fish, prawn or crab, but I remember that the deep fried cheesy coating was absolutely delicious with the meat beneath retaining its juicy and moist texture.

I was secretly hoping that there’s roasted pork, but we had the Char Siew in the end. Slightly charred on the edges, the char siew was soft, and chewy and sweetly succulent. It was decent, but definitely not the best char siew I had before.

Even though I have been to Tung Lok Seafood restaurant for their dim sum buffet, I never knew that Tung Lok Classics served dim sum too. I was pleasantly surprised when the waitress presented a basket of har gau and siew mai to our table. Evern though the shrimp was fresh and juicy, the steamed prawn dumpling’s translucent skin torn easily. I preferred the steamed pork dumpling which had a good balance of pork-and-shrimp.

Tung Lok Classics is all about the visual impact and the dessert that we had was the best testimonial to that. See that red test tube in the picture? It’s a shot of extremely potent beetroot juice — the perfect ending to the end of a good meal.

Which Tung Lok Restaurants have you been to before, and which is your favorite?

Restaurant Review
Tung Lok Classics
1 Tanglin Road #02-18
Orchard Parade Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6834 0660

21 Amber Road #03-01
Chinese Swimming Club Singapore
Tel: +65 6345 0111