During our recent stay here at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay Hotel, my husband and I didn’t have the opportunity to dine at Peach Blossoms as we had all our meals taken care of at the COLLECTION club lounge. Amazingly, I received a mailer from HSBC for one of their WOW Weekend deals, which entailed $50 off a minimum nett spend of $100. It was an invitation I couldn’t refuse, and having heard rave reviews of the food here, I decided it was worth a shot!
- Our order:
- Stir-fried wagyu beef cubes in black pepper sauce ($38++)
- Poached chinese spinach with 3 types of eggs ($24++)
- Dim sum artistry ($16.80++)
- Steamed iberico pork soup dumplings ($8.80++)
- Chrysanthemum tea ($3.80++)
- Jasmine tea ($3.80++)
- White rice ($4++ for 2 bowls)
- Spent: SGD$66.75
After checking out from Oakwood Premier AMTD Hotel, we headed straight to the restaurant for lunch. As we were ushered to our seats, I couldn’t help but compare the layout and ambience to Min Jiang Restaurant at Goodwood Park Hotel. Despite the fact that they share a similar narrow, elongated configuration, Peach Blossoms definitely felt much more spacious and open, in large part due to the natural light coming through the windows.
The calming pastel hues also added a quaint, cosy vibe to the place, such that my husband and I found ourselves chilling and chatting here for almost 2 hours while sipping on our chrysanthemum and jasmine teas. We might’ve been the last guests to leave the restaurant at lunch service, oops!
Unfortunately food-wise, it was a hit-and-miss situation. The dim sum artistry items, consisting of a scallop dumpling, a crystal dumpling and a squid ink seafood dumpling, were the best and most exquisitely done. First of all, it came with a heated steaming base that kept the dim sum from turning cold or drying out. Second, they looked visually unique and unlike any other dim sum we’ve had before. Third, each one tasted so well-balanced in terms of flavours and textures – the fillings were nicely seasoned, the skins were soft yet robust and the fish roe added a bit of pop and crunch to the texture. This dish was delightful indeed!
Coming in at a very distant second place were the iberico pork soup dumplings (xiao long bao) and poached spinach. They weren’t bad by any standards, they were just… okay. You could probably get similar-tasting fare for much cheaper elsewhere.
Our unanimous downvote was for the stir-fried wagyu beef cubes. Although the black pepper sauce was tasty, the beef itself was horrendously fibrous and tough to chew. I’m not sure what cut or grade of beef was used but it was so bad we didn’t even finish it.
My overall rating of the experience: 3 out of 5 stars. We enjoyed the inviting ambience, as well as the very attentive service and pleasant interactions with the staff. They were friendly and professional, always discreetly looking out for empty teacups to be refilled. However, the food was an overall letdown, with the dim sum artistry as the only standout dish of this meal. Maybe it’s because we didn’t order their signatures, but for a restaurant of its repute, I reckon there should be some level of consistency across dishes. The disparity we encountered was rather appalling, though I’m not sure whether this challenge of maintaining standards was due to the sudden influx of Stay & Feast package holders ported over from its sister property, Pan Pacific Hotel. Regardless, I can’t imagine forking out the full price for this meal given the quality that day, thank goodness for the HSBC promotion. I would hesitate to return unless there’s a better offer to soften the blow should we be disappointed again.
Dania Experiences 