Jade Restaurant at Fullerton Hotel Singapore – Renovation and Refocused Culinary Concept

Jade Restaurant at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore is quite simply one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Singapore. The food is fantastic and the value excellent – especially during their massively popular weekend dimsum brunch. This is one of my go-to places whenever I am craving for fine Chinese cuisine without having to break the bank.

The restaurant’s interiors were actually revamped recently. The refreshed look is now a lot brighter with a cool green hue that is very much fitting to its name and a motif featuring nine local bird species – a theme that was inspired from Executive Chef Leong’s own dabbling into the fine arts. Other than this, the overhead lantern lighting and Low Ming Dragon trees create a very inviting vibe.

The realignment of Jade Restaurant’s overarching theme was inspired by the Tang Dynasty dramatic work “A Variety of Tunes From the Story of the West Wing” where the couplet “八珍玉食邀郎餐，千言万语对生意” or “I invite you to a feast of eight precious treasures, with a thousand words to convey my well wishes” serve to guide the new culinary concept.

I was recently invited to Jade Restaurant to check out this new theme. I started off with the Crispy Roasted Pork Belly ($14 per person / $29 per portion). One bite and I could not help but notice the unbelievably crispy texture of the skin. Although a common dish overall, Jade’s version is not an easy one to prepare. It’s a relatively complicated process that involves puncturing the skin with holes, roasting three times and scraping the skin with a jagged can cover – all to allow flavors to be absorbed and to achieve a crispier texture unlike any other.

This was followed with the Baked Lemongrass Char Siew Lamb Rib Loin ($23 per person) which was my favorite dish for the meal. I love lamb in general and am always interested to see how chefs are able to manipulate the gamey flavor. Here, it comes with an extra layer of smokiness due to it being cooked in char siew style. The sauce itself has a dose of lemongrass in it which adds a zing. Overall, both complement the gamey flavor well and I loved it so much so that I scraped off all the meat I could find from the rib.

Next came the soup  ($13 per person) which changes by the day. During the evening that I was there, it was a clear soup filled with copious amounts of seafood and a tofu expertly sliced in the shape of a sea anemone. Highly nourishing and sweet, the brewing process for the soup takes almost 3.5 hours alternating between low and high heat to concentrate the flavors.

After the soup, it was back to protein with the Sauteed Beef Tenderloin with Crispy Garlic in Black Pepper Sauce ($23 per person / $47 per portion). Seasoned with soy sauce and pepper and coated with corn flour before pan frying to a doneness that it medium well, the Japanese Wagyu beef was exceptionally tender and came with a marbling score between 6 and 7.

During the evening, I also managed to try a few dishes from Jade Restaurant’s dimsum menu. The Steamed Osmanthus Char Siu Pau ($5.80 for 2 pieces) is one of the highlights. It differs from your typical char siu pau with the unmistakeable floral notes of osmanthus lingering in the air long after one devours the pau. The Golden Mantou stuffed with Chili Crab Meat ($7.20 per piece) followed. This, too, is part of the dimsum menu. I tried it previously during the weekend dimsum brunch which is excellent value by the way. The Sri Lankan crabs are actually gently de-shelled for the meat that goes to the mantou – a painstaking process which is the reason why it is limited to only one piece per diner during the brunch.

I found all the dishes during the evening exceptional, even the carbohydrate dish – Simmered Egg Noodle with Boston Lobster and XO Chilli Sauce ($39). Unbelievably springy egg noodles came highly fragrant and flavorful. Beside the noodles was a commanding piece of lobster that’s coated with plenty of garlic and ginger. I could not help but spread the accompanying XO sauce wantonly on the noodles and the lobster though both certainly didn’t need it to taste good.

I then ended the meal with a piping hot bowl of almond cream. I loved the gooey texture of the cream – achieved as a result of 2 hours of soaking and boiling plus the inclusion of a bit of egg white. It came nicely with a piece of pistachio-flavored muah chee that crumbled at first bite.

I have long been impressed with Jade and have eaten there on a few occasions – especially considering the perks you get as an iPrestige member (the loyalty programme of Sino Hotels including Fullerton Hotel). The revamp certainly gives me more reason to return. I find the cohesiveness of the interiors and the food quite remarkable. There is also a poetic element to it which certainly appeals.

Jade Restauramt
Fullerton Hotel
1 Fullerton Square
Singapore 049178

Reservations: +65 6733 8388