Mouth Restaurant (地茂馆), Plaza Singapura

Restaurant Name: Mouth Restaurant (地茂馆)

Pricing: $$$/5

Food: ♥♥♥♥/5

Ambience: ♥♥♥/5

Service: ♥♥♥/5

Website: http://www.mouth.com.sg

Location: 68 Orchard Road, #02-01 Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839
Tel: 6337 746
Operating Hours: Weekdays 11:30 to 22:00; Public Holiday and Weekend 11:00 to 22:00

Having cravings for Dim Sum? Plaza Singapura houses several Chinese Restaurants who serve Dim Sum including the infamous Tim Ho Wan (添好运). I have tried Tim Ho Wan after joining a crazy hour long queue when it set its first branch in Plaza Singapura but was utterly disappointed by the taste of their Dim Sum served and was surprised that they do not serve my favourite Custard Bun as well. Oh well, I shall not elaborate more on it since that was so long ago...

Introduction

What is Dim Sum? The term Dim Sum is the Cantonese pronunciation of  in 点心 (Dian Xin) Chinese. Dim Sum was originally a Cantonese tradition linked to "Yum Cha" (Cantonese term for drinking tea). In the past, teahouses were established to accommodate weary travellers along the famous Silk Road. Rural farmers would also enjoy going to teahouses for an afternoon tea and casual chit-chat with their friends. Due to the tea's capability to aid in digestion, teahouse proprietors began to serve an assortment of snacks together with the tea which are now known to us as Dim Sum. The serving portion of Dim Sum is usually very small - only 3 of the same item is served and hence we can savour a larger variety of the snacks provided by the restaurant. As the portion is small, this makes the individual dishes affordable to the en masse too :)

I have decided to visit Mouth Kitchen as they serve one of the best Custard Buns in Singapore (shall explain what are Custard Buns later). 

Le' Ambience

Mouth Restaurant has a typical setting of a Chinese Restaurant - with the tables and seats covered in white linen cloths. However, they have incorporated chandelier lightings to some areas of the restaurant to make it look more westernised, but I think it was epic fail. *Oops*

Main Entrance

Black-and-White decor

Chandelier Lightings

Kitchen / Pantry Area where food is prepared and served...

Typical Utensils Used for Dim Sum and my Chrysanthemum Tea :)

Le' Menu

The restaurant serves other Chinese food besides Dim Sum. I have tried their Peking Duck earlier and was rather fond of how good it tastes. 

Peking Duck Choice Set Meal

6 Course Set Meal

8 Course Set Meal

Ala-Carte Menu

Ala-Carte Menu

Dim Sum Menu cum Order Chit

What We Ordered

As there were only 2 of us - Sweetie Muffin and myself, we have decided to order a few snacks to share among ourselves. Since we were both fans of Custard Buns, we definitely did order that together with other Snacks like Steamed Xiao Long Bao, and Steamed Har Gao (Prawn Dumpling). We also ordered a bowl of their signature Seafood Congee with Squid Ink.

Le' Food

Signature Baked Cream of Salted Egg Yolk Bun aka Custard Bun (SGD5.40++)
地茂雪山流沙包

As mentioned earlier, I will explain to you what is this highly raved Custard Bun all about. Custard Bun in Chinese is called 流沙包 (Liu Sha Bao) which literally means "Flowing Sand Bun". The original Custard Bun is the normal white fluffy floury texture of normal Chinese buns whereas the fillings are made with a mixture of sweet-tasting custard and Salted Egg Yolk. As the texture of Salted Egg Yolk is sandy, the filling of the bun will similarly taste a little sandy too. 

Signature Baked Cream of Salted Egg Yolk Bun (SGD5.40++) 地茂雪山流沙包

I like to eat Custard Buns with thinner skins (less doughy) and with lots of filling that oozes out when I bite it. 

The Custard Buns served by Mouth Restaurant is pretty hard on the outside unlike the traditional white fluffy bun skins that you will commonly see in Dim Sum places. I think the Custard Buns have been lightly pan-fried before serving. The skin tasted slightly crunchy (like some cookie) actually...

The back of the Custard Bun which is lightly pan-fried

The Salted Egg Yolk Custard Mixture Oozing out...

How Tempting!

The custard and egg yolk filling is warm and it tasted really good just that it has a stronger Salted Egg Yolk taste. For those who dislikes the taste of Salted Egg Yolk, this dish is definitely not for you. 

Mouth's Steamed Xiao Long Bao (SGD4.50++)

地茂小笼包

This is also one of my favourite dish. Xiao Long Bao is miniature buns made of dumpling like skin and injected with a mixture of minced meat and soup. The crux of the dish is that the skin of the bun has to be thin (if not it will taste doughy) whereas the filling has to be soupy (not too dry), and the skin of the bun cannot tear apart before it is savoured. It is indeed a very delicate dish!

Mouth's Steamed Xiao Long Bao (SGD4.50++) 地茂小笼包

Some lousier quality Xiao Long Bao skin will break before we even get to suck the soup filling from it. I was actually very impressed that the bun tasted as good as it looks! The bun is very juicy as the chef is very generous in adding the soup and the skin is thin enough but yet will not tear easily when I try to pick it up with my chopsticks. The Xiao Long Bao is indeed one of the best I have tasted in Singapore and I personally think it is juicier than the ones served by Din Tai Fung and Paradise Dynasty! Oh yes, do remember to dip these buns into the vinegar + ginger sauce before consumption to make it more appetising!

A note of caution: Do not put the entire bun into your mouth as you might be burnt by the hot soupy filling that oozes out once you bite open the skin in your mouth. 

Check Out this mouth-watering Xiao Long Bao dipped in Vinegar + Ginger sauce

Mouth's Steamed Har Gao (SGD4.20++)地茂虾饺皇

These Prawn Dumplings tasted great too as the skin is not too thick and doughy :)

Mouth's Steamed Har Gao (SGD4.20++) 地茂虾饺皇

Deep Fried Banana Prawn Roll (SGD3.50++)

香蕉脆皮虾筒

Coated with a layer of white sesame, you will taste the fragrance from the sesame from the first bite followed by the sweetness of the bananas and then the fresh taste from the prawns. It is a pretty decent tasting snack but I still prefer eating the Malay version of Fried Banana Fritters (Goreng Pisang) as it has more of the sweet banana taste :3

Deep Fried Banana Prawn Roll (SGD3.50++) 香蕉脆皮虾筒

Close-Up

Pan Fried Carrot Cake (SGD3.80++)

香煎萝卜糕

This is the Chinese version of Carrot Cake. It is supposed to taste starchy and greasy.. I enjoy eating this with the sweet chilli sauce provided. Such sinful indulgence~~

Pan Fried Carrot Cake (SGD3.80++) 香煎萝卜糕

Pan Fried Carrot Cake (SGD3.80++) 香煎萝卜糕

Seafood Congee with Squid Ink (SGD8.50++)

墨汁海鲜粥

We ordered this as having squid ink in congee sounded rather novel. As I was a die-hard fan of the congee at Crystal Jade, I will be very particular with the taste of the congee served. We were actually astonished when this dish was served as we thought that the congee portion should be as small as the Dim Sum serving (the congee served by Tim Ho Wan was really meagre). Hence we were shocked to see a huge bowl of black matter presented to us. The looks of it is definitely not appetising, not to mention that it is such a big portion!

Seafood Congee with Squid Ink (SGD8.50++) 墨汁海鲜粥

Close-Up

I tried a mouthful of the congee and was surprised once again by its texture. It has an ultra fine texture (they managed to grind the rice into near powder form) and it glides down the throat like drinking water just that it still has the normal congee taste! We can only smell the somewhat fishy smell from the squid ink but taste-wise, it still tastes like normal congee and we heaved a sigh of relief :) Also, the dough fritters topping is super crispy and I loved it lots! This congee is indeed comparable to Crystal Jade's but if you would like to have your tummy filled better, Crystal Jade's Congee would still be recommended as it is less watery and runny in texture. 

See how runny is the texture~

Le' Service

The service is considered prompt and acceptable.

Overall

I will strongly recommend you to visit this place for their Steamed Xiao Long Bao. As for the Custard Bun, I still prefer Victor's Kitchen @ Sunshine Plaza as I like the fluffy texture of the skin but I dare not revisit the place as the bosses (a couple) of the eatery were having a nasty quarrel and almost ended up fighting during my last visit there. I do not want to get hurt by flying utensils nor let my ears suffer, hence I do not deem it as a safe place to visit although they serve the best Custard Buns, not to mention that I still have to prolong my life to enjoy other good foodie... LOL!

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Wild Honey, Mandarin Gallery

Restaurant Name: Wild Honey

Pricing: $$$$/5

Food: ♥♥♥♥/5

Ambience: ♥♥♥♥/5

Service: ♥♥♥/5

Website: http://www.wildhoney.com.sg

Location: Mandarin Gallery, 333A Orchard Road, #03-02
Tel: 6235 3900 (No Reservations Allowed)
Operating Hours: Sundays to Thursdays, 09:00 to 21:00; Friday, Saturday and Eve of Public Holidays, 09:00 to 22:00

I was clearing my leave during this Christmas season and hence am free to have my "ME" Time whilst Sweetie Muffin is busily slogging his guts out ~ Sorry Muffin, I have been wanting to satisfy my cravings since a while back and now that I have the time, I'll just have to try this myself :)

I am a breakfast lover. Why? I LOVE to eat Sunny Side Ups the MOST as a perfectly cooked Sunny Side Up has the runny egg yolk which tastes like the best thing in the world! I am very particular when it comes to eating Sunny Side Ups. I would be really upset if the egg yolk of my Sunny Side Up is overcooked as this is definitely not doing justice to my favourite food. Also, I super love eating Cornflakes with Milk for breakfast whenever I have the opportunity to do so.

Also, to provide some background story - I am really desperate to eat a hearty and satisfying breakfast set given that I am eating oats which look and taste like cement daily :( This is not because I love to torture myself - its just because my parents think that oats are healthy and they make that daily for breakfast and I was made to eat it. Moreover, as I normally wake up later, I do not have time to prepare my own breakfast but to swallow the cement.. Hu Hu Hu~ 

My Usual Homemade Breakfast: Tacky, Gooey and Yucky Cement Oats :(

Anyways, I will gorge myself to the brim whenever I am overseas during hotel breakfast buffets with my morning favourites and those were considered to be the happiest days of my life! LOL

Breakfast @ Radisson Blu Edwardian The Vanderbilt Hotel in London, UK 

(Enjoyed the breakfast there for 3 weeks during my Work Attachment there)

Cornflakes with Milk

English Breakfast

Breakfast @ Hilton Tokyo Hotel in Tokyo, Japan

(Enjoyed the breakfast there for 4 days during my holiday there)

Cornflakes with Milk and a cup of Yoghurt

Freshly Cut Fruits :)

Assorted Pastries

OK, now that you know that I am very deprived of a good breakfast, I shall proceed to review on Wild Honey to see if their breakfast can satisfy my long-term cravings.

Introduction

"Wild Honey" reminds me of Winnie the Pooh's favourite food. LOL. 

Jokes aside, this amazing place aims to take you to different countries (not physically, of course!) by serving breakfast sets which are distinct to each country! Also, who dictates that breakfast is meant to be consumed only in the Mornings?! Breakfast lovers can savour their favourite breakfast sets ALL DAY ROUND in Wild Honey ~ YAY!!!

Diving in to a SEA of BLUE Christmas Trees...

Mandarin Gallery

Arriving @ Our Destination

Wild Honey, Mandarin Gallery

Le' Ambience

Wild Honey occupies a small corner in Mandarin Gallery and hence I could understand why they are unable to take reservations due to seating constraints.

 The place is really cozy and warm with brick walls and woody ceilings. You really do feel at home when you are seated at the bistro. Also, the place will somewhat resemble a chamber in the Hogwarts Castle (in Harry Potter) if they include a Fireplace.. How Nice~~

Le' Menu

The Menu can be found on their official website. I was surprised that there is NO hardcopy of the Menu provided and I was invited to browse their digital menu on their iPad located in front of the order counter. As there was a queue behind me and there was only ONE iPad available, I felt so stressed up as I could not decide on what breakfast set I wanted to order. I simply love breakfast in general. MEH~~

I just wanted to say that their Menu is SUPER DUPER UNFRIENDLY. It is so stressful to be browsing the images one by one on the iPad whilst the person behind is waiting for their turn rather impatiently. I prefer the normal menu with everything summarised in a couple of pages because I forgot what I have just read on the first few slides as I progressed to the last slides. Also, I was amused that their iPad Menu do not include drinks and other pastries served. I still have to raise my head and stare at the chalkboard above the counter and suffer from another headache before I proceed to make my order. The entire order process is ULTRA STRESSFUL :(

What I Ordered

Le' Order Counter ~ Frenzy Frenzy!

I finally made up my mind to order the Aussie Breakfast Set as my 'mains', a Mini Passion Fruit Cake for desserts (I was attracted to it when it was displayed at the counter) and Queen Bee (recommended by the Cashier) for drinks. Also, I have a serious language barrier with the Cashier who has a very strong Filipino accent. It took her to post me the same question THRICE for me to understand that she was asking how I wanted the steak in my Aussie Breakfast done. So stressful! Also, I couldn't be bothered to read everything on the blackboard about the drinks as the description isn't detailed enough plus I have astigmatism. Hence I simply requested for the Cashier to recommend their Signature Drinks for me to sample... :(

Le' Food

When I returned to my seat after I have ordered and paid for my foodie, I realised that the waiter have served me a cup of bottled water on my table. I think the staff must've known that the ordering process is stressful and hence have decided to serve me some water to calm my nerves (like real!). LOL.

Bottled Water Served...

Can't Wait to Tuck In!!

Mini Passion Fruit Cake (SGD7.50++)

The Passion Fruit Cake is served with alternating layers of butter cake and fresh cream mixed with Passion Fruit seeds.

Mini Passion Fruit Cake (SGD7.50++)

The cake has a light butterish aroma and it tastes very fluffy. Also the cream and passion fruit combi is nowhere overbearing. They complement each other very well. This is like one of the better cakes I have ever tasted ♥♥♥

In fact, I polished the entire plate :3

Yummilicious!

Queen Bee (SGD9.00++)

Queen Bee (SGD9.00++): Mixture of Soda, Grapefruit Juice and Honey

As I could barely figure out the Cashier's accent, my heart sank when I saw the slice of Grapefruit in the drink. I do not like the idea of sipping a glass of bitter juice :( And I was spot-on that the drink had the bitter taste from Grapefruit Juice just that the soda and honey mixture helped to dilute the bitterness a little. 

I realised that the straw was made of paper after drinking a few sips! I do have a bad habit of biting my straws so I felt that the paper was melting off and I am eating bits of the straw whenever I chew it subconsciously. Meh!!

Overall, I felt that my money was not well spent on this drink since it is actually fizzy (I do not taste the honey in the drink, seriously) :(

Aussie (SGD30.00++)

120g 1824 Australian Grain Fed Sirloin 120 days, Red and Yellow Pepper and Onion Confit, Fried Egg, Breakfast Potatoes, Dad's Baked Beans, Sautéed Mushrooms, Spicy Tomato Chutney and Grilled ciabatta

Aussie Breakfast Set (SGD30.00++)

Can't wait to devour my breakfast!

WHOA! This is goodness in a plate! I had my Sirloin Well Done and it tasted really GREAT! The meat is succulent and has a full-bodied taste and it is really pure indulgence in this! Moreover, my favourite Sunny Side Up is there done up perfectly and not overcooked :)))))

Le' Well Done Sunny Side Up!

Close-Up on the Sirloin

Le' Sautéed Mushrooms ~ Moist and Juicy!

And the 2 Truss Tomatoes added vibrant colours to the entire dish, making it look so yummy! Just to digress a little to explain what are Truss Tomatoes - they are tomatoes with bright red skin, juicy flesh and intense flavour that are ripened on their vine and packaged directly into pun nets with the stem still attached. These tomatoes are available all year round too! Gosh~ they simply looked so bright and cheerful and contains antioxidants too! Simply too hard for me to resist!

Le' Truss Tomato ~ Simply too Mouth-watering 

I loved everything in this dish except for Dad's Baked Beans because it tasted rather spicy. Ironically, the Spicy Tomato Chutney did not taste spicy at all but is filled with the full-bodied flavour from the tomatoes~ Did they accidentally add the spices into the Baked Beans instead??!!

Further to the above, I realized that BUTTER KNIFE was provided for the sirloin. I had great difficulty cutting the meat without Sweetie Muffin's assistance :( I MISS MUFFIN!!

Leftovers again~ Muffin, Muffin wherefor art thou, Muffin?!

Le' Service

The service is very prompt. The food are served on time and I could enjoy my food slowly whilst basking myself in the great ambience... Lovely!

Overall

What an expensive Breakfast!

I totally enjoyed the food there - no regrets in visiting the place at all. Will come again to try their other breakfast sets but I will read up the menu and decide prior to visiting the place. Actually I do wish they can provide hardcopies of the menu with the desserts and drinks included in it so that I can study them and then decide what is best for myself as I cannot react properly on the spot you see...

Ending off with a Selfie Taken there ;)

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