Another kind invite by the folks from Food News and Cuisine Master Hot Pot at Boat Quay to try out a steamboat experience that is one of a kind. I am so fortunate to be able to know and try out these exotic places, and I hope to share with you guys about it so you can decide whether it is worth checking out or not!
Firstly, the restaurant's situated at a shophouse facing the Singapore River -- the main dining is on 2nd and 3rd floor, so we got to see the river as dusk approaches.
Most of the dining tables are good for four, though they have special rooms you can book for bigger groups or functions. This is actually an ideal place for business meetings over lunch or dinner with clients!
We were welcomed with their special Welcome Drink, concocted by the bar downstairs and served in a very long flute. Good idea, makes you wanna down it in a few sips. It was made with soda water and a faint syrup flavour that was rather pleasant.
Here's MissTamChiak with her welcome drink!
So on to the meal -- we were served with fruits and appetizer first as this helps the nutrients from the fruits to be absorbed first, and as a way to "open your gut" (Chinese expression). The baby tomatoes were yummy!
We also had premium Pu'Er tea. All their cutlery were well-made and exquisite.
An interesting anecdote was this "Ding" container, meant to contain Chinese wine. Funny bit of trivia - see the two vertical spokes poking up from the rim of the container? They were meant to prop aside the long beards of the drinkers in ancient China so they don't get in the way. Also to stop you from gulping down the drink. Isn't it ingenious?
So here's the menu for the night. This is the mid-range one as prices start from $78++ for the basic menu onwards. If you look at all the ingredients you can understand why it costs $118 per head! The special offering of Cuisine Master Hot Pot is their table-side service. Unlike most steamboats where its very much a do-it-yourself affair complete with splashing soup and unripe yong tao fu items, CMHP will have a knowledgeable and friendly waitress to help cook the food and serve them to you individually.
Another cool thing is the fact that CMHP is very well-ventilated so you don't smell like what you ate after. This is VERY important for me. There's actually ventilation from the sides of the pot, and the aircon refreshes the air every 20 minutes.
Speaking of pot, it is SUPER epic. Have a look at this InstaVid - http://instagram.com/p/cbaQ4zlFP-/
It rises up from the table like magic. Everybody say woahhhh!
Our first serving was actually the clear soups from the pot, one of which is the special Golden Soup that is made from boiling old hens and old ducks over 10 hours. The other was the mushroom soup. I really liked the latter, though the former is very "chicken soup for the soul" - comforting and enriching.
The next dish was an upgrade -- to Buddha Jump Over the Wall! WOAH!! It's my first time having this famous dish. As you can see, all the good stuff laid out on the plate.
Here's the finished cooked product. I slurped up every last bit of the sweet seafood chicken broth.
Here's another angle of the soup which elicited some responses when I posted it on social media. I purposely made that sea cucumber bit look like it was crawling out from the bowl, heh. Apparently the sea cucumber with spikes is more expensive. Tasted quite bouncy to me, unlike the usual sea cucumber goo (don't like).
Next, this awesome Garouper fish dish. It was one of my favorites for the night, simply because the fish is so fresh. I was completely surprised by it.
Yum! Get in my tummy!
The next one was a mystery to me. They are both mushrooms. The one on the right is called 毛肚菌, or simply put, hairy stomach fungi. Haha! Looks like brain. It shrank when cooked.
We also had some veggies. Quite enjoyable actually.
And this, which I thought was plated really nicely. Shrimp and fish balls. Proper fish balls, not the processed factory type.
The protein highlight of the evening is probably the kangeroo meat. I HAD KANGEROO MEAT.
When the waitress asked if we've tried it before, I said no, and she said oh then be prepared that it is a little tough. I then replied, "Yea it's tough. Kangeroos know boxing. Hur hur."
Nobody laughed. But I thought it was funny. HAHA.
More veggies. Give this as a bouquet to someone! I don't really like veggies in general, so I wasn't excited to eat it. Looks pretty though.
Finally, as all Chinese dinners go, there's the carb dish at the end to make sure you are REALLY stuffed and not just filled up with soup and protein. These are handmade noodles colored with spinach, egg, purple cabbage and carrot.
For visuals only - the noodles just tasted really smooth and fragrant, which I really liked. It wasn't too starchy nor plain.
Last but not least, the dessert. It was a surprise as I was expecting the usual, but out came the light and 'cleansing' white fungus rock sugar drink. I really enjoyed how they are so thoughtful in pairing all the dishes together to make you feel good after the meal.
Cuisine Master Hot Pot
68 Boat Quay, Singapore 049856
64389979
Mon - Fri: 11am - 2pm, 6pm - 11pm
Sat: 6pm - 11pm
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