Ms Skinnyfat

Easily one of my favorite Chinese restaurants, Man Fu Yuan at InterContinental Singapore has always provided finessed plates of comforting traditional dishes which bring together the family. Their latest menu by Executive Chinese Chef Aaron Tan has spiced things up with innovative techniques along with smoke and fire, providing diners with a multi-sensory experience. 

We started with a luxurious honey-glazed bbq Duroc pork belly char siew ($28 per serving) which was topped with caviar and gold flakes. The meat was served cold but the flavors were robust. I would have preferred a warm piece so that the fats would be creamier. 

The chilled Fanny Bay oysters in hua diao wine, ikura, bonito shoyu ($24/3pcs) was a stunning appetizer and is definitely my preferred way of enjoying the plump shellfish. Served in a cloud of tea-infused smoke, the presentation is certainly to impressed a corporate client but the dish is more than that. The refreshing yuzu dressing provided a touch of sweetness which enhanced the briny freshness of the creamy flesh. 

The braised beef short ribs, wild mushrooms, spicy sauce in lotus leaf ($68) is best eaten with a bucket of rice, which we regretfully did not have. That braising sauce had amassed all the goodness from the chicken mushrooms, morels and the gelatinous meat. The dish is served in a salt crust and flambéed with peppercorn for a very slight fragrance (hardly noticeable) but it was more theatrics than for flavor enhancement.  

The Kung Fu Soup ($38), a double boiled sakura chicken, abalone, maca, morel mushrooms served in a tea pot, was soulful and nourishing. I wouldn't have minded it being served in a bowl instead, to prevent the spillage of the precious essence. 

I'd give the flambé wok-fried pork ribs ($24) in citrus orange glaze and almond flakes a miss though. This is quite standard Chinese zi char fare and i never quite enjoyed the artificial orange flavor. The pork was also full of soft bones and the meat was quite porky.

On a cold day, the best dish to have is the poached marble goby fish cooked with mala green peppercorns, salted vegetables broth (seasonal price). Light spice, acidity. This is a palate- rouser with the light spice and acidity from the peppers and vegetables. 

Treat yourself to a double booked superior bird’s nest cooked in rock sugar ($56/pax). The Sarawak bird's nest has a web-like crunchiness to it and each teaspoon was a delight. It prompted me to order some bird's nest for myself immediately after. 

Always a delight at MFY