The best Chinese restaurant birthday celebrations in Singapore that we recently experienced were at the famous Hua Ting restaurant in Orchard Hotel. Lobster, abalone, birds’ nest and other precious Chinese delicacies were some of the items served.
Hua Ting Chinese Restaurant
Hua Ting restaurant in Orchard Hotel is a traditional Cantonese restaurant that is widely regarded as one of the top Chinese restaurants in Singapore. We last visited it when it completed a major revamped several years ago. You can read about our modest 2017 lunch here. This time, we attended Chinese restaurant birthday celebrations that were a few notches above our previous experience. The grand entryway was a sign of things to come.
Chinese Restaurant Birthday Celebration Part 1 – Delightful Dim Sum
It is usual to start lunch at a Cantonese restaurant with some dim sum items. Top item on the dim sum menu, Double-boiled Bird’s Nest Dumpling ($18.80 each), kicked off the lunch. It contained bits of scallop, sea whelk with mushroom cooked in a thick broth.
Steamed Scallop Dumpling which had caviar and sparkling gold flakes is probably considered an auspicious dish. A more humble dim sum dish was the Steamed Rice Flour Roll, Crispy Dough Stuffed with Prawn Paste (picture below, right). It did not have any fancy ingredients but we thought it was the best dim sum item.
Part 2 – Roast Meats
No Chinese restaurant birthday lunch celebration in a Cantonese restaurant would be complete with some roast meats. Hua Ting is said to be known for them. The two items we tried recently were Hua Ting Signature Crispy Roasted Duck ($48 for half duck) and Charcoal-Grilled Spanish Iberico Pork “Char Siew”. They were both exquisite. The Hua Ting char siew in particular is one of the best we have tried in Singapore, almost as good as the one at Mott 32, which we think serves the best. With a price of $26 for a rather small serving, it is not something we can eat everyday.
Chinese restaurant birthday celebration Part 3 – Individual Dishes
There was no pre-fixed menu at the recent Chinese restaurant birthday celebrations at Hua Ting. Small gatherings can be more special and customised by individual a la carte orders. These are some of the dishes that were ordered and our opinions about them. Most of them are marked “chef recommendations” on the menu.
Poached Dragon Tiger Garoupa Fillet, Salted Mustard Green – $22 Chef Recommendation. Fresh fish slices in a tasty broth. A healthy and light dish. Our Score 3/5.
Stuffed Golden Crab Shell, Fresh Crab Meat, Wild Mushroom ($28, Chef Recommendation). Small crab shell filled with crab meat. The vinegar provided is similar to those used with hairy crabs. The combination works very well. One of the best dishes at Hua Ting. Our Score: 5/5.
Pan-fried Hokkaido Scallop, Oscietra Caviar, Champagne Sauce ($32). A big juicy scallop. Not bad but no wow factor. Our Score: 3/5.
Pan-fried Fish Maw, Premium Abalone Sauce ($42). The fish maw has a nice bouncy texture but not much taste of its own. The abalone sauce gave it a classy seafood flavour. Our Score: 4/5.
Braised 4-head South African Abalone, Premium Abalone Sauce ($58, Chef Recommendation). An expensive dish, but well worth it. Very suitable for a premium Chinese restaurant birthday celebration. Any guest will be wowed by this. Our Score: 5/5.
Lobster with Inaniwa noodle. Lobster never fails to uplift the mood at a table. The additional noodles make this a suitable birthday dish. Our Score: 5/5.
Pan-fried Kurobuta Pork, Wild Mushroom ($22, Chef Recommendation). A very tasty piece of pork. By comparison with the prices of the other items this one seems good value for money. Our Score: 5/5.
Rice and Dessert
There was a final round of rice to ensure no one leaves the restaurant hungry. Wok-fried Rice, Crab Meat, Egg White, Fermented Garlic, Crispy Conpoy ($42, Chef Recommendation). This was a wonderful plate of fried rice. Very dry with every grain of rice distinct. Full of flavours and very enjoyable. Our Score : 4/5 – less than perfect on account of the high price.
A traditional Chinese restaurant birthday celebration would not be complete without the classic Chinese birthday buns – longevity peach, or shou tao. At Hua Ting, they are presented in a modern way, hanging on a metal ‘tree’. Which sort of reminded us of the appetisers at 3 Michelin Star Spanish restaurant El Celler de Can Roca.
The buns (thankfully small in size) are filled with red bean paste. They are suitable as sweet last dish. Champagne provided the lubrication during the meal and a final toast to bring the Ultimate Chinese Restaurant Birthday Celebration at Hua Ting to a bubbly end.
Hua Ting Restaurant
Orchard Hotel Singapore, Level 2
442 Orchard Rd
Singapore 238879
Opening Hours:
Mon – Fri 11:30AM – 02:30PM & 6:00PM – 10:00PM
Sat – Sun 11:00AM – 02:30PM & 6:00PM – 10:00PM
Nearby MRT Station: Orchard
The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog
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