S$2 Peking Duck Rolls @ Chinese Box
I forewarned Dim Sum Dolly that the restaurant was pretty far out...she told me that it was actually pretty close to Botanic Gardens (about 5 - 10 minutes away from the shopping district, Orchard Road). Yeah, I knew that...like, seriously. Anyway, getting there proved to be quite a pain in the posterior as there were no signs pointing you to the restaurant. On the contrary, there were signs saying that access was restricted to authorised vehicles and people. These signs were found on the road leading up to the restaurant. I drove up anyway figuring that I was an authorised visitor since the restaurant had invited me.
Soft Shell Crab & Mango Roll @ S$8 (a la carte)
The marinated Taro Strings looked familiar. Then I realised that this restaurant was affiliated with The Magic of ChongQing Hot Pot (a Sichuan Ma La steamboat restaurant). The strands of taro noodles were springy and crunchy. They were infused with a hint of the tongue-tingling flavour of Sichuan Peppercorns. The Taro Strings here had a slightly stronger Sichuan Peppercorn flavour than the ones served at The Magic of ChongQing Hot Pot. I prefer this version.
Yet another Signature dish. The tofu bar was not extraordinary as many restaurants and Cze Char outlets have their own versions of homemade tofu. The differentiating factor was the topping of deep-fried strands of dried scallops. The scallop strands would have stood out more but for the sauce, which was a little too salty. The word "Signature" had been used superfluously which resulted in raised expectations and disappointment when the dishes failed to hit the sweet spot.
The Taiwan Peashoots were well executed as they had a firm texture to the bite, a sign that they had not been overcooked. Overcooked peashoots can be pretty mushy.
Chinese Box 1D Cluny Road Singapore 259600 Telephone: +65 6219-7877 Located inside NUS Bukit Timah Law Campus. Map
Operating Hours Daily: 12pm to 3pm & 6pm to 11pm
Driving Directions From Dunearn Road / Bukit Timah Road: Enter through NUS Law Campus Main entrance or Evans Road entrance From Holland Road: Turn into Cluny Road and enter through the Evans Road entrance