Regulars of Crystal Jade Palace will notice welcome changes to the newly renovated venue in Takashimaya Shopping Centre: a tea room for sipping a selection of 10 artisanal teas, a customised menu option, a Yanxi Palacestyle courtyard complete with marble arches, and a jade green and gold colour palette that run across the interior.
Group executive chef Martin Foo creates boundary-pushing dishes without veering too far out the box of Chinese cuisine. There are subtle influences from other countries: a piquant Thai-style garden salad with crabmeat and pomelo sac ($16.80), Japanese sea urchin swimming in ‘tanfu’ broth (available as part of customised menu) and ozro pasta, in lieu of jasmine rice, tossed with crispy rice, prawns and shrimps ($26) for a delicious grain dish. Even classic ingredients like fish maw, typically used in soups and braises, is stir-fried with shishito peppers and black beans sauce, yielding a textural surprise. End with a local dessert: chendol with coconut ice cream complete with grass jelly cubes and green jelly noodles ($12.80).