Dim sum lunch @ Golden Peony, Conrad Centennial Hotel Singapore

My arrival to Singapore yesterday was marked with a warm welcome at the Conrad Centennial (the concierge guy actually remembers me – must be the hair!) before I was whisked to the soothing and elegant space of Golden Peony, the award winning Cantonese restaurant on the 3rd floor of the hotel.

The fine plate and the cutleries caught my attention first, while the obliging, polished and proficient service rendered was befitting of a restaurant its class and certainly made my meal much more remarkable overall.

After 5 hours in the car with only a few hours sleep, my stomach was suitably warmed up with a nourishing double boiled chicken soup in pumpkin for lunch.
Attractive presentation aside, this soup was delicate in flavour and packed full of goodness. The subtle taste from the seafood and of chicken essence was infused into the hot liquid from the gentle double boiling process.

Having won numerous awards over the past few years, Golden Peony is one of the most renowned Chinese restaurants in Singapore offering authentic Cantonese cuisine.
This is my first meal at Golden Peony and from the assorted items I’ve had, I can see why it is a favourite.

Flavours are generally delicate but balanced. It is as though the chef gently coaxed all the goodness out of each ingredient, yet not masking any ingredients with heavy seasonings.

As a restaurant within a hotel the dining space is suitably august with its furnishing and decor, Golden Peony retained a welcoming warmth of being homely and intimate; thus making it an ideal dining space for a family gathering or business meeting.

Other than the soup I eased my tired self with protein in the form of a trio of plump meat and prawn dumplings; one of which is a steamed chicken dumpling (siew mai) with asparagus and black truffle. These disappeared in 3 mouthfuls.

Yes, I was hungry. And they were delicious!

This was swiftly followed by Steamed Beancurd filled with Scallop topped with Crab Meat Sauce (SGD5).
This pouch was heavy with a mixture of meat plus prawns as well as a generous tile of scallop on top. The broth is sweet and light.

That too disappeared in a flash. On its side the airy filigree of pastry hid a plump prawn anchored on a bed of wasabi puree.
Lovely to see, and lovely in taste.

More robust flavour was detected in the Pan-fried Wagyu Beef with Fried Rice. I devoured the beef first since I love meat. The fried rice was fine; peppery with generous amount of crabmeat added but we were just stuffed by then to finish it.

As the meal came to a close, I thought back on the dishes and realized that the serving for set meals in Golden Peony such as this one is pretty complete for a quick lunch.
Each dish is individually plated and portions are fair. There is little risk of over-ordering (less wastage) and it offers variety. Likewise it is quite value for money.

In fact, Golden Peony has a number of set menus so you can pick one suited to your appetite and budget.
You check them out here –> http://conradhotels3.hilton.com/en/hotels/singapore/conrad-centennial-singapore-SINCICI/amenities/restaurants-golden-peony.html

Chilled Cream of Avocado topped with Vanilla Ice Cream with Crispy Swan Pastry filled with Sweet Potato on the side – SGD8.80.

I love avocados, ice cream and sweet potatoes. Needless to say this was polished off in record time!

Last but not least, Golden Peony is involved in the upcoming World Gourmet Summit 2016 from 28th March to 24th April 2016 with a WGS Special Menu as below.
For SGD108++/pax, you will enjoy a 7-course meal with supreme ingredients such as abalone, peking duck, French quail, prawns plus a double boiled soup. Quite a good deal yes?

Hours:
Mon-Sat: 11:30am-2:30pm, 6:30-10:30pm
Sun: 10:30am-2:30pm, 6:30-10:30pm

Address:
** Golden Peony is on the 3rd floor of Conrad Hotel
2 Temasek Boulevard
Conrad Centennial Hotel
Singapore (038982)
Nearest MRT: Promenade, walk 2 mins to hotel.