China's favourite award-winning restaurant, Nanjing Dapaidang, has found its way to Singapore shores.. And that only means one thing - delicious blessings for our tastebuds! Given it is not located within China, this overseas branch is named Nanjing Impressions. The original brand was founded in 1994 and has since maintained a consistent performance of excellent tastes of Nanjing Chinese cuisine. No wonder it enjoys a gigantic cult following of foodies wherever a branch of Nanjing Dapaidang opens.
Just look at that crowd! And that's not even including the people queuing outside of its large interior space. Each restaurant is more than 6000 square feet, a feature that pays homage to the prosperity of Nanjing in the olden days. In 2013, it was even awarded as the Golden Tripod Winner of the “Top Ten Brands of Chain Restaurant in China” by the Chinese Restaurant Association.
The renovation and ambience here is inspired by Ming & Qing Dynasty old courtyard house and market stalls. Every pillar and beam looks like it was really from that bygone era. It was almost like a museum.
Nanjing Dapaidang does not try to conform to the 'local' tastes and retained the traditional flavours from the treats in China which is rare in Singapore. I certainly felt like I teleported back to charming land of Beijing where awesome food resides.
(Speaking of which I'll get my China travel posts in sooon)
1. Nanjing Noodles in Light Soy Sauce Broth (SGD6.80) 老牌阳春面
The first dish we tried raised the standard bar of whatever that was to come. Nanjing Noodles in Light Soy Sauce Broth (SGD6.80) 老牌阳春面 is a no-frills dish which is probably easy to cook but difficult to execute it well. And this went above and beyond the usual standards with its springy qq yet silky smooth noodles that slid off my chopsticks beautifully. It does not break easily too - and soaked in the light soy sauce broth, I would come back just to eat this. Really. If I'm not crushed by the crowd outside (figuratively and literally)
2. Tender Tofu in Shrimp Sauce (SGD10.80) 虾酱豆腐
The taste of the Tender Tofu in Shrimp Sauce (SGD10.80) 虾酱豆腐 is interestingly, different from what I expected when I caught a whiff of its fragrance and its appearance. The shrimp sauce is not too sweet and tastes like it has a tad too much fish sauce poured into it than I liked, with an intense savoury aftertaste. I reckon it to be quite an acquired taste, and it will not really appeal to everyone. Nevertheless, it is expertly cooked with its heavy-bodied flavours paired with the tofu which balanced it out.
3. Jinling Signature Roasted Duck (SGD16.80/ small, SGD32/ medium, SGD62/ big) 金陵烤鸭
If there's only one thing you must order, it must be the Jinling Signature Roasted Duck (SGD16.80/ small, SGD32/ medium, SGD62/ big) 金陵烤鸭 that has won praises from far and wide. The roast duck here is tender enough, and well marinated throughout the meat. The roast duck skin is also not too greasy but tasty. This was swept quickly away by everyone!
4. Honey Glazed Stuffed Lotus Root (SGD12.80) 金牌蜜汁藕
And now, onto my personal favourite! It's the Honey Glazed Stuffed Lotus Root (SGD12.80) 金牌蜜汁藕, a wonderful creation that singlehandedly brought me back onto the streets of Qianmen in Beijing. The power of food! These sticky sweet treats are thinly coated with candied haw (冰糖葫芦) and these soft yet crunchy lotus roots are painstakingly stuffed with glutinous rice too. I never tried this before but I really enjoyed this.
5. Baby Rooster Stew with Special Sauce served with Crispy Sesame Bun (SGD23.80) 地锅小公鸡
One of the signature items from Nanjing Da Pai Dang that you would definitely see is the Baby Rooster Stew with Special Sauce served with Crispy Sesame Bun (SGD23.80) 地锅小公鸡!
They stewed well-marinated chicken to a lovely tenderness, with hot crispy sesame cakes to mop up the delicious sauce and enjoy! I think the sauce composed of savoury bean sauce with soy, probably with hot garlic to make it really fragrant.
Next up - shakin' up the usual xiaolongbaos with a special spin: Celestial Roast Duck Dumplings (SGD6.80/ 3 pc) 天王烤鸭包 ! Instead of the usual pork-stuffed soup baos, they have roasted duck in them, which I find a little.. underwhelming? Maybe I prefer roast duck in generous slices rather than stuffed in a bao like this.
7. Braised Pork Shank (SGD28) 江米扣肉
The Braised Pork Shank (SGD28) 江米扣肉 is glutinous rice with steamed pork with a banana leaf. It is another one of its famous menu items. I find that this is a very safe choice that I cannot imagine who wouldn't like this dumpling (粽子) variant - it isn't too greasy with a very tantalizing aroma too.
8. Poached Lion's Head Meatball (SGD13.80) 清炖狮子头
And finally - we had the Poached Lion's Head Meatball (SGD13.80) 清炖狮子头! It certainly is a must-try here because if you're a fan of Chinese cuisine, you're likely to have come across this dish but have you tried a really good version of this? I think that was how I felt when I tried this - I didn't think that this could be so incredibly melt-in-the-mouth, it is soft yet not completely mushy. Disclaimer - it is quite fatty, so you might not be able to stomach the whole thing by yourself, but I still think it's really damn good. Just try it with some Chinese tea and you will be okay, satisfied and happy. That diet can wait...!
There is even more food to be tried here but that's all from me in this post!
Go forth and explore, foodie adventurer.
Nanjing Da Pai Dang / Nanjing Impressions 南京大牌檔
Plaza Singapura68 Orchard Road #04-46-51
Singapore 238839
Contact number
+65 63527877
Opening hours
Daily: 11am - 10pm
Daily: 11am - 10pm
Note
Reserve if possible, otherwise, arrive before 11.40AM to avoid the peak hour queue.
Read what others said about Nanjing Da Pai Dang / Nanjing Impressions:
Daniel Food Diary
Camemberu
Miss Tam Chiak
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