My recent writing gig had me eating at Hua Ting, widely recognised as one of Singapore’s top Chinese restaurants. There to do a tasting for one dish, I ended up eating more than I had planned because the PR Director very nicely arranged for lunch as well (because the art director, photographer and myself were there during lunch time). Our stomachs were really pampered by Chef Chan Kwok’s mastery of Cantonese food.


Kung Fu Soup 功夫湯 (photo courtesy of Hua Ting)
Absolutely loved this Kung Fu Soup that is double boiled using pork, red dates and dang gui as its main ingredients. The Kung Fu Soup changes every season and as it’s the end of the year when the weather gets cooler, Chef Chan has included dang gui as it’s a Chinese herb that helps warm the body. Serving the soup from a tea pot and a small tea cup helps to maintain the soup’s temperature and keep it warm for as long as possible.


Crispy Roasted Duck 脆皮烧鸭 (photo courtesy of Hua Ting)
The two pieces of duck skin we had were nicely roasted and crispy to the bite while the duck meat was tender and still moist. Accompanying our serving of roasted duck were two tiny pieces of roast pork 燒肉 which had really crispy crackling.


Braised Homemade Emerald Beancurd with Seasonal Greens topped with Pan-Fried Scallops 煎带子扒翠绿豆腐时蔬 (photo courtesy of Hua Ting)
We love the taste and look of the Emerald Beancurd which is made by putting spinach and soya bean milk together in a blender and then putting the mixture to set. When put to set, the spinach bits automatically float to the service which is why there is a darker green colour in this tofu. The scallops, topped off with fish roe, were also huge, fresh and succulent.


Baked Pork Ribs with Lemon Grass 香茅炬排骨 (photo courtesy of Hua Ting)
Slicing through a tender pork rib and having it fall away from the bone on a single cut could be said to be one of life’s simple pleasures. These pork ribs were baked to perfection with the outside achieving a crispy and flavourful outer layer while the meat outside was infused with the fresh smells of lemongrass.


Deep-Fried Yam Pastry 脆皮荔茸酥 (photo courtesy of Hua Ting)
I’m a sucker for anything to do with yam (aka taro) and I couldn’t resist this yam pastry dessert. The flaky pastry is fresh and crisp and the yam filling was smooth and tasty. A must-try for all yam lovers. We also had the mango pomelo sago dessert with herbal jelly (楊枝甘露龜苓膏) which was delicious overall, but I felt it was a tad too sweet for my palate.
Service was great at Hua Ting and if you’re thinking of having a meal there, please call to book in advance as it’s unlikely to get a table as a walk-in customer especially during the festive season.
Hua Ting
Orchard Hotel, 442 Orchard Road
Tel: +65 6739 6666