Last Meals

Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck

The past 9 months have been a journey of sorts. In the initial first few months of pregnancy, I could barely eat. Even the thought of food made me feel like puking. I was so tired after work that all I wanted to do was to sleep.

Gradually, as I approached my second trimester, I started to enjoy my food again, albeit more cautiously. I still couldn't stomach heavy stuff like nasi padang and char kway teow. However, I enjoyed the occasional kfc chicken wing and developed a liking for curry buns and mashed potatoes.

Now that I am in my third trimester and almost ready to pop anytime, I have morphed into a ravenous eater trying to make up for lost time. My weight has been on an upward climb (2kg in a week!) and my gynae is getting alarmed. Buffets, chocolates and chips? Bring em on!

It will be a pathetic one month confinement period after our little one arrives. My position will be demoted from a queen bee to a working cow. Even the food I eat will comprise largely of steamed items like fish and vegetables. I am so NOT looking forward to it but know deep down that this is for the greater good of mankind.

Nuff of the sad stuff and back to the food.

Yesterday I decided to give my folks a treat and booked us a table at Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck restaurant in Paragon. Those of you who have read my earlier post on Paradise Pavilion will know I am an ardent fan of Imperial Treasure's Super Peking Duck. It is the best Peking Duck I have ever eaten and worth every single cent of its SGD68 price tag.

Warning: Pls call to reserve the duck beforehand as it sells out quite fast.

There is a certain procedure to eat the duck.

The chef first deftly slices off pieces of pure crackly skin, one for each guest. This is best eaten with sugar (although I'm not sure why). All I know is that it tastes heavenly.

Come to mama

Next, the chef slices thin pieces of the duck (this time with meat attached to it) onto a plate. Dad likes to eat his without the usual crepe and spring onion condiments. Either way, both methods taste equally good.

Yummy on its own

or in the usual traditional style

We topped up an additional SGD10 for the chef to fry the remaining duck meat with eefu noodles. The standard of Imperial Treasure's eefu noodles easily surpasses those we are accustomed to at wedding dinners. Two thumbs up.

Also on our hit list...a wide array of dim sum dishes, all of which were stellar.

Scallop Cheong Fun

Chee Cheong Fun with scallop (SGD5.50).. with melt in the mouth skin that virtually drips off the serving spoon.

Siew Mai

Har Gao

Har gao (SGD4.80) and siew mai (SGD4.40)... Mainstays in every dim sum menu. Not my favorite but decently executed. Eat em while they are hot! (otherwise they tend to taste rubbery)

Wu Kok

Wu Kok (SGD3.60)... The outer casing was feather light and crumbly, giving way to a luscious mess of mashed yam and pork when bitten into. Extremely satisfying

Prawn Wantons

Deep fried prawn dumplings (SGD4.50)... Bursting with the freshness of big juicy prawns.

Sharksfin dumpling soup

Sharksfin dumpling soup... A steal at only SGD7.50 a bowl. A hit with the older folks, especially those who like to see strands of sharksfin in their soup.

Strangely our lone appetiser dish (Assorted Egg, SGD8) arrived last. It looked like a pretty agar agar cake, with alternating layers of salted egg, century egg and normal egg. Though the resulting taste was not particularly memorable, the pretty presentation makes this dish worth ordering at least once.

Pretty palatable

We were too stuffed to order dessert but could catch tantalizing whiffs of fried durian from the opposite table.

Considering how much we ate and the high quality of service we received (our plates were constantly changed and teacups refilled without prompting), I found the bill of SGD174.60 highly reasonable. It also helps that Stanchart now offers credit card dining rebates of 15% up till end April.

Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck
290 Orchard Road
#05-42 Paragon
Tel: 67327838