Both are chi chi chinese restaurants and both offer ridiculously cheap 48++ (for 4 pax) set lunch menus. Needless to say, I was quick to book myself a seat at the first instance.
Food:
Our set menu at Lei Garden consisted of a soup of the day (boiled pork rib soup), trio of dim sum (siew mai, filo wrapped prawns and har gao) Chinese greens in superior broth, a seafood special (garlic prawns doused in enoki mushroom infused soy sauce), 2 selections from a special menu (Conpoy in claypot with vermicilli and scrambled eggs with prawns). We ended off with dessert of the day (an interesting apricot soup dotted with crunchy sagos).
Impressive as the menu may sound, I didn't enjoy it very much. Too much prawn and vege and too little meat! I tried to order a mixed platter of char siew and roast duck under the "special menu selection" course but was informed halfway into my meal that they had run out! I find it hard to believe that a restaurant famed for its Cantonese roasts would run out of char siew at 1pm on a weekday afternoon. Rrrr! I had to resort to scavenging for the pork ribs earlier used to braise the soup of the day, which naturally tasted bland and highly unappetising.
What the restaurant certainly overdelivered on was the provision of greens. A monstrous portion of em was served to us as one of the courses (Chinese Greens in Superior broth). Couldn't detect any superiority in the broth but the interiors of my mouth started to feel funny after prolonged chomping. When the conpoy in claypot with vermicilli arrived, I was hoping for some meat to balance the equation. Unfortunately, the conpoy only took up 5% of the claypot and the rest comprised of tangled vermicilli and...more veges! I almost felt like crying at this point. Whilst the garlic prawns did help break the (green) monotony somewhat, I couldn't help feeling a little overwhemed by the presence of prawns too..har gao has prawns, siew mai has prawns, even the egg dish we ordered from the special menu (to substitute the char siew and roast duck) had prawns!
The dining experience at Royal China was much more enjoyable, although the menu did not sound as impressive as Lei Garden's. Our set lunch comprised of a soup of the day (boiled pork rib soup again! the royal china version is better...), duo of dim sum (crystal dumplings and siew mai), Chinese greens in superior broth, sea perch, fried rice and dessert of the day (peanut dusted mochis with a black sesame filling).
Every dish was thoughtfully presented and boasted the right balance of flavors and ingredients, which contributed to the overall robustness of our meal. The dim sum duo looked as good as they tasted and went really well with the restaurant's special shrimp based chilli sauce. However, what really caught my attention was the braised sea perch, which was infused in a seductive black marinade bearing hints of ginger, dried chilli, wine and sweet sauce. It took lots of self control not to lick the sizzling claypot clean. The fried rice proved equally delectable, each fluffy morsel of rice smothered with wok hei goodness.
Round 1: Royal China wins.
Ambience:
Royal China wins for its elegant, exclusive and ethereal environment. Ah Peks will however feel more at home in Lei Garden given its cheena (think chandeliers and bossy buxom waitresses) and bustling setting.
Round 2: Royal China wins again.
Service:
I'm half hearted on this one. The servers at Lei Garden were loud and boisterous but in a motherly (and almost heartwaming) way. Although highly efficient, they lacked the grace and finese of Shatec trained service staff. Conversely, the ladies over at Royal China were poised and professional but lacked the personal touch. I guess this ultimately boils down to personal preference. However, since I am not one who likes to be constantly fussed over, Royal China wins.
Round 3: Royal China wins (barely)
Value:
I take my words back. The magical no 48 sounds cheap but after taking into account the infamous miscellanous items like GST (7%) , Service Charge (10%), Napkins and Tea, the bill for both places effortlessly skyrocked to over 60 bucks. In Lei Garden, we ordered an additional bowl of rice and were charged 2+++ for it, which sounds like daylight robbery in my honest opinion.
Round 4: Both Royal China and Lei Garden win. I am the (sore) loser.
Verdict:
Royal China wins (hands down).
Food:
Our set menu at Lei Garden consisted of a soup of the day (boiled pork rib soup), trio of dim sum (siew mai, filo wrapped prawns and har gao) Chinese greens in superior broth, a seafood special (garlic prawns doused in enoki mushroom infused soy sauce), 2 selections from a special menu (Conpoy in claypot with vermicilli and scrambled eggs with prawns). We ended off with dessert of the day (an interesting apricot soup dotted with crunchy sagos).
Impressive as the menu may sound, I didn't enjoy it very much. Too much prawn and vege and too little meat! I tried to order a mixed platter of char siew and roast duck under the "special menu selection" course but was informed halfway into my meal that they had run out! I find it hard to believe that a restaurant famed for its Cantonese roasts would run out of char siew at 1pm on a weekday afternoon. Rrrr! I had to resort to scavenging for the pork ribs earlier used to braise the soup of the day, which naturally tasted bland and highly unappetising.
What the restaurant certainly overdelivered on was the provision of greens. A monstrous portion of em was served to us as one of the courses (Chinese Greens in Superior broth). Couldn't detect any superiority in the broth but the interiors of my mouth started to feel funny after prolonged chomping. When the conpoy in claypot with vermicilli arrived, I was hoping for some meat to balance the equation. Unfortunately, the conpoy only took up 5% of the claypot and the rest comprised of tangled vermicilli and...more veges! I almost felt like crying at this point. Whilst the garlic prawns did help break the (green) monotony somewhat, I couldn't help feeling a little overwhemed by the presence of prawns too..har gao has prawns, siew mai has prawns, even the egg dish we ordered from the special menu (to substitute the char siew and roast duck) had prawns!
The dining experience at Royal China was much more enjoyable, although the menu did not sound as impressive as Lei Garden's. Our set lunch comprised of a soup of the day (boiled pork rib soup again! the royal china version is better...), duo of dim sum (crystal dumplings and siew mai), Chinese greens in superior broth, sea perch, fried rice and dessert of the day (peanut dusted mochis with a black sesame filling).
Every dish was thoughtfully presented and boasted the right balance of flavors and ingredients, which contributed to the overall robustness of our meal. The dim sum duo looked as good as they tasted and went really well with the restaurant's special shrimp based chilli sauce. However, what really caught my attention was the braised sea perch, which was infused in a seductive black marinade bearing hints of ginger, dried chilli, wine and sweet sauce. It took lots of self control not to lick the sizzling claypot clean. The fried rice proved equally delectable, each fluffy morsel of rice smothered with wok hei goodness.
Round 1: Royal China wins.
Ambience:
Royal China wins for its elegant, exclusive and ethereal environment. Ah Peks will however feel more at home in Lei Garden given its cheena (think chandeliers and bossy buxom waitresses) and bustling setting.
Round 2: Royal China wins again.
Service:
I'm half hearted on this one. The servers at Lei Garden were loud and boisterous but in a motherly (and almost heartwaming) way. Although highly efficient, they lacked the grace and finese of Shatec trained service staff. Conversely, the ladies over at Royal China were poised and professional but lacked the personal touch. I guess this ultimately boils down to personal preference. However, since I am not one who likes to be constantly fussed over, Royal China wins.
Round 3: Royal China wins (barely)
Value:
I take my words back. The magical no 48 sounds cheap but after taking into account the infamous miscellanous items like GST (7%) , Service Charge (10%), Napkins and Tea, the bill for both places effortlessly skyrocked to over 60 bucks. In Lei Garden, we ordered an additional bowl of rice and were charged 2+++ for it, which sounds like daylight robbery in my honest opinion.
Round 4: Both Royal China and Lei Garden win. I am the (sore) loser.
Verdict:
Royal China wins (hands down).
