When Diamond Kitchen debuted in 2013 at Marine Parade, it was an instant hit. The Chinese seafood restaurant, which prides itself on serving delicious home-cooked style dishes, garnered countless positive reviews for their mouthwatering array of Chinese dishes. Following the success of its pioneer outlet, the restaurant went on to open its second stellar restaurant at Science Park Drive in 2015. Three years down the road, the restaurant has decided to make a come back by launching several new premium dishes to commemorate their milestone. And I have got to hand it to them, because the chefs at Diamond Kitchen certainly know how to celebrate their birthday with a bang.
The first dish on the menu was the Diamond Sauna Treasures ($188++/$368++). It was a beautiful work of art: an array of fresh seafood meticulously arranged within a giant steam basket. The denizens of the deep were steamed to perfection, glistening with ‘sweat’ from the heat of the sauna.(It was as if Diamond Kitchen had decided to steam a giant ‘birthday cake’ to kick start their birthday celebration.)
The Diamond Sauna Treasures is a ramped up version of the popular Sauna Prawn dish, boasting a generous selection of lobster, snow crabs, red prawns, scallops, mussels, squid and clams.
What really stood out was the freshness of the seafood. Their succulent meat was bursting with natural sweetness and juiciness, and they go in perfect harmony with the four homemade dips. (Hong Kong Steam Sauce, Garlic Chili Sauce, Black Bean Chili Sauce, Gan Xiang Sauce)
I personally enjoyed pairing the Hong Kong Steam sauce with the dish. The light mirin style soy sauce complemented the steamed seafood perfectly without overpowering it.
We were then treated to some delicious Kong Bak Pau ($18++/$36++). Though sinful, the delicious thick slabs of tender pork belly braised in premium black sauce are certainly tantalizing enough to make your mouth water. Take a few generous pieces of the meat and nestle it gently between a fluffy white steam bun before topping it off with some fresh lettuce and cucumbers for a crunch. Then sit back and enjoy the food orchestra in your mouth.
The Ba Ba Pomfret ($38++) glistens a bright beautiful orange with the tamarind sauce generously drizzled over it. The fragrant sauce, which encompasses a medley of spices and herbs, is sweet with a hint of spiciness. A spoonful of fragrant white rice accompanied with the fish soaked in the tamarind sauce is bound to impress.
Though a little too dry for my liking, the Gan Xiang Bee Hoon ($25++) topped with generous helpings of plump prawns, pork belly and juicy mussels is definitely worth a try too. The dish boasts Diamond Kitchen’s fragrant spice paste, which consists of dry-fried hae bee hiam (spicy dried shrimp), curry powder, lemongrass, dried chilli, taucheo (fermented soy bean paste) with other secret ingredients.
The Diamond Herbal Chicken ($38++) was also worth a mention. The broth, which features Solomon’s seal root (yu zhu), ginseng, and angelica root, is amplified with a mild sweetness from the sweet wolfberries, and will certainly leave you asking for more.
The spacious restaurant also has a lovely ambience, though I would have to say that the location of the outlet is far too inconspicuous for my liking.
Beginning from now till 31st December 2016, customers will get to enjoy 15% off the normal prices of the new dishes. For more information, check out their Facebook page.
The above article is written by our new writer Tian (instagram) who showcases culinary finds through her lens & journalistic instincts.
Diamond Kitchen
Marine Parade Branch
5000F Marine Parade Road
Laguna Park Condominium, #01-22/23
Singapore 449289
Operating Hours: 11:00AM – 2:30PM, 5:30PM – 11:00PM
Tel: +65 6448 0629
Science Park Branch
87 Science Park Drive
#01-01 Oasis (Previously known as Science Hub)
Singapore 118260
Operating Hours: 11:00AM – 2:30PM, 5:30PM – 10:30PM
Tel: +65 6464 0410
Email: reservation@diamondkitchen.com.sg
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