Cherry Garden Champagne Dim Sum Weekend Brunch

UPDATE Sept 2013: Cherry Garden no longer serves champagne with its dim sum brunch. The cost is now S$68++ with endless flow of dim sum and one order of soup, appetiser, main course and dessert per person. Two seatings apply: from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 1.30 to 3.30 p.m.


Most of us love our dim sum brunches but are afraid of feeling surfeit towards the end, and still not quite satisfied somehow. Well, I've finally found one that gives me the perfect balance of quantity, and doesn't compromise on quality. The Cherry Garden Champagne Dim Sum Weekend Brunch!

I've been to Cherry Garden several times for dim sum and generally have never been disappointed. And now they've added a touch of luxury to their dim sum weekend brunch with Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut champagne (you can upgrade to Belle Epoque if you prefer).

They have also changed the way they serve the brunch, making it a bit more sophisticated than the usual free-for-all gluttonfest. It's now individual portions of dim sum and thoughtful degustation portions of very good mains, soups, appetisers and desserts. They still pamper you with impeccable service and now they've added the option of free-flow ice-cold champagne!



Champagne with dim sum? Yes! While I am quite a traditionalist (normally preferring dim sum with Chinese tea), I found that chilled champagne goes superbly with dim sum too! Even my hubby was pleasantly surprised that they went so well together.



But the exquisite dim sum is still the star of the show. Every dumpling is a delight. We marveled at the fine craftsmanship and the freshness of the ingredients. I counted about 20 varieties - I must go back and try the ones I missed!

Serving the dim sum in individual portions also means everyone definitely gets one - no need to fight or fret over communal servings (Too many? Too few? Who gets the last piece?).



Steamed radish cake stuffed with minced pork and dried shrimps.



Deep-fried potato dumplings stuffed with cheese crabmeat and onions. The thin batter gives way to gooey goodness within!



It's not just dim sum. You get a choice of soups, appetisers, mains and desserts. Here we have the Hong Kong style minced pork and shrimp dumpling soup with choy sum (foreground) and Double-boiled fish broth with pak choy, fish maw and tofu (background).



From the appetiser section: Shrimp salad with wood ear mushrooms, cucumber and ginger-sesame dressing. I can never resist wood ear mushrooms!



There is a small but good selection of mains. Honey-glazed Kurobuta pork char siew and braised soya chicken with shallots. Both good, although I think the char siew fares better when it's inside the fluffy and not-to-be-missed kurobuta char siew buns (dim sum item)!

There's also a variation of the Kurobuta pork - wok-fried with garlic, leek and honshimeiji mushrooms in chef's concoction.



Close up shot of the braised soya chicken. I'm not usually a fan of soya chicken but I liked this. I have previously tried their slow-cooked beef brisket with radish, onions and ginger which is also good, and I was happy to see it on the menu. Too bad Chef Hiew's spectacular roast pork is not listed though!



From the seafood mains: Crisp wasabi-aioli prawns with fresh mango and fish roe. Always enjoyable here. If you prefer something healthier, you can try the Steamed patin fish with crispy bean crumbs in light soya sauce.



One of my favourite dishes since childhood, done pretty well here. Braised Ee-fu noodles with nameko mushrooms, silver sprouts and yellow chives.



Desserts at Chinese restaurants tend to be quite an afterthought. But the folks at Cherry Garden have put quite a bit of thought into creating some unusual desserts. We found the “Watermelon Chutney with Aloe Vera, Crystal Pears and Refreshing Lemongrass Jelly”, and “Cream of Avocado served with Walnut Ice Cream” both very refreshing. There's also the traditional royal steamed red bean sponge (on the right).

We ended the meal feeling very good. You feel like you've eaten just the right amount, and your palate is very satisfied.

For the quality of food, I'd say this brunch is a very good deal. If you are not a drinker (like me), you can opt for the brunch without the beverages.

The weekend champagne brunch is available Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 12.30 to 3 p.m. and reservations are essential:

• S$48.00++ per person with endless flow of dim sum and one order of soup, appetiser, main course and dessert per person. This lighter brunch is available for two seatings: from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 1.30 to 3 p.m.
• S$118.00++ with endless flow of dim sum, soups, appetisers, main courses, desserts, Champagne, wine, beer, juices and soft drinks. No seating time limits.
• S$338.00++ with endless flow of dim sum, soups, appetisers, main courses, desserts, Belle Epoque Champagne, wine, beer, juices and soft drinks. No seating time limits.

My most heartfelt thanks to Kelly of the Mandarin Oriental for this lovely invitation, and for the discovery that champagne is perfect with dim sum! We'll be back for sure.


CHERRY GARDEN
5th Floor, Mandarin Oriental Singapore
5 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039797
Tel: +65-6885-3538 (call this for reservations)