Review: Crystal Jade’s special menu for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day 2021
Mother’s Day 2020 was kind of drab. You may remember celebrating the occasion at home last year with takeaways or home-cooked food, since there were no restaurant dine-ins during the Circuit Breaker.
This year, you may want to consider upping the ante for both Mother’s and Father’s Day, now that restaurant dine-ins are back. Chinese restaurant group Crystal Jade is pulling all the stops with the launch of its Parent’s Day menu: a lineup of dishes that were curated with one’s parents in mind.
The promotion, which runs from 29 April to 30 June, will see all of the restaurant chains under the Crystal Jade brand feature a special Parent’s Day menu, and each chain will have a number of dishes that are exclusive to them. Scallops are the running theme for this year’s Parent’s Day dishes, so expect this seafood favourite to feature across all menus.
HungryGoWhere was invited to try some of the highlights from the various menus. Here’s what we sampled:
Steamed emerald jade scallop & seafood dumpling
$8.80 for 3pcs; from Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao and Crystal Jade Jiang Nan
These gorgeously sculpted dumplings caught our eye with their emerald green skins, all adorned with the glistening golds and oranges of the shredded fried conpoy and fish roe. Biting into it releases chunks of juicy scallops which were fresh and tender, and had a mild sweetness to its delectable taste. If Mum or Dad is a fan of dumplings, this is a must-try.
Braised Irish duck in Teochew style
$108 whole, $55 half, $32 regular; from Crystal Jade Golden Palace
Parents who like this classic dish will love Crystal Jade Golden Palace’s luxe rendition of the Teochew braised duck. Each slice was meaty with the right amount of fat, and really tender as well. Its delicate taste brought to life with its proprietary spiced braising liquid.
Crispy Tiger King prawn coated with cereal and pumpkin sauce
$38 (regular size); from Crystal Jade Dining IN
At first glance, we thought these were salted egg prawns, and were surprised to learn that the golden yellow sauce was made from pumpkin. The result is a very delightful dish that is a balanced mix of sweet and savoury flavours. Every prawn was fresh and juicy, with a well-fried coat of crisp, and the pumpkin purée that added a hint of natural sweetness to it.
Colourful scallop and jackfruit rolls
$20.80 (regular size), from Crystal Jade Hong Kong Kitchen
Looking for something inventive and artful? These fruit-and-scallop rolls are not only colourful, they are mighty delicious too. Packed into a fried, crispy springroll skin are cucumbers, salted egg yolk, bananas and jackfruit, sandwiched between scallop halves. It is an explosive range of textures and flavours all wrapped up in a small package.
Poached baby oyster and minced pork rice in Teochew style topped with crispy rice
$38 (regular size), from Crystal Jade Palace
This dish, which is prepared piping hot at your table, is as soothing as it is luxurious. The baby oysters are fresh, and the minced pork rice and crispy rice combo adds varying textures that keeps the dish interesting. The flavourful broth, which contains dried sole fish and preserved salted mustard greens gives the dish a strong savouriness, while the generous handful of julienne ginger gives it a soothing aftertaste.
You can find more information on the promotion, along with the various set menus, at https://www.crystaljade.com/promotion/?pid=204.
