East Treasure 東寶 @ Woodlands

Staying in the north of Singapore was like staying the wild, wild west. There’s only one proper mall and one proper restaurant. Not anymore.

We were looking for a place to celebrate my brother’s birthday and we were too lazy to go to town, and to tired of going to the same Cantonese restaurant in Causeway Point. Thankfully there’s a new restaurant in the new commercial/retail mall called Woods Square. We tried a few of the eateries there already, some showed promise and others have teething problem, and this Cantonese restaurant East Treasure 東寶 was sealed up for quite sometime, and we thought it would never see its opening due to Covid heightened alerts.

Finally it opened and we went there for the celebration.

I was surprised to see a dry ageing cabinet full of ducks. This was one of their specialty and of course we ordered it. And it looks promising with the live seafood tanks as well.

Stir-fried Aubergine with Salted Egg Yolk and Pork Floss

Everything these days is cooked with salted egg yolk. And we just ordered this single appetiser because we wanted to have more main courses. We shouldn’t have bothered.

Double Boiled Tonic Soup with Crocodile Meat

This was one of their specialty, and smelled of angelica roots when it was served. Tasted like double-boiled turtle soup, as the herbs used were similar. But crocodile meat has a texture more like a fish than chicken.

But again like turtle soup, it was more for its collagen than the meat. And croc fins and feet were full of soft tissues that gave the soup its gummy, sticky aftertaste.

60 hr Dry-aged Roasted Duck

I am not sure how the dry ageing has helped with the flavours of texture of the duck. This was the first time I have tasted dry-aged ducks. But I know that it is normal for Cantonese roast masters to air dry their fowls before roasting to give it ample time for the marinade to permeate the poultry, as well as giving the skin a crispier texture after roasting by eliminating all excess moisture. So this technique has definitely created a crispy skin roast duck and an intense flavour for this dish. Thumbs up.

Marble Goby Deep Fried with Soya Sauce and Crispy Ginger and Garlic

It was a waste for a live fish, but I always order this dish because copious amount of oil has to be used for the deep frying of the fish, so you can never get the restaurant quality at home.

It was not a large fish (1 kg) but I was surprised to find a fresh fish maw in the fish. Usually this was kept by the chefs for their own private dining 😉 if you know what I mean. Absolutely yummy.

Singapore Chilli Mud Crab

Finally the first fail of the evening. The chilli crab recipe did not live up to standard even though it was a big crab and they were doing a promotion. I did not even bothered with dipping the deep-fried mantou into the sauce.

Stir-fried Hong Kong Kailan with Crispy Enoki Mushrooms and Dried Sole Fish

Surprisingly the first time I had this dish was at KLIA airport at their Chinese restaurant next to the McD. It was usually the last stop before I return home on those turnaround trips to KL. I was very happy to see it in this menu.

Stir-Fried Crispy Rice Noodles with Clams

Sembawang white beehoon meets wet horfun, with a twist. This was reminiscent of the two texture horfun I had at Dragon Chamber.

It was good horfun, but combining it with clams was not the best choice. I would have enjoyed it more with seafood or beef.

Desserts

Chinese desserts were usually a sad affair, and it was the same here. Standard items, familiar taste, no surprise.

And since it’s a birthday celebration in a Chinese restaurant, the customary Longevity Buns had to make its auspicious appearance. But to our surprise, the lotus paste buns were delicious, not too sweet with really good texture and taste to the lotus paste. This turned out to be the best dessert for the evening.

Afterthoughts

The food was solid Cantonese food, with familiar flavours that would have only be from Malaysian Chinese cooks. The place was bright and airy, and with the restriction to dining, 5 of us were seated around a 10-seater. The place just opened, so it was rather empty – there were only two other tables the whole evening, and there were 5 waitresses so you can imagine the attention we got. I had to leave a big tip. I think this place would give Crystal Jade a run for its money.

East Treasure Chinese Restaurant (東寶) Woods Square
6 Woodlands Square, #01-07/08/09/10 Woods Square, Singapore 737737
tel : 6908 5650

Date Visited : Aug 2021