Ba Xian 八仙 @ Raffles Place

Held a lunch meeting here with a customer whose office is in the same building. Even he was surprised about this restaurant at the top of this building.

The Tower Club was established in 1997 and it has since been the club for business meetings and gatherings. There are three main dining establishments within Tower Club at the top of Republic Plaza. 

• Atlantic: Western / Continental, both set meals and a la carte available
• Ba Xian: Chinese Fine Dining, with an amazing Dim Sum menu on Saturdays
• Straits Bar: As the name suggests, it is a Bar – though Afternoon High Tea is available at midday

An intimate yet stunning dining venue, Ba Xian Dining Room is established as one of Singapore’s best Chinese restaurants. Reflecting Singapore’s rich Chinese heritage, the décor is ‘Chinois chic’ – contemporary with subtle touches of oriental. Expertly-crafted, delicate yet sumptuous Cantonese-style cuisine is served on designer chinaware. 

This was our lunch.

椒盐豆腐粒 Beancurd Cubes with Rock Salt

A plate of this appetiser had 30 pieces of these cute little cubes of soft tofu, each meticulously coated with flour and deep fried. Dusted with salt and pepper, with specks of Himalayan rock salt. A simple and good eat.

麻辣牛筋 Sichuan spicy braised tendons

The beef tendons simply melted in one’s mouth and Sichuan spices took over with its spiciness and numbness. Not recommended if you do not like soft, gelatinous food and Sichuan spices.

港式蜜汁烧叉腩 Barbecue Pork Belly Char Siew

The Iberico pork char siew was too lean for my liking, even though the flavour was spot on. Mental note to self – must remind them next time to give me the half-fat, half-lean cuts.

馬卡燉排骨湯 Double Boiled Peruvian Ginseng with Pork Ribs Soup

Besides the usual soup in the menu, there’s a daily double-boiled soup that is not on the menu. Today’s special is the double-boiled Peruvian ginseng pork rib soup. Peruvian ginseng is also known as maca is considered an aphrodisiac. It tasted a bit like normal ginseng in terms of texture, but without the bitterness. Not so sure about the virility, but it was a nice soup.

红酒烧羊扒 Pan-Fried New Zealand Lamb Cutlet in Red Wine Reduction

I love New Zealand lamb, these grass-fed lamb do not exhibit the muskiness of the meat and are perfect for grilling. In this case, the lamb cutlet was smooched with a delicious red wine reduction spiced with cacophony of spice. This course would not be out of place even in a Western restaurant.

极品醬芦笋炒带子 Wok-Fried Scallops and Asparagus in XO Sauce

Instead of the usual scallops and asparagus all sautéed in XO sauce, the chef has separated the two items – wok-fried scallops in XO sauce plated in a vermicelli bowl, and asparagus sautéed in garlic. The sweetness of the scallops paired well with the XO sauce and the crisp, clean taste of the asparagus balanced it all.

清蒸海鲈鱼素麺 Steamed Sea Perch Filet with Egg Custard and Japanese Somen

This main dish turned out to the best course of the day. The Japanese somen 素麺 was slightly soft but the texture matched the egg custard on the bottom of the plate. Came with a side of chopped kale. The main attraction on the plate was the singular piece of sea perch fillet, which had the buttery texture of cod but a clean, sweet taste of the sea bass.

The dessert menu came as a little red book, handwritten with what was available. I was so excited by the conversation that I forgot to take the photos for the crispy yam puff and deep-fried salted egg glutinous rice dumpling, sold separately in single pieces.

Amex Platinum Charge card and Amex Express Platinum Reserve card members are given reciprocal access to Tower Club. While visitations require a pre-booking with the Amex Concierge service, I’ve never had a problem with the process as long as you are not calling to request for popular dates.

The very formal setting is truly quiet and exclusive. I can’t think of a better place for corporate lunches – there’s even meeting rooms that can be booked – do enquire with the Amex concierge in advance however. Reciprocal members (like Amex) have to pay 10% extra though.

The Tower Club Singapore – Ba Xian
9 Raffles Place Penthouse (62nd – 64th Floors)
Republic Plaza Tower 1 Singapore 048619
Tel : +65  6737 3388

Visited Sep 2023

#baxiandiningroom #chinesefood #八仙楼 #towerclub #republicplaza