East Bistro Review: Hidden Old-School Dim Sum Gem With Nett Prices At Sembawang

My dad usually laments how food doesn’t taste like “ last time one ” so he’s just as tough to satisfy. When my fambam gathers, we settle for either zi char at the kopitiam across the street or dim sum at our usual go-to eatery.

Hidden Old-School Dim Sum Gem | East Bistro Food at East Bistro You can’t say you’ve tried East Bistro without having had their unique Chef Special “Pao Fan” ($6.80/$13.60) . For a small order, we got a generous bowl that was enough to make a full meal for two and more.

I salivated as the aroma of the crispy rice wafted up in a mix with the mellow fragrance of the chicken broth. The savoury soup that was simmered with chicken feet and bones for at least four hours had a slight sweetness.

The broth easily took on the flavours of the components which enhanced its depth of taste. Other than zi char, they have a slew of dim sum choices like “Mushroom” Char Siew Bao ($3.60 for two pieces) . Picking up a piece of Xiao Long Bao ($4.20 for three pieces) was when I realised that each one was sitting on a thin slice of carrot.

Their Steamed Egg Yolk Custard Bao ($4.20 for three pieces) gave way to a small river of yellow lava as I split it open. Instead, the custard was sweet and smooth, and it didn’t get soaked into the bun.

I preferred their Egg Yolk Custard Croissant ($4.20 for two pieces) to their bao as soon as I bit into its pastry. I would easily order at least two plates of this if the salted egg yolk taste was more pronounced.

The chicken was tender and juicy, tasting savoury when I ate it with its soft skin. Sichuan spices that the dish was tossed in made it piquant, sweet, with a slightly numbing zing on my tongue. Their Sichuan Chilli Oil Wanton ($4.50 for four pieces) was served in dark sauce, chilli oil, and generous amounts of chilli seeds and flakes.

Delicious pork wantons were wrapped in a thin skin, and the sauce gave it a distinct taste of black vinegar and an enjoyable spiciness. We as well tried Steamed Pork Rib ($4) which was garnished with black beans and two thin slices of red chilli. Towards the end of our meal, Chef Wang, the owner of East Bistro emerged from the kitchen with a tray of Jin Deui ($4.20 for three pieces).

Though I was disappointed that their Crispy Egg Tarts ($3.60 for two pieces) were only available on weekends, this ended up being a good substitute. It was filled with the aroma of food which made my taste buds prick with anticipation.