My dining companion and I visited Majestic Restaurant with high expectations. Led by award-winning chef Yong Bing Ngen, the illustrious restaurant set many tongues wagging when it first opened in 2006 owing to its blend of modern Cantonese classics in a stylish environment. Four years on, we were keen to find out if the formula is still a winning one.

For a weekday lunch, the restaurant was relatively quiet with just two other tables filled. It worked to our advantage as service was prompt and attentive and our dishes were served in a timely fashion.

Some of its signature dishes from when it first began are still favourites among regulars, such as the combination of crispy wasabi prawn, Peking duck and pan-seared foie gras. The dish was carefully presented and stirred up visual excitement before leading into a superb gastronomical experience. In particular, the glistening crispy skin of the duck paired well with the creamy fatty foie – a good balance of fat and flavour, as the combination rolled over the tongue, it felt as if it did a dance in my mouth.

Thereafter, the double boiled seafood soup was just what we needed to cleanse the palate. Served in a whole coconut, it was a refreshing change with a clear savoury broth that allowed the freshness of the seafood chunks to shine through. Needless to say, it prepared us adequately for the mains.

We happily tucked into the soft shell crab with creamy milk and lime sauce when it was served. The crab was crunchy on the outside and creamy within with just enough tanginess from the lime sauce. Before we knew it, we’d almost polished if off and were quite ready to begin on the next dish.

As the crispy chicken marinated with distillers grains sauce and wasabi dressing arrived at our table, we realised it had a similar presentation as the crab dish. Topped with mango cubes, the meat was tasty though a little on the dry side. I’d expected more as it is a restaurant signature. Likewise for the pan seared fillet of ribeye in homemade sesame sauce. There was nothing particularly distinctive about it, though the meat was tender and succulent; perhaps the sesame sauce lacked the necessary oomph.

We decided to go with the pan-fried carrot cake in XO chilli sauce for our carb intake. For just $15, it is a hefty portion for sharing among two or three people. The robust XO sauce balanced off well with the cake that had just the right consistency and texture – slightly crispy on the outside with appropriately soft centres.

To end on a sweet note, we recommend the chilled avocado puree with ice cream. Visually, it gets top marks as it is served in a whole coconut with sprigs of green grass to connote a garden scene. The nicely chilled puree had just the right tinge of sweetness and paired well with the vanilla ice cream for a pleasant end to the meal.

Address: New Majestic Hotel, 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Road, Tel: 6511-4718

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