Singapore, December 2015 – Being a Hong Kong native, I am quite particular about Cantonese cuisine, and I was very impressed by Summer Pavilion at Ritz Carlton Singapore.

To me, great Cantonese cuisine should have a few qualities – freshness of ingredients, perfectly seasoning, combining the right produce and a delicate demeanor. Most important of all, one does not taste just the gravy or soya sauce.

The restaurant had undergone a major renovation, and reopened in late 2015. I dined there on several occasions in 2014, and the dim sum and a la carte dishes were always consistently delicious.

When Mr. King, Little K (my toddler son) and I visited Summer Pavilion in its new splendor, we were captivated by the contemporary, yet elegant décor. One of the features that didn’t change after the renovation was the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that allow natural light in from the courtyard gardens. This is one of the reasons that I enjoy the ambience of this Chinese restaurant. The other reason is that Summer Pavilion is very child-friendly; they even have a customized white leather high chair (very comfy for the little ones).

The tableware was exquisite, customized “Oriente Italiano” hand-painted porcelain by Richard Ginori of Italy. The pastel blue, pink, yellow and black and white porcelain were mixed and matched, creating a whimsical look, which seemed unusual for a traditional Chinese restaurant.

The following dishes may not be Chinese delicacies, but we enjoyed their flavors – light and tasty.

Sautéed Dong Xing Grouper Fillet with Shredded Sweet Peas, Bean Sprouts – Although the menu stated “fillet”, we requested for a whole fish.  The fish tasted as if it were poached, so the sautéed was done very well, not oily at all.

Sweet & Sour Pork – This is a traditional Cantonese dish that any Chinese chef should be able to make. However, Chef Cheung Siu Kong’s sweet and sour pork was what I considered – a deluxe version.  The pork was of high quality and crispy, and the sauce was not too thick and seasoned just right. The portion was also very generous.

Braised Pak Choy in a Broth – This was a beautiful vegetable dish with fine ginger shreds.

Braised Noodles with Bean Sprouts and Fish – I must have eaten the fish (oops) before I took this photo. All I recall was – it was delicious!   Hot Sweetened Almond Tea – The almonds were hand-grinded, and the “tea” was very smooth and creamy.

Panfried Pancake with Red Bean Paste – The pancake was very thin and crispy. The red bean paste inside was hot and not too sweet. I was surprised to see this pancake on the menu, because it is traditionally a Northern Chinese dish. Nonetheless, it was delectable.

For more beautiful photos of the dim sum at Summer Pavilion, check out food blog – Daniel Food Diary.

Summer Pavilion is probably one of the more expensive Cantonese restaurants in Singapore, but their cuisine is definitely more sophisticated than most.

In July 2016, Summer Pavilion was awarded One Michelin star in the inaugural (first edition) of The Michelin Guide Singapore.  I personally believe that the award was well-deserved.

Summer Pavilion – The Ritz-Carlton, Millennia Singapore, 7 Raffles Avenue, Singapore;  Tel: +(65) 6434-5286

All photos were taken by Mrs. King.