I always had to crack my head when it comes to choosing a restaurant for my wife's birthday. Surely we been to a few great ones, but now she has switched her preference to either Chinese or Japanese (perhaps due to age), the selection has been cut by half. We saw posts of our friends visiting KOMA - the restaurant with the Tori gates and a freaking huge and strange-looking bell. But to be honest, we are not into that vibe, so I did a search on nice Chinese restaurants around that area. And Mott 32 at Marina Bay Sands came into the picture.
That day, we had some shopping and a VR experience just at Art Science Museum before heading to Mott 32 at our reserved timing. Few days prior, they actually called to ask if we would like to reserve the Peking Duck (S$128), BBQ Iberico Pork (or better known as char siew, S$52) or the Crispy Roasted Pork Belly (siew yok, S$30) as it comes in limited quantity daily. So heads up, if you would like to dine there.
Upon stepping into Mott 32, it is as if you are transported to China, with lanterns and Chinese-inspired furnishings and decors. There's a nice bar area where you could drink the night away. The ambience is dark, with some dim lighting, so we had a table beside the windows. Although most of the windows were closed for some reason, we opened ours to let some mall lighting shine in, because reading the menu in the dark would spoil our eyes. The downside? Lots of curious eyes looking at us.
For starters, we decided to go for their budget-friendly evening dim sum (average on this page is about S$10-12). So we got the Signature Crispy Sugar Coated Peking Duck Bun (3pc for S$12). It looks so much like the Tim Ho Wan's edition, just that it's black. And instead of pork, it is filled with peking duck - which to be honest, tasted like sweet pork.
We had the Fish Maw, Conpoy, Garoupa Soup (S$25/bowl). A luxurious, starchy bowl of seafood goodness that would bring warmth even in the coldest days mall. I could imagine rich Asian people eating this when they are feeling unwell.
We are a huge fan of lamb racks. Prior to Mott 32, Zafferano's rendition ranked 1st, but we got a new winner here. Lamb Rack Pan Seared with Black Pepper (S$68) was beyond our expectations. It's tender with a bite, paired with a tinge of spicy aroma from the whole black peppers. I could tell you I nearly slurped all the gravy. Oh, and the portion is huge. We got 4 pieces, which we shared amongst the two of us.
Crispy Roasted Pork Belly (S$30) consists of 12 pieces of the loveliest siew yok. It's like sinking your teeth into various layers of textures, first crispy, then a layer of luscious fats, before hitting the savoury tender meat. Perfect for sharing (but within the two of us, it's a bit gelat). But our teas do help with settling our tummies - Dragon Ball Jasmine (S$6) and Shou Mei (S$6).
What's a birthday meal without cocktails?
Since Lady M is from Xi'an, she got the Secrets of Xi'An (S$24) - Scotch Whisky / Hong Kong Baijiu / Green Apple / Miso Honey /
Cucumber / Plum Salt.
I have a thing for sour cocktails, that's why when I scan the menu, I always look for words like lemon, plum, passionfruit, or other citrus fruits. The Nashi (S$24) - Pear Sake / Vodka / Thai Basil / Lemon, was a perfect fit. Since our dating days, we had been to a heck lot of bars, Mott 32 is probably one of the best. The flavour is unique, give us an alcohol kick, and the pricing was fair as well.
The bill came out approximately $240. To be honest, it's slightly pricey, but the experience was well worth it, and the most important thing was that Lady M thoroughly enjoyed it. Mott 32 is a restaurant that we will be back for. Probably for their signature Peking Duck. If you're a lover of luxe Chinese cuisine, make sure Mott 32 is on your list. Cheers!
