Ban Zhuo (辦桌) is a unique Taiwanese tradition that has its origins in the 17th century, where they have gatherings in open spaces. These gatherings can be for various occasions such as weddings, birthdays, etc.
The team at Song Yue has introduced a selection of dishes that offer a glimpse into the world of Ban Zhuo (辦桌), intending to recreate the atmosphere and flavours at those gatherings.
Heartwarming Dishes For Sharing
First is Song Yue’s Celebratory Lobster Combination Platter ($88.8 for Medium, $128.8 for Large) which features 5 dishes. There’s a Lobster and Fruit Salad, Chicken tossed in Sesame Oil, Soy Braised Duck Wings, Spring Onion Marinated Abalone, and Century Eggs in Shrimp Paste.
Lots of nostalgia in this platter, as it reminds us of weddings that took place back in the day. We especially loved the deep-fried century eggs wrapped in a layer of shrimp paste!
There’s also a Traditional Chicken with Pig’s Stomach and Abalone Soup ($98.8), which was probably one of the best soups we’ve tasted to date. The collagen-rich broth was hearty, and rich with well-balanced flavours. There’s a hint of white pepper that’s not too overpowering, and for those who aren’t fans of pig stomach, there’s barely any smell from it.
Make sure to try their Steamed Live Lobster Rice Cake ($88.8 for Medium, $158.8 for Large). While the menu states rice cake, it’s more of a bed of glutinous rice that’s steamed together with pork belly, shiitake mushroom & aromatics. While we do agree that it’s pricey, the quality and execution of the dish do justify its price point.
If you’re a fan of Mei Cai Kou Rou, the Braised Pork Knuckle with Homemade Mustard Greens ($58.8) is not to be missed. They use a batch of mustard greens that are sourced from a family farm in Taiwan, and we heard they only produce this once a year. While the pork knuckle does feel more fatty than usual meat cuts, it was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
They had 2 deep-fried dishes, which we thought were slightly overshadowed by the previous dishes. The Golden Phoenix-Tail Tiger Prawns ($35.8 for Medium, $55.8 for Large) sees a large tiger prawn placed in between beancurd skin along with a mix of salted egg yolk, century egg, and coriander. The other dish was the Handmade Crispy Duck with Taro ($48.8) which featured duck slices with a creamy yam paste.
Perfect for Gatherings
The new dishes served here at Song Yue Taiwan Cuisine are fitting for large gatherings, so make sure to grab your family members (might even want to consider your extended family), and feast away!
Song Yue Taiwan Cuisine
Leisure Park Kallang, #01-38/39, 5 Stadium Walk, Singapore 397693
Sun-Thurs, 11:30am-3pm, 5:30pm-9:30pm
Fri, Sat, Eve of PH, 11:30am-3:30pm, 5pm-10pm
*This article is based on a media-tasting event, but all opinions expressed about the food are entirely our own.
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