Gourmet Food Trail with Ah Lun (阿伦笑吃人间 周末趴趴吃) – Part 2 of 5: Mandarin Court Chinese Restaurant (文华酒店 文华苑)and Lao Beijing (老北京食堂) - Alvinology

Gourmet Food Trail with Ah Lun (阿伦笑吃人间 周末趴趴吃) – Part 2 of 5: Mandarin Court Chinese Restaurant (文华酒店 文华苑)and Lao Beijing (老北京食堂)

Group photo of all the participants in the second food trail with Ah Lun
Group photo of all the participants in the second food trail with Ah Lun

In a special collaboration with ten well-known restaurants, omy.sg and Lianhe Wanbao, together with veterian food critic Ah Lun (黄卓伦) brought a group of readers on an exclusive gourmet food trail for five consecutive Saturdays.

Last Saturday was the second event. Together with omy bloggers, Aussie Pete and Keropok Man, we visited Mandarin Court at Mandarin Orchard (文华酒店 文华苑) for the first session and Lao Beijing (老北京食堂) at Tiong Bahru Plaza for the latter session.

Each week, a group of 80+ readers will visit two restaurants together with Ah Lun to sample their signature dishes as well as specially created dishes, not available on the restaurants’ menu.

Other than eating, participants will also have the rare opportunities to meet with the restaurants’ chef who will be answering questions and even sharing a few cooking tips on the spot.

Below are some photos taken at the event.

Participants trickling in
Participants trickling in
Our big boss at SPH's Chinese Newspaper Division, Mr Robin Hu (centre) welcoming everyone
Our big boss at SPH's Chinese Newspaper Division, Mr Robin Hu (centre) welcoming everyone
Ah Lun introducing the Mandarin Court head chef
Ah Lun introducing the Mandarin Court head chef
The Mandarin Court menu
The Mandarin Court menu

We sampled the following dishes at Mandarin Court:

前菜~ 锦绣虾球(糖醋虾球+芥末虾球+咸蛋虾球)
热汤~ 龙虫草炖珍珠鸡
海鲜~ 果皮鱼汤银丝浸红鱼
面食~ 鱼香茄子焖伊面
甜品~ 万紫千红芦荟冻
Surprise Dish: Peking Duck

前菜~ 锦绣虾球(糖醋虾球+芥末虾球+咸蛋虾球) - I particularly enjoyed the salted egg version in the middle
前菜~ 锦绣虾球(糖醋虾球+芥末虾球+咸蛋虾球) - I particularly enjoyed the salted egg version in the middle
热汤~ 龙虫草炖珍珠鸡 - very nourishing!
热汤~ 龙虫草炖珍珠鸡 - very nourishing!
Fish soup demonstration
Fish soup demonstration
海鲜~ 果皮鱼汤银丝浸红鱼
海鲜~ 果皮鱼汤银丝浸红鱼
The chefs skillfully skinning the Peking Ducks on-the-spot
The chefs skillfully skinning the Peking Ducks on-the-spot
Peking Duck - love this!
Peking Duck - love this!
The remaining duck meat served, stir-fried with veggies
The remaining duck meat served, stir-fried with veggies
面食~ 鱼香茄子焖伊面
面食~ 鱼香茄子焖伊面
甜品~ 万紫千红芦荟冻
甜品~ 万紫千红芦荟冻

The chef gave an on-the-spot demonstration of how to cook the fish soup which was served. This was followed by some stage games including an impromptus “fashion show” by gaming food trail participants.

A lucky draw was conducted at the end, whereby the top prize was an one night weekend stay at Mandarin Orchard, very generous of the hotel to sponsor this.

Winner of the Mandarin Orchard hotel stay
Winner of the Mandarin Orchard hotel stay
Food trail hosts, Xiao Peng and Ah Lun with the head chef at Mandarin Court
Food trail hosts, Xiao Peng and Ah Lun with the head chef at Mandarin Court
On board the bus to the second location
On board the bus to the second location

At Lao Beijing, we had the following dishes:

老北京炖鸡汤
剁椒鱼头
京酱肉丝
农家香干煲
三菇炒菠菜
小笼汤包+三鲜锅贴
太后养颜美点之驴打滚
Surprise Dish: Popiah

The head chef at Lao Beijing greeting everyone
The head chef at Lao Beijing greeting everyone
I was seated at a table with Pete and Keropokman
I was seated at a table with Pete and Keropokman
The menu at Lao Beijing
The menu at Lao Beijing
Chef entertaining everyone with his singing
Chef entertaining everyone with his singing
老北京炖鸡汤
老北京炖鸡汤
剁椒鱼头 - looks very spicy, but doesn't taste as fiery as it looks
剁椒鱼头 - looks very spicy, but doesn't taste as fiery as it looks
农家香干煲
农家香干煲
京酱肉丝 - to be wrapped in a beancurd skin
京酱肉丝 - to be wrapped in a beancurd skin
The beancurd skin
The beancurd skin
Wrapped pork slices in beancurd skin
Wrapped pork slices in beancurd skin
三菇炒菠菜
三菇炒菠菜
Surprise birthday cake for three participants, courtesy of Lao Beijing restaurant
Surprise birthday cake for three participants, courtesy of Lao Beijing restaurant
Popiah ingredient
Popiah ingredient
Popiah rolling demonstration by the chef
Popiah rolling demonstration by the chef
Ah Lun's turn
Ah Lun's turn
Pete's turn
Pete's turn
Everyone getting busy making popiah
Everyone getting busy making popiah
Rolling my popiah
Rolling my popiah
My self-wrapped popiah
My self-wrapped popiah
三鲜锅贴
三鲜锅贴
小笼汤包
小笼汤包
太后养颜美点之驴打滚
太后养颜美点之驴打滚

The chef greeted everyone with a traditional opera song, followed by an on-the-spot demonstration on rolling the perfect popiah. Ah Lun chipped in to demonstrate his version of popiah rolling too. Aussie Pete was also roped on stage to make his first popiah.  You can read more about Pete’s experience on his blog.

Tomorrow, I will be heading to Long Beach King and Ah Yat Seafood with bloggers, Cherie and Calvin Timothy. Stay tuned. 🙂

To read about the first food trail with Ah Lun:

Part 1 of 5: Crystal Jade Korean BBQ (翡翠韩国烧烤) and East Ocean Teochew Restaurant (东海潮州酒家)

Technorati Tags: omy.sg, lianhe wanbao, ah lun, ah lun gourmet food trail, 黄卓伦, 文华酒店 文华苑, 老北京食堂, madarin court chinese restaurant, lao beijing, lao beijing singapore, mandarin orchard chinese restaurant, mandarin orchard restaurant, lao beijing tiong bahru plaza, aussie pete, keropokman, mandarin court peking duck, lao beijing popiah

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