SG50 Food News - Thai Village and Crystal Jade

Jubilee year is nearly upon us, and it is no surprise restaurants are gearing up to celebrate this momentous occasion with some exciting new dishes and promotions.

Thai Village has a very enticing crab promotion for this period to celebrate our 50th year of independence.

I have already written about how good their current menu is, so it is no surprise that their crab dishes are just as excellent.

There are a number of different styles of crab dishes here, including the classic Chilli Crab and Black Pepper Crab versions. Both are still very good and is definitely better than most zhe char places.

Creamy Crab

Their crabs are the large variants and super fresh. The favourite version of ours is this Creamy Crab dish. It is actually a bit spicy from the use of chilli and curry leaves, and that helps to cut through some of the richness from the syrupy and butter sauce. The end result is a dish that makes eating crabs such an addictive experience.

Thai Style Curry Crab

Their Thai Style Curry Crab is a unique take on crab dishes. Infused with a mixture of thai herbs and curry, it is also a punchy and flavourful dish with the herbs punctuating a light refreshing tone on the crabs. Whilst I still prefer the creamy version, this makes for a different and interesting departure.

All their crab dishes can come with a side order of man tou which are nicely crisp and makes for a perfect dunking vessel for the gorgeous crab sauces that are available. They are also promoting an SG50 special price of $50 per kg for the crab dishes. That alone, makes a culinary pilgrimage to one of the Thai Villages a must for crab lovers.

SG50 Dim Sum

Crystal Jade Palace is also having a special SG50 collection of dim sum specifically created for the occasion. They are available now until 30th September, though I hear that if the response is good, they may leave some of these items on the menu on a more regular basis.

Full Bloom Lotus Paste Pastry

My favourite among these Jubilee inspired dim sum is this delicious lotus paste pastries. They look stunning and colourful, and taste like the fried yam mooncakes that we are used to. I can assure you, you will not stop at one.

Steamed Siew Mai with Quail's Egg

This does not look like your regular siew mai, but it tastes even better. Looking like a glossy Chinese meatball, the inclusion of a stuffed quail's egg within the flavourful meatball adds more textures to the already texture laden dish.

Chilli Crab and Chicken Rice XLB

Not to be outdone by the flagship outlet, Crystal Jade La Mian has also introduced a pair of xiao long baos to mark the celebratory weekend. Nicely decked out in the colours of our national flag, the red xlb is a spicy version that packs a lot of punch within the savoury pouches.

The Hainanese Chicken Rice XLB is even more superb. Best paired with the ginger that is served alongside, it is just bags and bags of classic and familiar chicken rice flavour and juices that will leave you more hungry than before you begin.

In addition, there are some other highlights, including a pair of adorable chirpy chicks and crystal goldfish sweet pastries, a delicious and crisp Hokkaido Milk Batter dish and a chilli crab man tou that proved interesting.

Well, the weekend is just about here. If you fancy something Chinese and want to celebrate the Jubilee in style, you might want to check out either or both of these places for some SG50 inspired cuisine.