Min Jiang

Min Jiang serves exquisite Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine in 2 locations: Goodwood Park Hotel and Dempsey. Originating at the Goodwood Park Hotel in Singapore in 1982, the restaurant quickly became famous for its signature dishes like Beijing duck grilled in a wood-fire oven, turbot fish two ways and a variety of dim sum

I have always wanted to visit Min Jiang, but held back due to its higher price tag. However, I had the opportunity to try out their dishes as my friend treated me to dinner at the original Goodwood Park location

The restaurant’s layout is longish, with traditional round marble tables flanked on both sides and enough space between tables for some privacy. The decor was modern Chinese with bright lights and the use of warm wood panelling and furniture

We started with some starter items like the drunken chicken in Min Jiang style, which was prettily decorated with a purple flower. As it was a cold dish, the chicken was chilled but still tender and succulent, with a nice gelatinous skin infused with strong flavours of the Chinese wine used to soak the chicken

Next, we had the barbecue combination of crispy roast pork and the barbecued Ibérico Pork platter, which was also decorated with a cute yellow flower. The roast pork had very crispy skin and a nice balance of fats and lean meat, and the seasoning was just on point. The barbecue pork was grilled evenly and was leaner than the usual char siew. I would have preferred a cut with a bit of fat and more charred ends, as I felt the charred flavour was missing

Next, we ordered half of the smoked duck, which came pre-wrapped in flour pancakes. The duck was a lot more fragrant compared to the normal Peking duck. Since it was smoked with tea, there was a lingering tea fragrance in the meat, which was refreshing and made the duck meat less greasy. While eating the duck with the wrap was nice with the cucumber and sweet sauce, having the duck on its own allowed you to enjoy the smoked flavours released with each chew

A dish we hardly see in other restaurants was this braised eel in garlic sauce served in a claypot. We decided to order this as it was highly recommended by the staff as one of their signature dishes. The eel was cut into a nice strip, which is easy to consume within 1 bite, and there were no bones at all. The meat was soft and bouncy, and absorbed the flavours of the gravy well for a nice accompaniment to white rice. Personally, I didn’t really like the eel done in this manner, so the dish did not really impress me

We ordered the wok fried string beans with minced meat to clock in the greens, and it was surprisingly very well done. The beans were still crunchy without any raw flavour, and the minced pork added texture and flavour to the beans, making it a dish full of umami taste, which was perfect with rice

I might have mentioned in some other post, but I have a weakness for braised Ee-fu Noodles, so when I saw braised Ee-fu Noodles with yellow chives and straw mushrooms on their menu, I had to get it. As a big fan, I always feel it is not easy to get a perfect bowl of braised ee-fu noodles with traditional flavours, and I was glad the noodles here at Min Jiang were almost perfect. The noodles were springy, with flavours soaked up from the sauce, and the chives added great peppery notes. The only small complaint I had was that the flavours were a bit lighter than what I would have preferred. If the braised flavours were strong, this would have been the perfect ee fu noodles

Last but not least, we finished the meal with desserts, and we ordered the Deep-fried Purple Sweet Potato Crispy Milk and Chilled Durian Pudding. The durian pudding was strong in the durian smell and flavour, but was light enough as a pudding. The sweet potato milk was an explosive and satisfying dessert, as the sweet milk in the balls popped into your mouth, giving the sweet potato balls an added sweetness

Overall, the meal at Min Jiang was fabulous and did not disappoint, as most dishes were on point in terms of flavours and plating. The prices were on par with some of the more exquisite restaurants I have visited, and not as scary as I thought so. The full menu can be found here for those interested in their price range. With great service, I think it is a great choice to bring your parents for a nice occasion

Address: 22 Scotts Rd, Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore 228221

Opening hours: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm and 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm on weekdays, 11 am to 12.30 pm, 1 pm to 2.30 pm and 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm on Sat and Sun