Lukyu Teahouse and Restaurant at Chinatown Point has been where my family goes for dim sum, especially after some shopping at People’s Park.
To those who are thinking of the name reminds you of a restaurant in Hong Kong, no, they are not affiliated, but a local brand related to Fortunate Restaurant.
The name “Luk Yu” is inspired by Tang Dynasty poet Lu Yu, known for writing about the drinking culture of Chinese tea. This is to further emphasize the importance of tea pairing in the appreciation of dim sum.
The restaurant at the ground floor has a huge space – you cannot really tell its area from the outside until you get in.
Its décor and vibes do remind some of the Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong with a slight modern touch, and seems popular with families and office workers for lunch and dinner meals.
My mum has mentioned she liked the items there, and therefore we have been returning for its daily handmade dim sum. (An additional mention is that the Lukyu is wheel-chair friendly, and I found it easy to manoeuver my mum from the taxi stand to within.)
I had the opportunity to try out a larger variety of the dim sum, and here is my verdict on 12 items we tried:
Creamy Custard Bun ($4.50)
Not common to see a light green liu sha bao? Ah, an outer fluffy skin along with faint pandan fragrance, then with liu sha bursting out as you take a bite. Careful, hot.
I liked the filling which had a higher salted egg portion. If there could be more of the smooth custard component, it would have been a perfect bun.
Luk Yu Prawn Dumpling ($4.80)
Har Gao is my usually regular to-order at any dim sum restaurant, and Lukyu revealed this is one of their best-sellers.
Was pleasantly pleased to see plump ones served, three in a basket with big and firm fresh prawns wrapped tightly within. Skin was translucent and didn’t stick to the teeth.
Beef Wrapped with Beancurd Roll ($4.80)
As the others ordered this, I didn’t notice that the fillings within the soft fu-zhu roll was… savoury tender beef. Not the usual pork or bamboo shoot.
Eat the whole thing with a half-a-spoonful of the accompanying thick gooey sauce.
Pork Ribs with Spicy Sauce ($4.80)
Actually, I am not a typical fan of pai gwut as sometimes there would be a weird porky aftertaste, but Luk Yu’s tender almost soft ribs were a delight, smothered in a mild spicy sauce.
Fried Carrot Cake ($5.50)
Lukyu offers both Pan-Fried Carrot Cake, and Fried Carrot Cake with XO Sauce that looks more like the local version served in food centre.
I say, pick the later which contain soft stir-fried cubes of radish goodness with a thin crisp exterior layer.
Siew Mai with Fish Roe ($4.80)
Siew mai boosting fresh-tasting ground pork and chopped shrimps, topped with topiko. This is decent, though I wished it was plumper and juicier.
Wanton in Spicy Vinegar Sauce ($4.80)
This can be seen as a less-oily version of the Hong You Chao Shou, with Sichuan-style wantons coated in a spicy not-overly intense sauce of vinegar, soy and chilli oil.
Hot, sour, salty, slippery all at the same time.
Deep Fried Yam with Strawberry ($4.50)
My mum who is Teochew loves yam-anything. This is a sweeter take of the familiar Yam Puff. Instead of minced pork wrapped within, this is a version with strawberry.
Plus point is that it is not overly greasy, though overall I am neutral towards this combination.
Pan Fried “Jiu Cai” ($4.50)
An adaptation of the Chinese Scallion Pancake, these ball-shaped items come wrapped with chopped chives, minced pork and shrimps with a pancake-like exterior, pan-fried till crisp. This ensures that the fillings are not exceedingly oily.
Mushroom & Spinach Dumpling ($4.50)
Suited for the vegetarians, the jade green coloured dumpling had an appealing look, wrapped with mushroom and spinach.
Deep Fried Sweet Potato with Banana & Red Bean ($4.50)
Eat this while it is hot to appreciate the natural sweetness of bananas and piping smooth red bean.
Smoked Duck & Mango Bun ($4.80)
Although this was a recommended item, and it is one-of-a-kind, there could be more slices of smoked duck to feel more substantial. The mango bun was also slightly dry.
Overall, Lukyu has a few stand-out dim sum items such as the Har Gao, Siew Mai, Beef Wrapped with Beancurd Roll, Carrot Cake and Pork Ribs with Spicy Sauce, suited for family-style gatherings.
As a suggestion, it could further incorporate a creative spin to some items to further attract a younger dining group.
Other than dim sum, Lukyu Teahouse and Restaurant also offers Cantonese style and locally-inspired dishes such as BBQ Pork in Hot Plate, Beef with Golden Mushroom in Satay Sauce, Sautéed Prawn in Chilli Sauce, and signature double-boiled “Beauty Soups” – which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Luk Yu Teahouse & Restaurant
Chinatown Point, 133 New Bridge Road #01-41/42, Singapore 059413
Tel: +65 6262 1717
Opening Hours: 8am – 10:30pm Daily
http://lukyu.sg
Luk Yu Restaurant & Teahouse
Ion Orchard Food Opera #B4- 03A
Tel: +65 6509 9608
*This entry is brought to you in partnership with Luk Yu Teahouse & Restaurant.
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