Imperial Restaurant (宏仁堂)
Imperial Restaurant at Four Points by Sheraton has been around in Singapore for a long time, and over the years I had heard quite a few good things about it. Somehow, though, I never made it there until recently.
Perhaps that also meant I went in with a little more expectation than I should have.
The dining room was relatively quiet, yet service felt rather disconnected. The staff were not impolite, but getting attention for drinks, top ups, extra cutlery and tableware often took several attempts. Even the first dish took quite a while to arrive.
Food, unfortunately, did not quite change the impression.
Imperial has long been associated with medicinal and herbal cuisine, so I was expecting that identity to come through more clearly. Instead, I struggled to understand what the kitchen was trying to represent. The dishes seemed to move in different directions without a particularly strong culinary thread tying them together.
The roast chicken, for example, came with cubes of watermelon, rock melon and dragon fruit. Certainly colourful, but not a combination that excited my taste buds.
The pumpkin butter prawns were let down by prawns that tasted distinctly frozen, with that familiar artificial crunch. I was more hopeful about the Yu Xiang style Soon Hock in claypot. The fish itself was fresh, thick and meaty, which was a definite plus, but the gravy was much sweeter and starchier than I expected.
The dish I enjoyed most was actually the braised sea cucumber with Chinese yam. Comforting, nicely cooked and probably the plate I would happily eat again.
To be fair, prices here are pretty reasonable, non-fussy diners looking simply for an affordable traditional Chinese meal may feel differently.
For me, though, both the food and service fell below par. Not every restaurant needs to be refined or fancy, but a clearer culinary identity, better ingredients and more attentive service would have made a big difference.
Just my personal experience on this particular visit, of course. Perhaps those who have been coming here for years will tell me what I should have ordered.
