The Dragon Chamber
If you walk past this empty kopitiam at the start of Circular Road off South Bridge Road in the evening, you would have thought that the coffeeshop has closed for the day; and the last thing you would expect is the entrance to a restaurant is actually hidden behind the beer fridge door inside the unassuming kopitiam.
This hidden door opens up to a neon-lit narrow corridor that leads to yet another red wooden door. You feel like you are being escorted to meet some underground Triad leaders in their secret hideouts. Push open the second door and enter The Dragon Chamber, a restaurant that aims to provide you with an unforgettable dining experience with unconventional Chinese dishes in an immersive theatrical setting reminiscent of old-time Chinatown gambling dens and secret society hangouts.
The dining hall is furnished with signature kopitiam-style furniture sets - wooden tables with marble table top and wooden chairs with round seats. The walls are lined with luminous-coloured anime drawings illuminated by naked light bulbs. A section of the dining hall is dedicated to the bar, featuring Chinese medical hall-inspired cabinets as its backdrop and a black wooden signboard with the golden Chinese characters "龙堂” (Dragon Chamber) carved into it.
Visuals can have an immediate impact on restaurant guests due to the way in which they can trigger thoughts and emotions. The Dragon Chamber has definitely achieved that with its interior deco. Does the food at this mysterious restaurant stand up to the exciting visual impact it creates?
Cheeseburger rolls ($16/4pcs) are bite-size egg rolls stuffed with ground beef and melted cheese. Crispy and beefy, the rolls are great snacks to start the dinner but I am not so sure about having “cheeseburgers” in a Chinese
At this point I wish to highlight that the order of the dishes that I’m covering in this post is exactly the same sequence the dishes were served during my visit. They were not served dish by dish but as and when they were cooked. Not in a bad way, we actually had the high-carb dishes like rice and noodles, which are traditionally served last in Chinese banquet dinners, on our dining table right from the start. This reminds me of Tze Char eateries.
The XO Crab Fried Rice ($22) is packed with wok hei. Lumpy crab meat, caramelized bits of XO sauce, silky egg, and green spring onion. There are strong flavors all around, and yet it works beautifully!
If you love beef hor fun, their atas version - Wagyu Truffle Beef Hor Fun ($32) will get you excited. Wok-fried flat noodle and crispy deep-fried hor fun strips are served with USA Wagyu shortrib, poached egg and finished with truffle gravy. Very rich in flavour and calories, eat in moderation and share the indulgence.
The Iconic White Rabbit Candy is made into a sauce to coat crispy fried prawns ($26). This is creative but I am unable to taste the familiar creaminess of my childhood favourite candy and it is little bit too sweet for me.
Garlic Fried Pork Belly ($18) is quite addictive. Pork belly slices are fried until crispy with garlic and dried chillies and topped with crispy rice. Savoury and crackling, a really good dish to go with beer or Prosecco, in our case.
Air flown straight from Ireland, their Irish Ducks (half for $42) are roasted Chinese-style. These Irish ducks have lots of fat that has to be rendered down to a thin and succulent layer for the skin to be crispy which they could do better on this occasion.
Enjoy the theatrical moment when the Dragon Claw ($66) is set alight with a burst of flames and served to your dining table. Locally farmed crocodile claw is braised in herbal sauce until fork tender, full of collagen and flavour.
There is a mix of hits and misses as far as food is concerned but you can definitely see creativity and innovation in the dishes. Coupled with a mysterious and fun interior, the Dragon Chamber is worth a visit for an unique secret adventure.
The Dragon Chamber
2 Circular Road
Singapore 049358
Lunch
11:00am - 3:00pm
Dinner
5:00pm- 10:30pm
Closed on Mondays
