Hai Tien Lo at Pan Pacific Singapore – Sizzling Claypot Goodness And Dim Sum

Executive Chef Lai Tong Ping from Hai Tien Lo has curated 30 signature claypot delicacies – ie the best of the best, all in conjunction with the celebration of Pan Pacific Singapore’s 30th anniversary.

Claypot dishes have always been considered comforting food for me, a combination of hot sizzling goodness, and appetising comfort food that lies below that cover.

I would wait for THAT moment when the lid be lifted off, and the steam and aroma would follow through.

That is the beauty of claypot food.

This is also a great opportunity for family and friends to bond and share over a heart-warming dinner.

Here are some 5 tips to consider when dining at Hai Tien Lo for the Claypot Specialties Promotion:
1. Divide and conquer. When going in a big group, each person would pick his/her favourite. If there are duplicates, opt the second best.

2. For the meat lovers, the top 3 choices are the succulent Beef with Asparagus in Honey Pepper Sauce, Chicken with Pine Mushrooms in Szechuan Dried Chilli, and the tender Pork Shoulder with Bitter Gourd in Black Bean Sauce.

3. For the seafood lovers, go for the flavourful Grouper Fillet with Vermicelli in Chef’s Signature Homemade XO Chilli Sauce, Prawns with Aubergine and Salted Fish, and Nyonya Claypot Prawns with Superior Soya Sauce and Chilli.

4. If you are going for value-for-money (since they are all priced the same), then pick the expensive-sounding ones – Roasted Duck with Sea Cucumber in Abalone Sauce, Vermicelli with Scallops and Aubergine.

5. This, you must. Quote “DanielFoodDiary” when making reservations for the Sizzling Claypot promotion, and you enjoy one complimentary beverage per guest. Extended until 8 January 2017.

This includes house red or white wine, soft drink, juice, or Chinese tea. Such a good deal!

Here are some of our 10 favourites claypot dishes:

Claypot Grouper Fillet with Vermicelli in Chef’s Signature Homemade XO Chilli Sauce 醬皇斑片粉丝煲
The females on the table ALL liked this dish. “So nua, so hua… the tang hoon”. Those were expressions of “oh-lah-lah” as though they found the newest anti-aging product.

What they meant was the glass vermicelli was so silky-smooth that it melted in the mouth. I must agree the texture was not quite like the typical quality, soft and not clumpy, and an immense pleasure to savour as the strands absorbed the flavours of the XO chilli sauce.

Claypot Pork Shoulder with Bitter Gourd in Black Bean Sauce 鼓味涼瓜爽肉煲
While this claypot dish of pork shoulder slices fried with bitter gourd would seldom make it on the Instagram-worthy feed (the colour, bittergourd), it turned out to be one of the table’s favourite.

Perhaps it had something to do with that home-cooked sensation, and that the pork was succulent, and bittergourd sliced thinly so you get a mellower, less bitter taste.

Nyonya Claypot Prawns with Superior Soya Sauce and Chilli 惹味甘香生虾煲
When I go for claypot food, I want sauce.

I liked the gooey, eggy touch, plus a balance of sweet, savoury and spiciness to this Nyonya-inspired sauce. If you liked home-style dishes to accompany plain rice (additional $1.80 per bowl), go for this.

Claypot Prawns with Aubergine and Salted Fish 咸魚虾仁茄子煲
There is something about how the aubergine is cooked here – velvety soft, yet not mushy.

The prawns were chunky and crunchy, though I reckon some diners would have preferred if the shells came off more easily. Otherwise, just eat the prawns with the shells.

Claypot Roasted Duck with Sea Cucumber in Abalone Sauce 鲍汁海参火鸭煲
The value-for-money dish.

Hey, this is Roasted Duck (glistening above AND below Sea Cucumber (below absorbing the sauce) in the same claypot for this price.

The Roasted Duck with all succulence and tenderness would be worth its buck already. I was personally indifferent towards the Sea Cucumber though.

Claypot Bean Curd with Minced Beef in Szechuan Spicy Chilli Sauce 牛松麻婆豆腐煲
This is better known as “Ma Po Tofu” – the quintessential Sichuan classic of Chinese tofu stir-fried with spicy bean paste and ground pork.

Perhaps to cater to a larger audience, the sweetish base lacked of that fiery punch that I was familiar with.

Claypot Chicken with Pine Mushrooms in Szechuan Dried Chilli 川椒松菇嫩鸡煲
Like a cross between Kung Pao Chicken and La Zi Ji (Sichuan-style chicken with chillies), this Claypot Chicken dish contained the sauciness of the former, and spiciness (still mild for me) of the later.

Claypot Beef with Asparagus in Honey Pepper Sauce 蜜椒牛肉蘆筍煲
Also one of my favourites. Think it had something to do with slowly chewy and sucking (sorry, couldn’t find a more appropriate word) off the juices from of the tender beef slices coated with a sweet-honey, mildly peppery sauce.

Claypot Homemade Bean Curd with Pork Belly and Chinese Mushrooms 北菇火腩豆腐煲
Looked deceptively simple. The magic was in the delicate-softness of the homemade tofu that just disintegrated in the mouth. Have to try to believe.

Claypot Stewed Rice with Diced Duck Meat in Oyster Sauce 鸭粒福建烩饭煲
If you need your carbs to fill you up. This is not the typical dark soya sauce claypot rice, but stewed and therefore more moist and fluffy.

There you have it. Select any two claypot specialties at Hai Tien Lo for only $33.30 during dinner from Sundays to Wednesdays.

Restaurant quality food, home-styled comfort.

Buffet-licious Deals: Enjoy 10% off when you pre-purchase the Dim Sum Buffet Lunch at Hai Tien Lo, Pan Pacific Hotel.

Dim Sum Buffet Lunch
Monday-Friday, 12:00pm to 2:30pm
$52.92++ per pax (U.P. $58.80++ per pax)

Make your reservation and buy Vouchers via Chope: Hai Tien Lo (Pan Pacific Singapore)

Hai Tien Lo (30 Claypot Specialties Promotion)
Pan Pacific Singapore, Level 3, 7 Raffles Blvd., Marina Square, Singapore 039595
Promotion Time: 6:30pm to 10:30pm (Sun – Wed)

Dining Reservations: Tel +65 6826 8240
Reserve Online Now – Hai Tien Lo
Email: celebrate.sin@panpacific.com
Website: www.panpacific.com/singapore

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Pan Pacific Singapore.