Imperial Herbal

Operating for more than 20 years, Imperial Herbal is one of Singapore’s most illustrious and best known restaurants, located at Vivocity, a modern shopping mall just located across the sea from Sentosa Island.

Food:

If you are the type who gets overwhelmed by a wide variety of choices, then you are in luck, Imperial Herbal offers quite a number of set menus to help you make up your mind.

Listed on virtually every set is the Fluffy Egg White with Dried Scallops. The dried scallops make this a rather flavorful but not overly rich dish. If you are ordering a la carte, be sure not to miss on their soups. They have daily specials but the Buddha Jump Over the Wall and the Ginseng Soups are the main attractions. Best part about it is while you slurp the delectable soup, these are actually concocted with herbs and traditional Chinese medicine so there is no reason to feel guilty even though such great tasting soups feel indulgent. Just a note though, a lot of odd ingredients are used in the soups, if you are not Chinese you might find it somewhat disconcerting but it is pretty normal for Chinese.

There is quite a wide variety of vegetables but make sure to order the Wolfberry Leaves. At first bite, this is a tad bitter but it grows on you. Also, it is a nice contrast to many of the richer food on offer.

Like the fried codfish, another perennial favorite. Cod might be a common dish but few restaurants do the ‘crispy on the outside, succulent on the inside’ bit as well as Imperial Herbal. Served in individual portions, you will happily lap up every last morsel.

Make sure to leave some space for desser, you won’t be disappointed. Don’t expect crème Brule or tiramisu, authentic Chinese dessert is served here like double boiled pear, Bird Nest and Hasma (aka Hashima). Hasma, made from snow frogs, is especially suited for asthmatics and those with problems with their respiratory organs. Whatever the case, it is delicious.

Service:

The service staff is polite and when you are ordering, they are more than happy to help you make up your mind.

Ambience:

Imperial Herbal overlooks the waterfront and provides a great view. At night, you can see the bright lights of Resort World, juxtaposed against the serene waters, making it quite a sight. The restaurant is tastefully decorated in the oriental style.

Price:

Imperial Herbal is not cheap but reasonable considering the quality and cost of ingredients.

Except to spend $100-$200 for 2 (excluding drinks).