PUBLISHED January 19th, 2017 07:00 am | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 02:01 pm
Housed in an opulent, heritage structure in the entertainment enclave of Clarke Quay, restaurant-lounge VLV is seemingly the last place I’d want to haul a** down to for weekend brunch. But you know what? Don’t let the location put you off or the setting intimidate you, because we guarantee that the food – and champagne (we’ll get more into that later) – is more than worth it.
Priced at $58++ per adult and $29++ per child, the brunch menu by VLV’s Executive Chef Martin Foo (formerly of Tóng Lè Private Dining) features more than 40 items, including nine live stations as well as dim sum and signature dishes made to order. You have the option of bottomless booze, with Bauget Jouette champagne, cocktails, wines, Suntory Premim Malt Draft, and soft beverages for $98++ per person. A more premium experience can also be had with Charles Heidseick champagne instead for $128++ per person.
VLV’s bubbly offerings are intriguingly boutique – and not available outside of brunch hour. Fresh, characterful, and wonderful on the palate, the Bauget Jouette paired very well with all the dishes. The champagne cocktails, prepared with housemade strawberry and blueberry compote, are fragrant and not overly sweet. The best part? There’s no ‘house’ wine at VLV. The bottomless drink option allows you to order any red or white wine by the glass. The 2014 TeWhareRa Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough is to die for.
After an amuse bouche of chicken rice, we made a beeline for the live stations, which are inspired by the dai pai dong (street food stalls) in Hong Kong. Don’t miss the congees – protein choices include grouper, century egg with shredded pork, and chicken – and the Curry Fish Ball & Fried Pig Skin. If you love congee, the former has excellent consistency and texture. With a flavourful, yet relatively light curry, and not overly dense fishballs, the latter was a lot more enjoyable than what we’ve had in the streets of Hong Kong.
While the braised delights at the live station like the Beef Brisket & Tendon in Black Bean Sauce are more than adequate, be sure to try the Fried Radish Cake with Egg & Bean Sprout in Sambal Paste. While the radish cake appeared to lack the dried shrimp, the execution and the excellent sambal paste makes up for the deficiency.
Besides the requisite Ha Gao (prawn dumplings) and Siew Mai (pork dumplings; VLV uses kurobuta pork for this), selections on the dim sum menu worth your calories are the light and crispy Deep Fried Beancurd Skin Roll, the earthy Wild Mushroom Dumpling, and the sweet-savoury Steamed Spare Ribs with Olive Leaf & Pumpkin.
Even if you’re not a fan of soups, give the Double-boiled Sakura Chicken with Cordyceps Flower a whirl. Nourishing qualities aside, it’s a real heart-warming bowl of soup with an intensity that tells you that it’s been double-boiled for hours. For those who like spice, the tasty Seafood Hot & Sour Soup will whet your appetite too.
Everything we’ve mentioned thus far is unlimited, except the Chef’s Recommendations. For this section of the menu, diners have a choice of four dishes per table. We went with the popular Singapore Signature Chili Crispy Soft Shell Crab. I’m not a fan of soft shell crab, but the sauce is, at least, not overly sweet or sour, and the spice was on point. Those who enjoy North American-style Chinese food can opt for the piquant General Tso’s Chicken.
For something more traditionally Cantonese, we had the Canton Roast Duck and our favourite of the lot, the Steamed Fish Head & Belly. On top of their delicious signature blend of soy sauce, the fish was accompanied by a Taiwanese black bean paste. These umami fermented soy beans were so mind-blowing with the succulent slices of fish that we picked every single morsel off the plate.
Dessert is where VLV falters slightly. I have no complaints about the Mango Pomelo Sago or the Orh Nee (yam paste); they hold up pretty well considering they’ve been sitting out in the open since the beginning of our seating. However, the Oriental Cheesecake can see a better sort of oriental fusion than an osmanthus flower sauce, which somewhat smacks of laziness.
That said, dessert is but a minor flaw in the grand scheme of things, especially since each seating is only two hours long and other sections of the menu have so much to offer. I would love to return to VLV to sample their dinner menu, or to their courtyard during happy hour (5-8pm daily) for one-for-one on the glasses of wine. So if you’re looking for a dim sum brunch to splurge on, the search stops here.
VLV is located at Clarke Quay, 3A River Valley Road, #01-02, Singapore 179020, p. +65 6661 0197. Brunch is available Saturday and Sunday in two seatings, 11.30am-1.30pm, and 1.30pm-3.30pm.