Jade Palace, Forum, Orchard Road

A fellow foodie colleague of mine recommended this place when I mentioned porridge steamboat I had in KL. Porridge steamboat was one of those food fad that went away quickly. Apparently, quite a few restaurants popped up a few years ago offering porridge steamboat as their main menu but demand didn't quite sustain its existence. So slowly you find many switching back to the conventional steamboat, if they didn't end up closing.

Anyway, so it was quite a surprise for the staff tending to us when we ordered the porridge steamboat. Jade Palace is your usual chinese restaurant whose menu has the usual a la carte chinese dishes. The steamboat was the "other" offer, maybe more popular during the weekends when people have more time and you have a few soup base stock that you can choose from. The steamboat porridge was not exactly on the menu but of course, if you ask they can make it available for you... but of course there is a price to pay...

The steamboat menu is a la carte. I would normally prefer a set menu. I don't mind what they have in the set because I eat almost anything. An a la carte menu makes it difficult because to price each item meaningfully, a minimum quantity is required to justify the price e.g. 6 large premium fish balls priced at $8 per plate which equates to $1.33 per ball. So, you will have to pay a higher price. Now, you are limited with stomach capacity and your desire to have variety would have to compromise. We ordered about 6 items. With the porridge, we think that would be enough.

We waited for about half an hour for the porridge stock to arrive. I was forgiving this time, who would expect a few weirdoes to order the porridge steamboat today anyway... Nevertheless, I was quite happy with the porridge texture and once I start dunking my fishballs and meatballs into the porridge, all was forgotten...

Until, we ran out and I had to ask for a refill. Now what I did not expect was that they had to cook a new batch of porridge for us. You mean, they didn't make any extra the first time and they thought I would be contented with just one round of porridge?

Well that was another wait for us... this time almost 45 minutes. What was disappointing was none of the staff was particularly interested to help solve the problem quickly. Well, to be fair one of the waitress really tried but I would expect the supervisors be on top of things. 

It was not a happy dining experience for me. The other non steamboat or to be more specific non-steamboat porridge tables were definitely much happier campers. 






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