Had an assortment of dim sum for lunch. Overall, pretty average. I reckon the cooked food might be better. It was quite crowded during lunch hour. The charsiew pau was probably the best of them all.
Chee Wen Lim
5
Authentic Teochew Cuisine.
Saturday Dinner. Luckily, we had made a reservation as the place was almost full. Being first-timers, we ordered a fair bit from the recommended list.
Food was served very fast, and they asked if we wanted to slow down the pace. However, the last three dishes did not come until we asked again. 😅
I would say the food was within our expectations of good Teochew cuisine, and portions were good. The only exception was the Teochew kway teow; the 'L' portion was hardly enough for 8 of us.
Andrew Chua
4
The environment is nice for family or business meals. I recommend trying their Chilled Teochew Pig Trotter Jelly, which is perfect. The Teochew Crispy Pig Trotter is very crispy, but it's not for the elderly as it's too hard. Overall, the food was salty; you would need rice to tone it down. The soup of the day was old cucumber soup, but I would skip it because it wasn't well prepared. The Teochew Yam Paste & Pumpkin With Gingko Nut is worth trying, though my team had mixed reviews.
Morris Lee
5
I took a long drive to try the dim sum at Chin Lee Tea and Dine. It was a long drive to Canberra Plaza from the East. It is conveniently located on level 3. The restaurant is bright and spacious. Customer service is good and attentive. We ordered the char siew bao, steamed Yam cake, fried bean curd skin, glutinous rice with chicken and fried sesame peanut ball. The steamed Yam cake is a winner. The texture is soft and chewy yet firm. The flavor is right. The glutinous rice is also very good. It is well seasoned and tasty. It is closer to a Lor My Kai to me. The char siew bao is just right but not exceptional. The fried bean curd skin is a tad too oily and the texture is crunchy. Another winner is the fried sesame peanut ball. It is coated with chopped peanuts. The texture is chewy and the peanuts are delicious. Overall experience is good. Will make a repeat visit.
Damien Poh
5
Amazing dim sum place that's a hidden gem in the North. Specialising in Teochew dishes, they also serve a fabulous Dim sum brunch during the weekends. The Dim sum menu is a bit small, but all the classics are available and good. The har gow, Siew mai, and XO fried carrot cake are especially tasty. For an additional treat, call in advance to pre-order their oyster omelette (which is usually only available during weekdays) to complete the meal. Attentive and efficient service staff rounds off a delightful dining experience each time we are here. Highly recommended.
Lawrence Yeo
5
Service is top-notch. The processes are very effective.
Food comes in very fast, and it's delicious too.
Ambience is great.
Toh Bee Ling
4
Here's the edited review:
I was delighted when my friend told me that Chin Lee has opened a branch at Canberra Plaza.
**Premise**
Direct access to level 02 via Canberra MRT Station. The tables were arranged spaciously, with safe distancing measures in mind. The restaurant was modern, new, clean, and comfortable.
**Service**
The staff were much warmer, friendlier, more attentive, and more hospitable than the staff at Bedok, who came across as rude and impatient. The staff took the initiative to bring two bag stands for the four of us, so we could place our bags in them. This is commendable. Other than forgetting my request for toothpicks, the staff remembered our other requests.
**Food**
I enjoyed all the dishes we ordered. Their Teochew Yu Sheng is the best Yu Sheng I have ever tasted. It looked plain and simple at first, but do not be deceived by its appearance. The vegetables were so fresh and chilled. Simply refreshing! According to my friend, no ginger was added, which I also prefer. I also liked that the vegetables were not laden with artificial food colouring. My friend felt that it was the sauce that pulled the whole dish together. It had a nice plum sauce taste, but it wasn't too sweet. The top shells were cut into bigger slices, and they were satisfying. We paid extra to add the crispy crackers. It definitely enhanced the overall taste of the Yu Sheng. The crispy crackers did not taste commercially bought. The Yu Sheng tasted like a very delicious salad. I loved it!
We also ordered the Prawn Ball, Braised Goose, Spinach with Minced Garlic, De-shelled Prawn with Mayonnaise, Roast Chicken and Crackers with Salt and Pepper, Oyster Flour Omelette with Chilli Vinaigrette, Fried Chye Por Hor Fun, and Orh Nee. Every dish was excellently executed. I enjoyed every dish. The Pu-er Tea and Oolong Tea were aromatic and delicious!
**Tea Bar**
Chin Lee Canberra has a unique tea bar that sells several types of tea, as well as teapots and cups. I feel that it is innovative of Chin Lee to introduce this tea bar concept. It caused some excitement in me, as I am an avid tea drinker. 100g of Pu-er Tea Leaves in a black tin costs $55, while the same amount of Tie Guan Yin costs $60. I look forward to buying the Pu-er Tea from them on my next visit. I will bring my fellow tea drinkers next time.
**Gripe**
The bill totaled about $280, including taxes. We paid S$70 each, including taxes. I wish that the price were lower or there were some credit card discounts so that I could dine at Chin Lee Canberra more frequently instead of only on special occasions.
Jeremy Daniel Jin Wei Wee
1
Here's the lightly edited review:
Overall, it was bad. I came to try after seeing their business pick up since opening.
The lobby/waiting area smelled like salty urine.
1. The service captain couldn't be bothered to recommend dishes. Other service staff all seemed very busy.
2. The spring onion deer was very salty.
3. The asparagus was very oily and tasted raw.
4. The salad prawn (medium size, $30) came with only 6 pieces of prawn. I wonder how many pieces a small size ($20) would come with.
5. The half chicken came without thigh meat. Seriously?
I wouldn't come back, even if it were free.
Do not recommend.
Rachel Yeo
5
A newly discovered little gem in the far-flung Canberra Plaza! Chin Lee Tea and Dine Restaurant serves up the most delectable of traditional Teochew favourites in a gracious setting highlighted by the impeccable service of its genuinely friendly and caring waiting staff. The decor is a classy hue of grey, matched by its silver-grey brocade-like tablecloth, with well-spaced tables accented by minimalist Chinese brush paintings. Truly a lovely, calm respite far from the madding crowd, with an ambience exuding cool calmness. The food was perfection itself, and every dish delighted! Indeed, there should be advisories drawn up on the addictiveness of their Coffee Spare Ribs, fresh succulent crispy mayo prawns, and their ngoh hiam sio bee! However, good as the food was, what stood out a mile for me was the gracious hospitality. It has been a long time since I have encountered "magic cups" – glasses and cups that were refilled quietly, magically, even before you noticed that they were emptying. My first visit was just to while away a small dim-sum lunch whilst waiting for some photographs, but you would think I was visiting royalty given the gracious and attentive service that greeted me in a restaurant busy with the lunchtime crowd. I returned that same evening with my mum – and we both had a feast! And we left with this little tune ringing in our hearts:
"Lovely, never, never change,
Keep that breathless charm,
Won't you please arrange it?
Cos I love you,
...just the way you look tonight!"
(Lyrics from "The Way You Look Tonight" by Dorothy Fields/Jerome Kern)
Janine Tan
4
Enjoyed the various dishes we ordered as recommended by the staff. It was our first visit at this outlet. The ambiance is cosy and the service is good and efficient. All the Teochew dishes we had were delicious. For those who like dim sum, this restaurant serves it too. We will certainly be back again to try it soon.