House of Dimpas

[ a 3.5-stars]
The brainchild of Desmond Tay (General Manager) — House of Dimpas (HOD) seeks to live up to its name taken from Dimsum and Tapas which means Asian Tapas. From the conventional Zi Char + Beer kopitiam culture, Desmond extended the idea with a modern twist. Together with his friends, they conceptualised something extraordinary and unique to the market, introducing humble Chinese dishes commonly seen in the heartland coffee-​shop they often frequent but a smaller portion now.
HOD is located along the outdoor walkway, facing the street of 100AM — a newly refurbished retail space within Amara Hotel. I received calls asking for direction as many went circling the mall without HOD in sight. Standing next to the Imperial Treasure Bakery & Café, enter the modish bar and you will be met by Christopher who tends the restaurant.
The dining space is spacious with a friendly persona. Asian simple — unpretentious layout. Dark coloured paints lined the ceilings, with the furnitures clad in dark leather fabric, chic lanterns accentuate the dim atmosphere — a soft oriental touch to the otherwise attacking drinking establishment. Outdoor seating area suits the drinking crowd at night while the the diners will find the indoor space comfortable.
The Kitchen is headed by a Hong Kong-​born master — Chef Man — who worked in the local scene before joining HOD. The dim sums are not the craftwork of Chef Man but Vismark caterer. For this reason, I can’t evaluate the chef’s skill in the dim sum making.
The half-​Crispy Duck at $ 22.90 was quite a steal though it cannot be examined the same way as you would in a Peking’s. The skin is soft in nature, lacking the crisp but the maltose lacquering the water bird was not too exceeding. The meat wasn’t extremely tough and present a mild smokey scent. The portion feeds 10 along with a spread of many other plates.
The Roasted Pork Belly was mediocre. The blistered skin was not utmost crackling but still crusty in parts. On one lateral side, the pork has been somewhat discoloured — the darker hue appeared to be left in the open for some time which I didn’t verify. Other than the stained area parts, the pork still remained juicy with layers of fats and lean in each cut up. I wouldn’t compare the quality of the roast to a high-​end restaurant but given the small tag, it is considered underpriced.
Other nibbles like the Signature Fried Chicken Wing & Fried Crispy Bait White Fish are worth trying out. The chicken wings, each deep fried to golden and arrived with a faint spicy-​sweet coating.
Another great teaser — Fried Crispy Bait White Fish was a favourite among the kids. They helped themselves like digging into a pack of addictive french fries. So brittle that it breaks easily with a gentle twist. Not as greasy as I anticipated. Even with a pinch of powdered spice mixture, the kids weren’t intimidated. They chow down the plate clean. Kids never lied, so the appetiser was truthfully tasty.
I urged you to order the Stir-​fried Beef with Chef Special Sauce as well as the Fried Prawn with Wasabi Cream. The beef tenderloin is truly amazing! Each premium slice melts in the mouth with a luxurious marbled texture. The peppery taste wasn’t over powering while the caramelised onions render a saccharine-​sweet taste that up the mark by a notch. Deep flavour and very impressive for as little as $ 10.90 per plate.
None of us find the horseradish ingredient attractive. We had the similar dish at Crystal Jade Jiang Nan earlier in Jan and everyone was peevish over the disturbing flavour — the overly stinging vapour piercing our nostrils. Feeling skeptical, I give it another try with Desmond assurance. Indeed, the dollop of wasabi mayo blanketing the deep fried prawn has been mild. So much gentler than anywhere else. A touch of sweetness from the mayo cream liven up the fried ornaments. A must-​try dish — Fried Prawn with Wasabi Cream.
For a hearty fill, asked for either a Hainanese Braised Rice Noodle (braised pork bee hoon) or the Yang-​Zhou Fried Rice. We voted adamantly for the later, as we felt that the former has been a lot more greasy with the pork belly.
The Yang-​Zhou Fried Rice is our pick. The portion at $ 8.90 is justifiable. Although we lamented at the tough Char Siew bits, the wok infused grains worked very well on our palate. The grains are neither stiff nor sodden, excellent frying technique without oiling the mass. Light and clean flavours embodied each fluffy grains along with egg fragments, chopped spring onions and roast pork belly morsels. Memorable.
HOD beer list maps the Asian route — Asahi Tap + imports from the Taiwanese, Filipinos & Japanese brewers with the wine chiller housing bottled alcohol from the European harvesters. Through Desmond, I came to know that HOD also opens on Sundays from 1:00pm — 7:00pm to cater to the hotel guests and neighbouring expat habitants, and during which the kitchen will not be operational, so only drinks will be served.