Jing Hua Restaurant at the Qun Zhong Eating House

Jing Hua is a RIPOFF! You’ve been warned! With that said, those dumplings are damn good. I suppose it’s bc the fillings are oh-​so juicy, oh-​so porky, and oh-​so veg-​gy. They don’t skimp on the fillings, hence, the hefty price tag. The zhajiang mian (black bean noodle sauce) is nothing to rave about… it’s a bit bland, actually. The veggies are also very simple: stir-​fried in garlic but $ 8 for a small portion.
Come here if you’re really, REALLY craving old-​style, mama homemade kind of dumplings. Otherwise, I think the dumpling places found in Maxwell or Chinatown would suffice. For half the price tag. Don’t forget, this place is cash only. Boo. Last time I went, we had to dig into our pockets and return the wet napkins ($ 0.80 a pop) bc we didn’t have enough cash.
We paid more than $ 50 for two pax… was that worth the AC and juicy, pork, veg-​gy dumplings? Maybe…

Not bad, not bad. Don’t come here for the xiao long bao, they are pretty well priced but taste sort of stale… If that’s possible. The pork/​seafood pan-​fried dumplings, on the other hand, are delectable. The noodle dishes are also quite tasty and well priced.
The menu is short, but they seem to do most things well, although I didn’t try the desserts, which seemed to be the only items that were overpriced.
The place can get crowded on weekends, so best to call ahead. Service is prompt, as it tends to be in these types of places. Location is wonderful for an after-​meal stroll, or to grab a drink at a nearby bar.

I used to have a «Fast, cheap and good — you can only have 2 out of 3» poster in my office, so I could point people who needed work done to the poster.
But here, you get all 3! You sit in air-​conditioned comfort, take a few minutes to decide what you want from the small menu, and the food comes in about 5 minutes. You can feed a person well for around SGD16 each, which is a lot more than what I’d way about many other places in Singapore these days.

Oh those XLBs were spot on! So delicious, so juicy. My companion also said that their hot and sour soup was the second best she has ever had in her life.

I can’t believe I just recently discovered Jing Hua restaurant. I never walk along this side of Neil Road but one Sunday in search of food or anything even open worth trying around this area, I stumbled upon Jing Hua. It was open, air conditioned, and there wasn’t a crowd so I thought I’d give it a try.
I was surprised at the number of Unilocal reviews mostly raving about Jing Hua. I cracked up as I read through a number of the reviews while ordering and eating my meal. I especially cracked up at Ida’s review as there was a twist to the ending where she ordered all that food for herself! I did the same and didn’t feel bad about it after seeing her review, haha.
The xiao long bao are very good. On par with DTF I’d say. I really enjoyed my hot and sour noodle soup. It’s just like regular hot and sour soup but with a nice thick udon-​y noodle to help balance out soup with some carbs.
The lotus pancake was awesome also. Not the healthiest as it’s deep fried but the skin was crispy to perfection and the lotus inside was subtly sweet and added a good gooey texture to go with the crispy skin. I took half home for breakfast the next morning and although not as good fresh, it was still semi-​crispy and enjoyable.
I’ll be back Jing Hua!

Oops… the skin of the Xiao Long Bao broke apart as I attempted to pick it up very cautiously, and the beautiful guts spilled out uncontrollably onto the parchment paper. This is both a good and bad sign; the good thing is that the skin is delicate and the bad sign is that I am too rowdy with this plump meaty babies.
These Xiao Long Baos ($ 7++ for 7pcs) are near perfect – the ball of minced pork at the center, loose and yielding, as if itself in midmelt. My 2^nd XLB landed in my spoon intact and buoyant, and I popped the entire thing comfortably in my mouth. There could be a little more of that liquefied pork gelatin but I’m just being greedy.
Other dumplings variations include the steamed vegetarian dumplings stuffed with taupok bits and crunchy turnips which even non-​vegetarians will delight. The Seafood and Pork Dumplings had a slightly chewy feel but the ingredients tasted fresh and not too greasy.
I prefer the pan-​fried version ($ 8++ for 10 pieces) which transformed the original chewy skin into delicate crunchy bites with tantalizing burnt aroma. This gives the pan-​fried dumpling more character, as if it was a golden pillow case Perfect if there were more chives.
The mastery achievement goes beyond the dumplings to the noodles and the desserts. The Noodle with Minced Pork & Soya Bean Sauce 炸酱面 ($ 5++), is wonderfully alchemized by the minced pork and age-​old calculus soya bean paste that Iess salty than other specimens.
The Osmanthus soup with glutinous rice ball soup ($ 3++) arrived hot and fragrant with warm floral inhalations. Hand-​made with a spot-​on dough-​to-​filling ratio, each tiny pop is rolled with a different flavour; lotus and walnut, black sesame, red bean and peanuts.
Another must-​try is the Crispy Red Bean Pancake ($ 10++) that is prepared freshly upon order. Expertly deep-​fried till they are like crunchy fritters, the dark brown parcels oozes dense, sweet red bean paste with charred sesame aroma.
After such a satisfying meal, I am convinced that the Han’s decision to leave the menu unchanged for 25 years was a right one. Consistent quality food that can stand the test of time. Sounds unbelievable in our modern age but here is a true story.

I have found dumpling nirvana.
These steamed or fried dumplings are among my favorite dumplings anywhere (the meat is pork though so keep that in mind unless you get the vegetarian version!)
You’ll exclaim «Just one more dumpling» and eat five… but they are worth it.
This small menu doesn’t give you many options besides dumplings, noodles, vegetables, and two desserts. But my oh my, what they do they do DELICIOUSLY! The décor is surprisingly modern and clean. While they supposedly take reservations, the staff will look clueless when you ask for your reserved table. But luckily it doesn’t get too packed and a few tables were still available on a Sunday at lunch time.
The food:
The regular steamed dumplings are simple, but contain a great balance of flavors (not too salty with a great balance of filling to dough). The fried dumplings are open at each end and are crispy little pockets of goodness. Another crispy piece of goodness is the Chinese pizza which is essentially the pork filling in a large sesame bun — mmm, did I just order a dumpling on steroids? The soup dumplings are delicate and flavorful while the vegetarian dumplings had a mild, but nice combination of vegetables. I thought the two noodle dishes — the cha jeong noodles and shanghai style with pork strips and preserved vegetables were consistently good, but not the best noodles in town. The red bean in sesame pancake was also a surprising favorite. I loved the crispy, thin layers over the warm red bean paste.
I’m really glad I came here with a group and got to try most dishes. It only took me one visit to convince me that this is one of the best dumplings places in town. I’d readily eat all of the dumplings again… and happily accept the dumpling food coma thereafter.

Their meat pizza/​pancake is worth a visit every time. The meat filling used in their guotie is the same as the pizza/​pancake I suspect so you are better off going with the pizza/​pancake if you had to choose one.

Neighborhood restaurant close to where my sister-​in-​law lives. Business was quite good for Sun night and the restaurant looks like it has recently expanded to neighboring store front.
The dumplings were quite tasty with a nice and chewy freshly made skin and fresh pork/​seafood filling. The XLB was very juicy, a bit heavy on the peppery side. The skin was a bit too soft for my taste. The dandan noodle was so so for me as I was hoping for good chewy homemade noodle but this one wasn’t quite there. The red bean pancake dessert was nicely done to wrap up the meal.
Definitely a nice dinner within a few minutes walk…

The xiao long bao lives up to its reputation, but I have to admit that I like the potstickers even better. The restaurant is clean, spacious, and inexpensive; the menu is simple; and the food well-​done. Be sure to leave room for the red bean paste pastry! Typically, I’m not a fan of bean-​based desserts, but this one is great!

One of the better xiao long bao (northern china style pork dumplings) restaurants in Singapore and ranks (IMHO) higher than the Din Tai Fung version.
The ja jiang mian, a wheat noodle dish with a spicy fermented bean minced pork sauce with julienne cucumber is consistently good, as are the fried Guo tie (similar to Japanese gyoza).
The fried red bean pancake is best eaten hot and rounds off the meal nicely.
Protip for first timers: the highlight of a xiao long bao is the small quantity of soup/​juice encased inside each xlb. Make sure you don’t tear the skin until the xlb is safely nestled inside your soup spoon. Once it’s in your spoon, gently tear a small opening in the skin to release the soup into your spoon and enjoy the soup before eating the rest of the dumpling. Watch the rest of the diners to see what they do and you should be fine!

Taste is ok, but limited choices of food. Only three types of noodles and a few types of Chinese dumplings.
May not come back, as there is nothing special to attract me.

This is a review of lunch with a friend at Jing Hua Restaurant at the Qun Zhong Eating House.
My friend suggested this restaurant. With the exception of the hot & sour soup, my friend selected our dishes.
Note: Sometimes I feel unburdened in writing reviews when I do not know a specific cuisine extremely well. I can simply review whether I enjoy the food or not. I do not have to get caught up in authenticity or if there is some restaurant down the street that some might think is better. It is the case for this review.
Jing Hua Restaurant at the Qun Zhong Eating House is all about the food. The service is effective. It is efficient. Don’t expect them to be coming over and high-​fiving you and asking if everything is to your liking. They are going to take your order sheet. They are going to verify your order. They are going to bring you your food. They are going to do all of this relatively quick. Then they are going to want you to leave so they can do the same for the next hungry guests.
There are the usual checklist sheets for ordering. There are also helpful reference photo menus. Compared to some similar restaurants, the menu is not extensive. But I think this allows them to focus on the quality of the dishes they do serve.
The ambiance is very clean and functional. There is red trim to provide some colour. The tables are basic (mostly round) red topped tables. The chairs are those simple and painful folding chairs that get pulled out for school assemblies and such. There is a front room and a back room. For our visit (at 1:30 pm on a Friday), the place was initially packed. By the time we were leaving, it was emptying out. But their lunch service ends at 3 pm. It had the bustle of a restaurant where everyone was enjoying their food. If your group isn’t large enough to fill a table, they do communal seating.
The food was all very good to excellent. It was freshly prepared. The dishes were also well presented.
Lunch Collage Photo:
Minced Pork Noodles — This was a fantastic dish. It was comfort in a bowl. For my personal taste, the noodles were perfect. The flavours were wonderful. I ate every bite including the greens.
Pan Fried Pork Dumplings — This was another excellent dish. They had just the right amount of crispiness. They were not oily. The taste just made me want to eat more and more.
Hot and Sour Soup — I almost decided to lick the bowl. I was certainly trying to get every last drop out of it. I would not have minded for it to of had a little bit more spicy heat to it. Unlike some of the other courses, this is a dish, I have eaten a lot of other versions. This certainly ranked with some of the better hot and sour soups I’ve tried. It was also another very comforting dish. It would be perfect for a flu day or if it ever snowed in Singapore.
Little Juicy Steamed Meat Dumplings — Just another winner — As soup dumplings go, these were very good. I just love the explosion of flavour that they provide. The dumpling itself was well prepared. Just thin enough to be light and just thick enough to hold together for the sometimes challenging journey to one’s mouth.
Receipt (Lunch for two): $ 39.55 — They only accept cash.
Overall — You can tell I like Jing Hua Restaurant at the Qun Zhong Eating House and this is based primarily on the quality of the food. The remainder of the experience is functional and efficient. This is probably more of a 4.5 star lunch experience. But I thought the food was good enough to warrant rounding up. It is a place I would not hesitate to return to or to recommend to others.

Pros: Newly renovated and expanded. No nonsense menu with pictures only. Not a wide variety of offering, what they do, they do well. Dan-​dan noodles and fried dumplings were my favourite.
Cons: Shanghai style soup dumplings tasted a *bit* too much like swine for my liking.
This place was full of locals, which is usually a good sign. Nice meal, would come back if in the area.

Today at Qun Zhong (aka Jing Hua), I told myself a real whopper of a tale. Like a serial cheater tell his or her lover, «Don’t worry baby, I’ll never step out on you again», I told myself, «Go ahead and over order, don’t worry, not like I’m going to finish everything…»
Yeah…you can imagine how that actually went over once I tasted the awesome food. First up were the Xiao Long Bao ($ 7 for an order of 7). They were so juicy and delicious with such delicate skins that I rationalized that it would be a crime against all things tasty if I tried to reheat them at home. I particularly enjoyed biting off the tops, slurping some of the soup, and stuffing each with the homemade chili sauce on the table.
Next were the Fried Dumplings ($ 8 for 10), which were daintily small, blissfully crispy and curiously open on both ends. I recently read an article in the NY Times on the science of junk food, highlighting the research done by food scientists. One of the findings was that the «perfect break point» in chips is ~4 pounds of pressure per square inch. The crispy dumpling bottoms must be pretty darn close because I felt entirely blissed out with each crunchy chew.
I ordered the Bean Sprouts with Minced Meat Sauce ($ 8 for a decent sized plate) as a healthier substitute for the noodles with minced meat sauce that I actually wanted, but it actually turned out to be a great choice. The bean sprouts were simply blanched to retain the natural crunchiness and the minced meat sauce was rich and flavorful.
To close out my gluttonous solo feast, I ordered the Lotus Paste Pancake ($ 9). I vastly prefer lotus paste to red bean and this pancake massively exceeded my expectations. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what it would taste like aside from the rave reviews from my fellow Unilocalers. Picture a thick layer of filling (red bean or lotus paste) sandwiched between two layers of mochi with a deep fried crust on the outside and then sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. Don’t be shy to fight for the corner pieces if you are with a large group… they are by far the best!
PARTING THOUGHT: I showed at 5:50p on a Sunday and there was no line! Service was a breeze and the manager was wreathed in smiles and encouraged me to visit again soon!

Docking one star for my latest experience. The red bean pancake is not as crispy as before, though the pot-​stickers still hit the spot.

XLB nazi. The boss man is a grouchy fellow.
True story: We were in the queue and without everybody present, he’s not gonna let you sit down. When the last car arrive, we had an 80 year old grandma making her way from the pavement to the shop. I told the boss, everyone’s here, the grandmother is walking in. XLB nazi had to go see for himself, walked all the way out and verified and then allowed us in.
That being said. The XLB are pretty good, thin, slightly chew skin, tasty soup inside.
Noodles are made upon order. Red bean pancake is good too.
It’s toss up if you wanna queue up and deal with a grouchy boss or go somewhere else without a queue and less attitude.

I had a really unusual experience at Jing Hua tonight. We arrived for dinner at 7pm (on a Tuesday night) and there was no queue. In fact, half the tables were gloriously empty. I had been told there would be a wait at all hours, bad service but the most ridiculously delicious dumplings in Singapore.
Well, the service was actually decent and attentive by both Singapore and authentic Chinese restaurant standards (I can’t say which is supposed to be worse). I didn’t encounter the grumpy boss and we were seated immediately.
We ordered the xiao long bao, guo tie, spinach with oyster sauce, zha jiang mian and red bean pancake. The xiao long bao was as it should be, meaning perfectly hot with lots of soup inside and a good amount of pork and seafood. Divine. The guo tie was similarly awesome — fried to crisp but served on a dry plate with none of that leaky oil puddle crap you get at alot of la mian hawker stalls. The spinach dish was generous and not salty at all and the zha jiang mian, oh what mian. Soft noodles, bowl-​lickin’ sauce and a good dash of crisp cucumber shreds and spinach.
There was nothing bad to say about our experience (well maybe the $ 0.60 I had to pay for unused wet towels that couldn’t be returned) and I intend to return many more times. Considering how a lot of the clientele is Japanese (I still haven’t figured out why), I’m surprised the food is priced so reasonably. This restaurant definitely goes on my places-​to-​eat-​regularly-​when-​I-​run-​out-​of-​adventurous-​fuel.

The good: Dumplings (even though they try to pass them off as xiao long bao) were decent. Larger in size, so harder to eat, but still tasty. The red bean pancake was a nice way to finish the meal. Service, once inside, was fast.
The bad: Tried about 5 different dishes, and they were all just ok. Yeah, just ok. I was definitely surprised given the positive reviews, but it just didn’t blow my mind in any way. I did queue for awhile (and got cut in line a few times) which is a little annoying, but some patrons were helpful in showing me the ropes while queueing and ordering.
The ugly: Doesn’t come close to the hype on Unilocal.I wouldn’t make an effort to go here, let alone queue. You can find equally tasty (and better) items at about a dozen other places a stones throw away. Of course the tourists wouldn’t know that…

An institution along Neil road, Qun Zhong has recently been renovated and now occupies two unites. The service has improved substantially and almost everyone on the service team comes across as polite — a huge change from before! However, the legendary grouchy elderly man at the door is still there and continues to handle crowd control with impatience and a frown.
This one of those restaurants with an extremely small menu, and even then there are overlaps between dishes because sauces and fillings are re-​used. However, by focusing on just a few, they’ve really boiled it down to the dishes they’ve best at and famous for, and everything is absolutely delicious, although I am not a fan of the Chinese pizza.
The xiao long bao are not as dainty and refined as the ones you would find elsewhere, but they are hearty and pack great flavour. My personal favourite dish, however, is their pan-​fried dumpling. The skin is delightfully crisp, and this goes well with the vinegar and ginger, too. End the meal with the red bean pancake — totally worth saving a little space in your stomach for.

Obwohl es aussieht wie ein heruntergekommenes Café aus den fünfzigern Jahren, ist dies ein Geheimtipp von Dumpling-​Liebhabern in Singapur. Naja, Geheimtipp: wenn du nicht reservierst ist es ziemlich wahrscheinlich dass du ein typisches Phenomen von Singapur kennenlernst: die Schlange. Mein Kollege und ich nahmen eine Auswahl von gebackenen und dampfgegarte Dumplings, und ja, sie waren ausgezeichnet. Sie nahm auch eine typische Gemüsesuppe die ich kurz ausprobierte aber leider zu sauer fand. Alles zu einem Preis von etwa 10 SGD pro Person. Tee ist miteinbegriffen.