Xin Li : Mayim Chinese Cuisine @ Yishun Northpoint

Date Visited :
050310

Address :
930 Yishun Avenue 2
#2-01/ 05 Northpoint
S'pore 769098

Having been to Mayim in West Mall before, I wanted to try Mayim again, this time nearer at Northpoint (Yishun). My sister and brother-in-law told me that it was quite good, like the one in West Mall too.

Therefore, a group of guys including me who likes food decide to have our first food gathering at Mayim.

This branch is considerably bigger and more spacious than the one in West Mall. The decor evokes abit of ancient China with its quaint looking cups and plates (at least two kinds of designs for each table) and central lighting filled with ceiling lights that looked like large lanterns. The style employed here seemed to be Contemporary Asian.

The place is very noisy like a bustling Chinese restaurant. So it is not a nice place to relax, considering that fact that a queue is waiting outside as well for the tables, you will feel guility for spending too much time inside.

The other members will be posting their individual reviews.There I shall cover the stuff I ate only.

I had the French Long Beans with Minced Pork, Dried Shrimps and Preserved Vegetables ($7.00). I find it rather okay. Crunchy and just nice, somewhat as good as the one I had in West Mall. Except this time round, it seemed to be alittle bit more salty.

Another appetizer we ordered was the Shanghai Xiaolongbao. My sister and brother-in-law had told me that their xiaolongbao was quite good compared to Dintaifung, so we decided to give it a try. Going at 3 pcs for $2, it is considerably cheap. The presentation wasn't good, it came in an aluminium foil like a tart, flipping it over reveals the dent it got from being in the foil for perhaps too long raising suspicions that it could be pre-made. The pastry is very soft and tears very easily. The filling however is generous with soup and meat. Quite tasty. This dish is recommended for its value.

Next I ordered my favourite noodle, the Zhajiang Mian : Dry "la mian" served with minced pork ($6.30). The noodles is still smooth and it doesn't stick to the teeth. The taste was alright, quite sweet and it is delicious. Comparing with my previous visit. The la mian has uneven cuts and the sauce is slightly thicker, a little bit more oily. However, tastewise and especially for its value. Thumbs up. I still enjoy the Zhajiang Mian here more than than the one I had in Din Tai Fung (Bishan) because of the noodles' texture.

Chilled Mango Pudding was our dessert of the day and it is also the winner of the day. The pudding is not jelly-like, it is quite rich, not too sour or sweet, it was just right. The chunks of mango at the bottom is a real delight. I enjoyed this dessert very much. A point to take note is the milk that was served along with it, it was a very strange or raw taste to it which we described it as "niu" or cowy. We decided to have our dessert without it.

The service is average. The staff are clearly very busy and they looked kind of stressed. There isn't much service here. The teapots we had were being replenished without prompting, that is something good. However, our table did not have a tray of condiments which he had to request for it twice because it was taken away shortly after we requested for it (for the vinegar to go with the Xiaolongbao). Maybe there is not enough xiaolongbaos? The attitude of the service goes from slightly cold to slightly friendly.

Value wise, this place is good because of its value. However do take note that besides charging the GST and Service Charge, this restaurant also charges $1.50 for every wet towel on the table (not uncommon, even some HDB Tze Char also does that). Most of the food items are cheap, so it is still worth trying out the many other dishes they have, they simply have too many choices to pick from.

Overall, I personally felt that this time round, my experience wasn't as positive was the one I had at West Mall. Despite so, the food is still alright for me, some hits and misses. Must try the chilled mango pudding and french beans if you have the chance. The place is a great for value outlet where you can try all kinds of Chinese food and a quite few exotic ones too. Therefore, if you are around Yishun do go down and try out the food, it is affordable as well.