Old School Restaurant in Singapore with Pushcarte Dim Sum
Location: Red Star Restaurant, 54 Chin Swee Rd, #07-23, Singapore 160054
Get teleported to Hong Kong when you visit Red Star Restaurant. Enjoy the 1980s push cart dim sum dining experience, which is uncommon nowadays.
The food quality of the dim sum items was somewhat inconsistent. There were some hits and misses. However, the roasted duck ($16 for half) is unexpectedly delicious - crispy skin on the tender and moist meat that has almost no gamey taste. It was so good that we had to request a bowl of white rice. 😘
Ultimately, the fun was trying to catch the push cart auntie's attention or learn to "zap sang" (Cantonese term) - if she doesn't come to you, just go to her and get your dim sum! 🤣
Get teleported to Hong Kong when you visit Red Star Restaurant. Enjoy the 1980s push cart dim sum dining experience, which is uncommon nowadays.
The food quality of the dim sum items was somewhat inconsistent. There were some hits and misses. However, the roasted duck ($16 for half) is unexpectedly delicious - crispy skin on the tender and moist meat that has almost no gamey taste. It was so good that we had to request a bowl of white rice. 😘
Ultimately, the fun was trying to catch the push cart auntie's attention or learn to "zap sang" (Cantonese term) - if she doesn't come to you, just go to her and get your dim sum! 🤣
Satisfied with the deep fried items, it’s crispy outside and juicy on the inside. Pork ribs was surprisingly good too, seasoning is just right!
This is one of the few dim sum restaurants where they still serve the dim sum using push carts on trolleys. The owner is also famous as one of the original Four Heavenly Kings who invented the Chinese New Year dish Loh Hei.
The queues to get a table, especially on weekends, was legendary. The restaurant being in 7th Floor, you’d encounter snaking queue outside the restaurant, winding down the stairwell until 4th floor! But with COVID, we did not have to queue at all.
The food standard is still the same. Especially recommend their Pork and Century Egg Congee and Egg Tarts.
I pray this old institution survives COVID lockdowns and all these measures designed to prevent the pandemic from spreading. As Iong as they stay open, I will continue to patronise. Already been eating here for 38 years, why stop now?
I've wanted to visit this iconic establishment for 10 years. Guess what, Covid-19 hit them so hard it's near-empty when we went. Very sad. But the service attention was appreciated and we caught a glimpse of legendary chef Hooi Kok Wai hahaha. No dim sum pushcart as it's dinnertime, but they had some leftovers. Good salted egg flavour, but not gooey haha.
I've wanted to visit this iconic establishment for 10 years. Guess what, Covid-19 hit them so hard it's near-empty when we went. Very sad. But the service attention was appreciated and we caught a glimpse of legendary chef Hooi Kok Wai hahaha. No dim sum pushcart as it's dinnertime, but they had some leftovers. We love steamed pork ribs and theirs was delicious!
I've wanted to visit this iconic establishment for 10 years. Guess what, Covid-19 hit them so hard it's near-empty when we went. Very sad. But the service attention was appreciated and we caught a glimpse of legendary chef Hooi Kok Wai hahaha. No dim sum pushcart as it's dinnertime, but they had some leftovers. This was expensive but surprisingly good.
I've wanted to visit this iconic establishment for 10 years. Guess what, Covid-19 hit them so hard it's near-empty when we went. Very sad. But the service attention was appreciated and we caught a glimpse of legendary chef Hooi Kok Wai hahaha. No dim sum pushcart as it's dinnertime, but they had some leftovers. Average and expensive.
I've wanted to visit this iconic establishment for 10 years. Guess what, Covid-19 hit them so hard it's near-empty when we went. Very sad. But the service attention was appreciated and we caught a glimpse of legendary chef Hooi Kok Wai hahaha. I ordered this rare and traditional mui fun but forgot the name! It's in a tomato gravy and has prawns, meat, vegetables and topped with a raw egg. Quite enjoyable.
I've wanted to visit this iconic establishment for 10 years. Guess what, Covid-19 hit them so hard it's near-empty when we went. Very sad. But the service attention was appreciated and we caught a glimpse of legendary chef Hooi Kok Wai hahaha. I'm a fan of this dish and here it's so alcoholic!
[ Food Week — Heritage Restaurants ] Some of you may already be familiar with Red Star — either from their extensive history as one of Singapore oldest and more premiere heritage restaurants, or during the recent news coverage of heritage restaurants struggling during this pandemic.
I'm quite a newcomer to the heritage restaurant scene. Prior to that, I'd no problems subsisting only on fine dining Chinese establishments — because the spread, food, and service were good, we never saw a need to eat elsewhere.
Ngl, when I was first made aware of this stratum of F&B restaurants, I was quite confused. Looking like a movie set straight out of 1970-80s HK, and boasting staff that are equally at home in the environment (finished with pushcarts and lippy service), I was confounded RS could still thrive amidst aggressive modernisation.
But once the food arrived and we settled in, everything fell into place.
The charm of RS lies in both its traditional-styled Hong Kong dishes — especially their dim sum, which you can still procure from pushcarts touted by seasoned wait stuff — and its ability to transport you to a time before your own; to a space where the pace of life was a tad slower, and the colours of one’s historical heritage was that much more brilliant.
Some may call it a gimmick — the entire experience isn’t the cheapest, with the average cost of our plates hovering around $4.50 — but during my visit, I found a raw authenticity in the unfettered adherence to tradition that transcends even today. Despite its founders being less involved due to age — RS is founded by 2 of the 4 Heavenly Kings of Canto Cuisines in SG, and used to be THE spot for HK film stars! — you can still taste the hallmarks of their influence (see the unabashed pizzazz, usually in the form of an abundance of shrimp in every dish; no complaints here!).
And there’s a wistful nostalgia when I see the staff go about their routine in effortless synchronicity, honed by decades of practice.
I still believe there is a place for food like RS’ in today’s SG: We just need to be reminded of their presence, and perhaps not be as dismissive of the less glamourous aspects of our food culture.
My first time here as I’m never a early bird but here I am trying some old school cart dim sum
Old school restaurant where dimsum comes around in pushcarts. Variety is excellent. Quality is above average, though I think it is slightly inconsistent during the few times I visited. Overall, a good place for dimsum with family and friends.
Make sure you arrive early to avoid the queue. Lots of options for dim sum. The filling in the Liu Sha Bao was very generous. The suckling pig with jelly fish was surprisingly delicious. There were lots of ingredients in the century egg porridge, making it one of the better versions of the dish I have had.
Local Chinese experience
Cart style pick and choose. Great place. Value for money
Expect around 20 per person for a lot of food. And very tasty and hygienic.
Drink options are very limited. Only canned drinks.
5 on 5. Must try once.
Another ⭐️ dim sum! Or rather, dessert! Icy cold with really thickkkk, creamy durian fillings, it was love at first bite.
Not the most flowy, not the one with the thinnest skin, but definitely flowy within and decent enough to satisfy liu sha pau cravings!
ADDICTIVE! According to the cart aunty, this is only available on the weekends. Of course, must order if you’re there on a weekend! At $9.20, it’s definitely not the cheapest but definitely a must try. I love the crisp of the fish, with the fragrance of the floss. It’s just too yummy and addictive. Honestly, nothing goes wrong with fried soft shell crab and floss!
I love the crusty bits on the top of the bun. However, it does not stick well with the bun! One tiny bite is all it takes for the rest of the remaining crust to fall off- it seems like the crust was an “added” later post-baking process of the bun itself. This bolo bun has got real pineapple bits within- sliced, sweetened pineapple which I’d prefer to not have. There’s some kinda sweet custard within the bun too but definitely sth I will trade for a slab of thick creamy butter. Definitely not the usual kinda bolo bun - crusty on the outside and fluffy on the inside, with a huge slab of butter. This, was pretty doughy. I’m disappointed ☹️ I’m not getting the creamy fats but nevertheless glad to try a diff rendition of bolo bun!
