Wang Fu Dim Sum 王府点心 (Fusionopolis)

Wangfu Dimsum’s reputation for explosive Sheng Jian Baos is well-earned. These pan-fried delights are a sensory experience: perfectly crisped on the outside with juicy, flavorful fillings that literally explode with savory goodness when you take a bite. A must-try for anyone who loves a balance of textures and rich flavors.

Their pork chop noodles, while decent, didn’t quite stand out. The noodles were cooked to the right texture, but the pork chop lacked the seasoning or flair to make it memorable. It’s not bad—just not their strongest offering.

However, the newly released Braised Pork Balls were a pleasant surprise. Packed with flavor, tender, and well-braised, these were hearty and satisfying.

Was pretty much a finding by chance when we had actually scrolled around the phone and found out the existence of Wang Fu Dim Sum 王府 at one-north. Wang Fu Dim Sum does seem to be quite a new addition to the one-north neighbourhood; located at Galaxis, Wang Fu Dim Sum has taken over the former premises of the now-defunct Crazy Nana that was noted for its specialty in Goreng Pisang (their Republic Plaza outlet has also similarly shuttered) — this also makes them neighbours with the luckin coffee outlet that is situated at Galaxis as well. It is rather easy to spot Wang Fu Dim Sum from afar; the establishment has quite a prominent orange signboard that fronts the entire facade. Apart from a bright lit signage bearing the shop’s logo and motto on the tiled walls towards the left side of the space, the establishment can be described as a pretty basic space; the dine-in area comprising of dining furniture with wooden and metallic accents that are commonly found across dining establishments for quite a while. The dining space can also be described as a little claustrophobic, considering how the dining tables have been joined up to accommodate for larger groups of customers that would drop by during peak lunch hours on weekdays — the seating almost being of a back-to-back distance from one another. Wang Fu Dim Sum seems to have placed quite a fair bit of emphasis on their “Dim Sum” — the menu has a constant feature of their Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Buns, Xiao Long Bao and Guo Tie, whilst also offering a few variants of Chinese La Mian that one can opt for; there are also Wontons to opt for should the “Dim Sum” not be to one’s fancy.

The best way to give everything a try at Wang Fu Dim Sum is to opt for their Value Sets — the various value sets would allow one to opt for the various types of Dim Sum which they offer — all with a noodle of their choice and an appetiser for the day. We opted for the Value Set that came with the Pan-Fried Crispy Pork & Shrimp Soup Buns; for our choice of noodles, we went for the Soy Sauce Braised Pork Chop Noodle（Soup). For the appetisers that was served on the day of our visit, these would be the pickled slices of cucumber. The Pan-Fried Crispy Pork & Shrimp Soup Buns would be the “Dim Sum” item to go if one of dishes to enjoy both their Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Pork Soup Bun and their Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Shrimp Soup Bun in one seating; while the two aforementioned Dim Sum items come in a serving size of three (3) pieces per order, the Pan-Fried Crispy Pork & Shrimp Soup Buns comes in a portion size of four (4) buns with two (2) buns of each variant. It was difficult to pinpoint on which of the two appealed to us more — it is noted that the Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Pork Soup Bun comes with quite a good amount of broth filled within; our first bite into both Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Pork Soup Buns ended up with the broth squirting out of the bun and all over the table. The broth also carried a distinct sweetness from the meat fillings while the meat fillings also carried a good bite. That being said, the skin of the bun was a wee bit thick and a little too chewy for our liking; this having even been extended to the browned and crusted pan-fried bottom of the bun as well, which was also a bit greasy for us. The crusted bottom of the Signature Pan-Fried Crispy Shrimp Soup Buns were a little crispier, though these seemed to have come with lesser broth encased within in general; the shrimp was however fresh and came with its distinct hint of natural sweetness and a good bite though.

Since we had opted for the Value Set during our visit to Wang Fu Dim Sum, we had also given their Soy Sauce Braised Pork Chop Noodle (Soup) a go. Truth to be told, the Soy Sauce Braised Pork Chop Noodle (Soup) seemed to lack a wow-factor; there wasn’t anything much that was notable for the broth except for it being savoury. We did appreciate how the Soy Sauce Braised Pork Chop comes tender and does not require much effort to chew through. That being said, it was also cut up into small chunks; we also felt that there is a rather noticeable hint of meatiness that the slab of pork still retained. The Soy Sauce Braised Pork Chop Noodle (Soup) also came with the mustard leaves; this helped to provide the dish with some form of balance with the addition of greens — the mustard leaves also providing a crunch, while the more memorable part of the dish would be the bouncy and chewy La Mian noodles. Meanwhile, the appetiser of pickled sliced cucumbers does help to open up the tastebuds for the meal; that slight zinginess and a soft crunch after soaking all of that liquid that makes it hit the spot. Overall, Wang Fu Dim Sum isn’t as fantastic as the other stalls specialising in Chinese fare; the Soy Sauce Braised Pork Chop Noodle (Soup) was pretty decent though lacking anything that would distinguish it from other similar offerings elsewhere (the use of a Soy Sauce Braised Pork Chop rather than the Din Tai Fung-esque pork chop felt like a big missed opportunity somehow). The Pan-Fried Crispy Pork & Shrimp Soup Buns also felt less spectacular than the ones which we have had from other establishments that specialise in the same as well. Prices of the “Dim Sum” range from $6.50 to $8, while the prices of the Value Sets range from $10.80 to $12.80. Whilst not an establishment to make the trek for, we do reckon that they work out as a pretty decent option for the working population at one-north.