Superb Beggar's Chicken and Roast Duck at Bottle Tree

Sheila Lim | The New Paper | Thu Sep 9 2010

Singapore, September 9, 2010

Bottle Tree Seafood Restaurant

If you feel that this little island of ours is getting too crowded and want to get away from it all, head for Bottle Tree Seafood Restaurant.

You’ll feel “free and easy” once you step into its sprawling premises in a secluded corner of Yishun, replete with thatched-roof huts, buffalo cart, prawn ponds and fruit trees.

But don’t expect simple kampung fare here. Aside from the usual restaurant offerings, you’ll also find a selection of banquet-style signature dishes which are laboriously prepared and meticulously presented, yet reasonably priced.

Among them are the Premium Beggar’s Chicken ($38+), Pumpkin with Dong Bo Meat ($30+), Papaya with Seafood Combo ($20+) and Golden Wrap Roasted Duck ($25+).

A considerable amount of work and time go into the preparation of the Beggar’s Chicken.

The chicken is marinated overnight, and encased with gingko nuts, leeks, mushrooms, chestnuts and roasted meat in a plastic sheath, lotus leaf and flour mould before being cooked over a traditional Chinese kiln for six hours.

Only 10 to 12 servings of this dish are available each day, so it’s advisable to make an advance order. This special dish is wheeled to the table on a trolley, and diners are provided with a wooden hammer to break open the mould and reveal a whole chicken nestled within.

The Golden Wrap Roasted Duck, also cooked in the same kiln used for the Beggar’s Chicken, is superb! Its skin is perfectly crisp and its meat flavoursome; it is served with man tou, crackers, cucumber and a sensational-tasting sauce.

The Pumpkin with “Dong Bo Meat” is just as elaborately prepared. The delectably sweet flesh of the pumpkin is formed into a turtle’s body (within which are chunks of braised pork belly) and embellished with a beautifully carved dragon’s head.

The Papaya with Seafood Combo is another refreshing creation. A whole papaya, filled with prawns, scallops, longan and French beans, is decorated with a vegetable carving to resemble a peacock.

Another yummy delight worth mentioning is a dish of “banana boats” filled with scallop and squid paste. The bananas are fried to perfection, and this dish makes an excellent appetiser or dessert.

Bottle Tree Seafood Restaurant
81 Lorong Chencharu (Yishun)
Singapore 769198
Tel: 67597077