Hi, my name is Josh and I’m a Cassia-holic.  Four days have passed since my last relapse and the withdrawal symptoms are killing me now. How long more can I suppress the urge before I indulge myself in another weekend dim sum brunch at Capella Singapore’s modern Chinese restaurant, Cassia?

When I first tried the weekend dim sum brunch at Cassia few months back, I didn’t think much of it. I thought it was just going to be one of those dim sum meals.  But it was proven not to be and it’s got me hooked since then.

Last week, I gave in to my dim sum craving and went back to the intimate restaurant. Although some changes had been made to the menu and the price had increased from $48++ to $58++, the meal was still worth every penny.

The Double-boiled Spare Ribs Soup with Tianjin Pear and Snow Fungus while delicate, did not lack flavour.  The sweetness is infused from the Tianjin Pear.  Any sweeter, the soup would be a hot dessert.

I can still feel the softness of the Steamed Barbequed US Kurobuta Pork Bun with Black Truffle in my mouth.  The baos are packed with much punch to titillate the taste buds.  The aroma of the black truffle in the pork mixture adds a whole new dimension to the Char Siew Baos.  The taste was simply heavenly.  I love my Char Siew Baos, and I’ve not tasted anything better the Cassia’s version.

Since I’m allergic to shellfish, I had to give the traditional dim sum items a miss.  But there is no lack of other choices.  The Steamed Vegetable Dumpling with Black Fungus and Mushrooms not only looks stunning, it is very delicious too. The skin is thin and light, and the black fungus and mushrooms filling is done just right.

The Barbequed Platter drove me deeper into my addiction.  The crispy skin of the Hong Kong-styled Crispy Roast Pork Belly is so good that it crackled in my mouth when I was chewing it. But nothing prepared me for the Chicken with Honey and Lemon Grass. The meat is tender and juicy, and the honey with lemon grass seasoning is refreshing.  Equally good is the Roast Pork Belly with Thai Sauce.

How the weekend brunch works is that you get to select a dish or a selection of bite size portions from each section.  For the side dish, I had the Braised Beef Brisket with Radish and Yellow Bean Paste during this visit.  It was tasty but the meat was a tad on the tough side.  My friend had the Wok-fried Slice Fish with Ginger and Wild Mushrooms – the grouper was very good!

I was a bit disappointed when I found out that my favourite rice dish, Wagyu Beef Fried Rice, was taken off the Weekend Brunch set menu.  The Wagyu Beef fried Rice was so good that I did not want to try anything else. For last weekend, I was “forced” to select another dish from a selection of four rice and noodle dishes.  I picked the Fried Rice with Chicken and Salted Fish. Even though it was pretty well executed, I would have preferred a stronger salted fish flavour.

For my dessert, I decided to go ahead with the staff’s recommendation, Chilled Purple Sweet Potato Cream with Sago.  The newly-included dessert has a rich texture and colour.  Instead of serving in a regular bowl, the creamy dessert is served in a martini glass.  Both presentation and taste of the dessert was equally impressive.

This is my first time trying the new weekend brunch dim sum menu.  My only wish is that the chef would bring back the Salted Egg Yolk Custard Buns (Lau Sa Baos) and Wagyu Beef Fried Rice.  If they do, I know I would probably find it even harder to wean off this gastronomical addiction.

Cassia, Capella Singapore
1 The Knolls, Sentosa Island, Singapore 098297