I love to go to Chinese restaurants for meals, especially when I am out with friends and family. Some of my favourite Chinese restaurants include Royal China@ Raffles Hotel, Peach Garden, and Dian Xiao Er. Out of the three, Dian Xiao Er is the most affordable, but the quality of the food is certainly not compromised.

JW and I took my mum to the Dian Xiao Er branch at West Coast Plaza recently for her birthday celebration. We try to spend time with both sets of parents as often as we can, and while work takes us away from our filial responsibilities at times, we always make sure that we meet at least twice a month and are around for their birthdays.

We usually order the family set menu, and it was no different this time except that we added a tofu dish to complete the meal.

The Angelica Herb Duck was a clear favourite. The savoury gravy was full of herbal goodness, definitely a perfect complement to the crispy skin and succulent meat. Likewise, the baby kai-lan dish was absolutely delightful. The unexpected pairing of salted fish and lime added a burst of flavour to the baby kai-lan, and was a refreshing change from the traditional oyster sauce.

Another favourite dish of mine has got to be the Mongolian Spare Ribs. These spare ribs were marinated with a rich, tangy sauce and cooked to golden perfection. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Just looking at this photo alone makes me salivate!!

The Emerald Tofu is a new dish developed by the restaurant. It is a nutritious concoction of wheatgrass, tofu and delectable bits of prawns and broccoli. I found it a tad tasteless, but I guess food with high nutritional content usually tastes a little blend.