Xinn Tien Di’s food is blessed with fresh ingredients, subtle sauces and discreet twists. It’s all the more extraordinary a find as it is situated on the uppermost floor of a mall, Gaysorn. Granted, the location is not entirely without consequences: the dining room can be eerily empty and the restaurant closes early. It’s no China House, but this large, high-ceilinged dining room, is about as modern as most Chinese restaurants get. Service is spectacular. There’s a small brigade of ladies whisking menus, drinks and dishes back and forth. It’s all done with a smile, extremely quickly and, in the captain’s case, with a deep understanding of the menu. We recommend going for lunch. Apart from the attractive lunch deal, you’ll be able to enjoy the wonderful dim sum. Served nice and steamy, with piping hot juices just waiting to burst from the thin dough, they’re incredibly light, without that overbearing taste of pork fat. This is because the chef here allows himself a few departures from convention, like the soft noodle wrapped around crispy noodles and stuffed with shrimps—huge, fluffy chunks of plump, perfectly cooked shrimps. It’s divine. The Peking duck—succulent crispy skin from which all the fat has melted—is served with green pancakes which get their unusual color from the use of tea leaves. After they cut off the skin, the waitresses will ask how you’d like the duck prepared. The stir-fry with crispy noodles is flavorful but one of the restaurant’s rare dishes to err towards oily. Opt for the soup, which comes with preserved mustard greens and Chinese celery. Despite being so affordable, this is one of the best Peking ducks in town. The seafood is just as impeccable: Xinn Tien Di’s must-have steamed crab claws can be ordered a number of ways, but the kitchen mostly lets the produce shine through with their light, impeccably balanced sauces. Were Xinn Tien Di at a nicer location, we might be more inclined to visit in the evening, but then again, we would probably have to pay a whole lot more for the privilege. No corkage.
