Heard about Fantastic Dim Sum (大三元点心) when they had opened their very first outpost at Blk 119 Aljunied Avenue 2 some time back — turns out, these folks had opened yet another outlet at the BGAIN Eating House at ARC380 recently which is a slightly more convenient location for most. Opened by the same folks behind Happy Congee 满粥了, their newest outpost at ARC380 is located in between Happy Congee and a Char Grill Bar within the coffeeshop. It seems that the menu at ARC380 is slightly more extensive than their very first outlet at Aljunied; it is noted that the menu at ARC380 features six different varieties of Siew Mai, and includes a platter that comes with all six different flavours — also seemingly exclusive here are the dessert items, where puddings of four different flavours are available here. Other items available on the menu here includes the standard steamed and fried dim sum offerings, as well as a small variety of buns.
Thought it would be wise to order the Fantastic Dim Sum platter which features a piece of the six different Siew Mai flavours that they have to offer here. Whilst this is not the cheapest item on the menu being priced at $10.80, it is also the best item to order here for a single hungry diner who is looking to try all the different Siew Mai flavours that they serve up. The flavours of the Siew Mai in the Fantastic Siew Mai platter are as follows:
- Chicken Siew Mai;
- Otah Siew Mai;
- Preserved Veg. Siew Mai;
- Abalone Siew Mai;
- Yellow Curry Siew Mai; and
- Truffle Siew Mai
Going for the Chicken Siew Mai first, the Chicken Siew Mai is pretty much the standard Siew Mai which Fantastic Dim Sum has to offer here. As it is made out of white meat, the Siew Mai here has a qq consistency (which is pretty much the case with all the other five Siew Mais here), whilst it also doesn’t carry that note of meatiness that pork renditions tend to carry. That being said, their Chicken Siew Mai does come with chunks of prawns for a good bite and a slight sweetness — a pretty satisfying rendition nonetheless. All of the other flavours are actually well-executed and pretty unique; that being said, it does seem that the Otah Siew Mai, Yellow Curry Siew Mai and Truffle Siew Mai would find themselves being favourites of the average consumer for the familiarity that they bring. Ain’t particularly certain of what sort of meat they use for the Otah Siew Mai, but the Otah Siew Mai does carry a similar texture to that of the Chicken Siew Mai so we are assuming it probably is the same chicken base that they use. Still, what intrigued us was the strong notes of rempah spices that it carried, and came with a piquant note of spiciness that should do well for those who are able to tolerate moderate levels of spiciness. Likewise, the Yellow Curry Siew Mai also carried a familiar hint of curry powder and turmeric, whilst the Truffle Siew Mai will likely garner praises for its evident hint of truffle aroma that provides a umami flavour to the item.
There are a few places that actually do serve up some pretty neat variations of Siew Mai with their own twist, but Fantastic Dim Sum seems to have gone further with what has been done — essentially putting their focus mainly towards one basic item and to create six different variations of it, this is pretty much a showcase on their skill and how inventive they are. Not sure if Fantastic Dim Sum will take a similar approach that Happy Congee had did in the past where they were pretty aggressive in their expansion plans (only to find themselves shutter a number of outlets thereafter), but the Fantastic Siew Mai platter is indeed the one to go for to try what they have to offer here where their creative renditions of Siew Mai are of concern.
