Ah Yat Seafood Restaurant – Half-Priced Dim Sum Delights

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Following that highly expensive dim sum meal at Tung Lok Teahouse, my family and I went hunting around town for a much cheaper alternative. We believe we have found our answer in Ah Yat Seafood Restaurant!

To make up for its relatively inaccessible location at Turf City, the dim sum here is dirt cheap! All prices have been slashed 50 percent from Mondays to Saturdays, and 30 percent on Sundays and public holidays! It appears to be a permanent promotion too! They also have a similar promotion for their live seafood.

Of course, low prices alone would be useless if the food sucks. Fortunately, the dim sum here is pretty decent, and certainly comparable to any reputable dim sum restaurant!

Steamed Fish Roe Siew Mai
SGD3.80 (before discount)++

We ordered a huge spread of dim sum dishes, including a few of the most common dim sum such as siew mai and steamed shrimp dumpling.

Ah Yat Steamed Shrimp Dumpling

Ah Yat Steamed Shrimp Dumpling
SGD3.80 (before discount)++

While not particularly memorable, these dim sum were at least decent.

Steamed Shanghai Dumpling with Crab Meat

Steamed Shanghai Dumpling with Crab Meat
SGD3.20 (before discount)++

One of my favorite dishes was the crab meat xiao long bao (steamed Shanghai dumpling). Surprisingly, it was the cheapest item on the menu! Can you tell how succulent the dumplings were? With each bite, delicious soup sweetened with the taste of crab meat oozes out! Yum!

Deep-fried Beancurd Roll with Shrimp

Deep-fried Beancurd Roll with Shrimp
SGD3.80 (before discount)++

I didn’t like the deep-fried beancurd rolls filled with shrimp however. For one, there wasn’t much shrimp to speak of. The beancurd skin was too thick and kind of soggy too. It ruined the taste for me. I simply do not like beancurd, except when it’s tau huay (beancurd custard with syrup).

Steamed Glutinous Rice with Abalone

Steamed Glutinous Rice with Abalone
SGD5 (before discount)++

You can also find some rarely seen dim sum dishes here, such as the steamed glutinous rice with abalone that comes wrapped in leaves. It reminds me of the lembas in Lord of the Rings! Okay, lembas is some kind of bread or cake that the elves and hobbits eat in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth legendarium. It is also wrapped in leaves. In the movies we frequently see Frodo and Sam eating it as they go on their quest to destroy the One Ring!

Before my mind starts running wild and back to Middle Earth, I should say that I didn’t like this abalone dim sum. As posh-sounding as it may be, it didn’t go down very well. For one, the small bit of abalone that came in each of the three leaf bundles was so tiny, I almost missed it! It was way too chewy too.

Deep-fried Seafood Roll

Deep-fried Seafood Roll
SGD3.80 (before discount)++

Another very unusual dish was this one — deep-fried seafood rolls. It also happens to be my most favorite dish of the entire meal! Those rolls looked cute, like shaggy-haired puppies!

Deep-fried Seafood Roll

Here’s a closer look. The strands of “hair” form a thick coat around each deep-fried roll, holding a blended mixture of seafood at the center. It was very, very crispy and a delight to eat, especially with that “crunch, crunch” sound that comes with each chew!

I have to say that we really got much bang for our buck. With the 50% or 30% discount, most of the dishes cost only $1.60 or $1.90 each! Tell me, where else can you find such cheap dim sum in a nice restaurant in Singapore?

Also, the fact that the dim sum is so cheap would lead to people ordering more of it. This high turnover rate results in the kitchen constantly churning out fresh dim sum! Everybody wins!

Ah Yat Seafood Restaurant
Turf City
200 Turf Club Road
#03-01/02 Main Grandstand
Singapore 287994
(65) 6883 2112
Service:

www.uniqueseafood.com

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About the Author

Veron Ang is the founder and chief editor of Sparklette. She lives in Singapore and has dined and traveled across the world. She also runs Sparklette Studio, a web design and development firm. If you'd like to connect with her, head on over to the contact page or follow her personal updates on Twitter: @VeronSG.

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23 responses

Leave your comment

Miccheng
June 14

Ha ha… can’t believe i’m first!
As usual, excellent photos, Veron.
Dunno if anyone told u, the chicken drumstick icon is a nice touch.
Reply
Veron
June 14

Thanks! I do get silly questions like “Why a drumstick? Why not a carrot?” Lord knows they would ask me a similar question if I DID use a carrot icon!
Reply
Joyz
June 15

Been there a few times and i always eat at that half price rate which is unbelievable for a weekend! Yah its decent food but the place is really rather inconvenient. I only go there if I can find a “driver”! Agree that the shaggy-haired puppies are yummy! Go for the al la carte as well…worth the money.
PS: no one beats the xiao long bao of Din Tai Fung…absolutely no one (for me at least)!
Reply
Veron
June 15

Yeah, Turf City is highly inaccessible! To think there was a time when I worked there for two weeks. I had to take the shuttle bus everyday!
Reply
chillycraps
June 15

I wonder do they have the same price for the ah yat at Allson? (or is it carlton hotel?)
Reply
Veron
June 15

It’s Allson Hotel, and I find it highly unlikely they would have a similar half-priced promotion over there. Because, well, it’s a hotel!
Reply
Brigitte
June 15

Does those Dim Sum offered for dinner or only for lunch? I want to go there for father’s day celebration today. And may I ask where to take the shuttle bus at clementi cos the interchange just shift recently. Thanks.
Reply
Veron
June 15

Looks like an all-day promotion.
I wouldn’t know about that shuttle bus. The last time I took it was 4 years ago!
Reply
Brigitte
June 15

Thanks alot! I really love viewing all your food reviews and the food you introduce are really nice. =)
Reply
Veron
June 18

Glad you enjoy them!
Reply
Johnny Ong
June 24

just the pics itself got me salivating. when i’m down in s’pore i’ll get my cousins to treat me there
Reply
BEE LUAN
January 4

My credit card was swiped twice when I had lunch with a friend at the Shaw Tower branch in November 2007. Went back a week later, staff claimed that machine was faulty, took a photocopy of the charge slip and promised that a refund should be on the way but to-date I am still waiting (Dec 07 Statement did not show any credit). Better check your credit card to make sure that 50% discount does not mean double swipe of your credit card.
Reply
r.p
August 4

I went there yesterday at 4 pm, unfortunately they closed at 2:30pm..dang! :(
Reply
P.J
May 17

hey there is one outlet at Shaw towers right?
Reply
- Veron
  May 18
  
  Yup you’re right! Enjoy!
  Reply
angie
May 20

It is really my favorate restaurant in Bangkok, but the Dim-Sum promotion is only valid from Mondays to Saturdays at Lunch time.
Reply
- Veron
  May 23
  
  Cool! I didn’t know there are Ah Yat restaurants in Bangkok. How much, in Thai baht, do they sell the dim sum?
  Reply
- PJ
  May 24
  
  wut time to what time is their tim sum buffet at?
  Reply
  - angie
    May 25
    
    I think the lunch time should be 11:00 to 14:30, most Dim-Sum price after 50% discount is about 40 Bahts. by the way, don’t forget to order a pot of Pu-Er Tea.
    Reply
    - Veron
      May 26
      
      40 baht is really cheap! Where exactly in Bangkok is this? I travel there very often and would love to check it out too!
      Reply
      - angie
        May 27
        
        The address is 2074 CHAROENKRUNG ROAD, the restaurant is on the second floor of the hotel, former Menam Riverside hotel, now the name has change to Ramada.
Janet Lim
January 13

COOL!!!!!! So delicious
Reply
Veron
May 28

Thank you so much! I would definitely keep this in mind the next time I visit Bangkok :)
Reply