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!
S$3.80++ (before discount)
Rating:
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.
S$3.80++ (before discount)
Rating:
While not particularly memorable, these dim sum were at least decent.
S$3.20++ (before discount)
Rating:
One of my favourite 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!
S$3.80++ (before discount)
Rating:
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).
S$5++ (before discount)
Rating:
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.
S$3.80++ (before discount)
Rating:
Another very unusual dish was this one – deep-fried seafood rolls. It also happens to be my most favourite dish of the entire meal! Those rolls looked cute, like shaggy-haired puppies!
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 centre. 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!
Turf City
200 Turf Club Road
#03-01/02 Main Grandstand
Singapore 287994
Tel: +65 6883 2112 | Website
Service:
Jun 14, 2007
90
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.
Jun 14, 2007
3472
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!
Jun 9, 2011
1
you are beautiful in the pic
Jun 15, 2007
43
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)!
Jun 15, 2007
3472
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!
Jun 15, 2007
41
I wonder do they have the same price for the ah yat at Allson? (or is it carlton hotel?)
Jun 15, 2007
3472
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!
Jun 15, 2007
3
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.
Jun 15, 2007
3472
Looks like an all-day promotion.
I wouldn’t know about that shuttle bus. The last time I took it was 4 years ago!
Jun 15, 2007
3
Thanks alot! I really love viewing all your food reviews and the food you introduce are really nice. =)
Jun 18, 2007
3472
Glad you enjoy them!
Jun 24, 2007
3
just the pics itself got me salivating. when i’m down in s’pore i’ll get my cousins to treat me there
Jan 4, 2008
1
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.
Aug 4, 2008
15
I went there yesterday at 4 pm, unfortunately they closed at 2:30pm..dang! :(
May 17, 2009
2
hey there is one outlet at Shaw towers right?
May 18, 2009
3472
Yup you’re right! Enjoy!
May 20, 2009
3
It is really my favorate restaurant in Bangkok, but the Dim-Sum promotion is only valid from Mondays to Saturdays at Lunch time.
May 23, 2009
3472
Cool! I didn’t know there are Ah Yat restaurants in Bangkok. How much, in Thai baht, do they sell the dim sum?
May 24, 2009
2
wut time to what time is their tim sum buffet at?
May 25, 2009
3
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.
May 26, 2009
3472
40 baht is really cheap! Where exactly in Bangkok is this? I travel there very often and would love to check it out too!
May 27, 2009
3
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.
May 28, 2009
3472
Thank you so much! I would definitely keep this in mind the next time I visit Bangkok :)
Jan 13, 2010
1
COOL!!!!!! So delicious
May 27, 2012
1
Ah Yat is no longer at Turf City. Need to update their website, etc.
Feb 17, 2014
2
I went to Ah Yat Seafood to Hv tim sum with my parents. The food quality had dropped. Its so salty most of the dishes esp. The fried noodle n xiao long pau. Price had also increased so much even with the 40% disc we paid $70+ just for 4 pax. Even we did not order much! Not worth the price cos food standard dropped. Price used to be 3.80 now either 4.80, 5.50 or 5.80
Feb 17, 2014
2
I must comment that however their service at Ah Yat was very good. After I told them about yhe saltiness of the food, they served us with some free dessert!!