Past few days have passed so quickly without me even realising it! Here's a quick review on Ding Dong, the sister establishment of the trendy Open door Policy. From it's facade it gives off the vibes of a seemingly all-style-no-substance restaurant but in reality really wows both in terms of decor/interior and taste. It's 

image credit to is-asia city

How to go: Ding Dong is situated on Ann Siang hill, a short walk from either Chinatown or Tanjong Pagar station, as well as the newly opened downtown line Telok Ayer station. For more detailed location refer here. 

As our office is situated on club street, my colleagues and I pass by Ding Dong on a daily basis while walking to get lunch at Amoy food centre, so it was only matter of time before we finally decided against our better judgement to dine at Ding Dong. However, we were pleasantly surprised!


The ground flood facade of the restaurant is a bit tacky looking- though they've retained the original perankan-style shophouse structure, the store sign is done using neon lights in a cute font and there are bench chairs and hanging tables in the front to double up as a bar during evenings. 
The kitchen is located on the ground floor. Due to the open-concept glass wall design, you can watch the chefs preparing the food while you make your way up the spiral stairs. 

image credit to asia bars

The restaurant has 2 floors for dining- the 2nd and 3rd floor, with 2nd floor consisting mainly of 2-seaters and a bar table on the left end. 

image credit to is-asia city

As we had made a reservation, we were led up to the 3rd floor, which is more spacious and has tables for larger numbers e.g. party of 4 and above. We were ushered to a table by the window that was a nice spot as it let in a lot of natural light. Upon being seated, the first thing i noticed was the very interesting cutlery they had provided. Mahjong tiles had been used as holders, which gave the whole table setting a very quirky and cute vibe to it. Also, all the plates on our table were of different colour and design, which after surveying other tables, we realised was deliberate. 


The waiter promptly passed each of us their ala carte and daily lunch set menu. As we weren't sure what to get, we all decided to get different variations of the set lunch. I ordered the spicy pumpkin velcoute, red curry wagyu short rib and malacca cendol. 


The starter arrived in about 15-20 minutes, which was a little slower than usual but we weren't starving so it wasn't an issue. The pumpkin velcoute was of a good consistency- a little thick but not to the point of being like chowder. Plus points for the very attractive presentation. The prawns that came with it were tender and juicy, but the spice in the velcoute takes away most of the attention. A bit tangy, reminiscent of tom yam soup. 



The mains came shortly after we finished our starters. Each of the mains came served with a bowl of rice with what seemed like fried spring onion garnish on the top. I was very amused. Looking at the rather modest-looking portion of beef, i was slightly disappointed and thought i wouldn't be full. I was surprised again! Firstly, with rice, the portion was just right. Second and more importantly, the beef was amazing. The meat was tender and juicy, and the red curry gravy that came with it gave it a very unique blend of taste. 


colleague's barramundi with rice

My colleagues who tried the fish and duck were also very impressed with their mains. After happily finishing our mains, we were served dessert. One of my colleagues had the special, which was Singapore-style creme bulee, done with a touch of ginger and what seemed like tangerine/sour plum. The melacca cendol which i had came with popcorn and their self-made ice cream and gula melaka, which was absolutely delectable. 

singapore style creme bulee

malaysian cendol

Aside from the food, i was also really impressed by the prompt and good service. Staff were helpful without being overeager and had a good gauge of exactly when we needed their service. All in all it was a very pleasant dining experience, and we can't wait to return!

happy diners