If you’ve been searching for a giant pork bun, look no further. General Chao is home to one that’s the size of the entire steamer, stuffed with pork belly, chestnuts and mustard greens, and it’s just one of the many fun dishes on a rule-breaking menu that mashes up Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Southeast Asian cooking with flair. That means the pork gyoza is scented with lemongrass, lime leaf and ginger, there’s prawn ravioli sauced with creamy laksa, and ice cream flavours include masala chai and Thai green curry. Dishes like a braised pork belly hotpot and beef rending play it a bit straighter. The range of housemade XO sauces is also worth mentioning, especially the number with black truffle, green lip abalone, Spanish jamon and gold leaf. Wowza.
Michael Chiem from PS40 is in charge of the drinks, so make sure you arrive thirsty. He toys with ingredients like pandan, Vietnamese mint and Sichuan peppercorns in the signature concoctions, but there are dedicated Martini and whisky Old Fashioned menus too, as well as a handful of worthy ABV-free options and a range of artisanal teas.
