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Whether it is a large family gathering or a cosy date, you can never go wrong with an array of zi char dishes. There are zi char restaurants in every corner of Singapore but I bet you have not heard of Imperial Sky Pavilion, tucked away among the industrial offices in Pasir Panjang.
Co-owner Leon ate at the Mersing restaurant of his now head chef and co-owner, Chef Wen Yian and immediately gravitated towards his unique style of zi char Mersing cooking. From there, he convinced Chef Wen Yian to come to Singapore to start their restaurant. The rest is history.
With their love for food, Leon and Chef Wen Yian are differentiating from other zi char restaurants by bringing some Mersing flair into their dishes. Thinking that it would just be any other zi char restaurant, I was not expecting what I was about to taste.
What I tried at Imperial Sky Pavilion
Thankfully, I had this meal with 4 other members of my family, and that allowed me to savour the variety of dishes in a true zi char experience. Leon had prepared a variety of their signature dishes starting with their homemade Imperial Fried Tofu (S$12/S$16/S$20). Topped with a generous amount of fried preserved radish, this was the perfect bite of silkiness and softness. The fried preserved radish gave this dish an added crunch and it wasn’t too burnt.
I then scooped up a pool of its sauce and coated a bit of my tofu for my next bite. As the tofu radiated an extra gloss, the umami savouriness of the sauce complemented the lightly fried tofu. Leon mentioned that all tofu dishes at Imperial Sky Pavilion are homemade!
Another signature dish that was presented to us was the Imperial Claypot Dancing Chicken (S$18/S$25/S$30). Topped with bonito flakes, this was what gave it the ‘dancing’ element as they were moving within the claypot.
The dish also contained eggplant and red bell peppers as well as a very sweet soy-based marinade. Not that overpowering, the chicken was tender and flavourful with prominent wok hei.
I didn’t have time to catch my breath before we were presented with another best seller, their Claypot Pork Belly with Salted Fish (S$17/S$22/S$28). From initial observations, the dark sauce almost looked like a kung pao sauce, and I wasn’t wrong.
Chef Wen Yian explained that the sauce was a mixture of their homemade kung pao sauce with bits of a whole salted fish. As I took my first bite, the savouriness paired well with the tenderness of the pork belly. I then got hit with a salty note at the end but it wasn’t overly salty at all.
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Before the meal, Chef Wen Yian took me inside the kitchen to see the preparation of the pork belly dish. I was immediately amazed at the high ceiling of the kitchen, most probably because it’s a factory building.
As expected, there were two wok stations for the dishes to be prepared with an immense breath of fire. Seeing Chef Wen Yian work his magic behind the wok was a sight to behold. I was not keeping time, but within the blink of an eye, the dish was ready to be served.
We were really in for a treat once Leon presented us with their Nyonya Steamed Fish (Seasonal Price). This to me was my favourite dish of the bunch as each bite of fish I took was flaky, soft and full of Assam flavours. There was a slight spiciness and tanginess to it but not overly done.
Chef Wen Yian says that all their dishes cater to the whole demographic of diners including young kids and old folks. Hence their dishes are crafted to not be overly salty, spicy or tangy, which I much prefer!
Just as we were wrapping our meal up, Leon surprised us with an off-menu item that left me speechless. It was their Curry Egg Floss Crayfish (Seasonal Price), and it was unlike anything I have ever had.
The crayfish meat was immensely sweet and fresh. Tossed with their curry egg floss, which was made of fried egg white, it was light and full of umami.
Leon mentioned that this is a limited menu item as Imperial Sky Pavilion only has a limited supply. When it runs out, customers will have to wait until the next batch comes in. So do enquire about it if you want to savour it!
Final thoughts
Having tasted a lot of zi char, it’s quite rare for a place to leave me remembering the dining experience. Imperial Sky Pavilion left an imprint with their dishes as the flavours lingered on my tastebuds for a while.
I dare say this might be up there with one of the best zi char restaurants I have ever tried. But as I know, everyone has their favourite spot with the abundance of zi char establishments.
However, I would highly recommend you try Imperial Sky Pavilion and do let me know your thoughts and comments!
Expected Damage: S$15 – S$30 per pax
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