Juxtaposed in the bustling Central Business District of Singapore lies a restaurant that retains its traditions. Goldleaf Taiwan Restaurant was established since 1971 with a history of more than 40 years.
The restaurant is situated between Chinatown and Raffles Place, which is rather convenient. It will take a short 10 minutes walk to reach the location.
When I entered the restaurant, what struck me most was the homely and bustling atmosphere. Diners were enjoying themselves over casual talks on the table. A long row of awards was also displayed for the restaurant’s decade long support towards our National Day Parade was spotted near the entrance.
Food
Goldleaf Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables (梅菜扣肉)
The taste was succulent and the meat was soft enough for one who has sensitive teeth to bite on. The preserved mustard greens were not salty. I espescially love how the fatty layer melts in my mouth immediately.
Cod with House Specialty (煎鳕鱼)
Premium quality cod that is noticeable once you taste it. This cod is one of their specialties and I highly recommend diners to try it. The cod is soft inside, yet has a crispy skin surface from the pan-fried. It’s a dish for the health conscious.
Stir-fry French beans （干扁四季豆）
Of the vegetables that I have tasted, this one is my favourite. It was surprisingly crunchy and fresh. The sauce isn’t salty. It complements the Taiwanese style of eating this with porridge. Definitely a must-try on your list!
Volcano Beancurd Ring (火山豆腐)
This is another specialty of Golfleaf with prawns in held by seafood beancurd. This beancurd is homemade and is fabulous. It is springy with a heavy texture and is appetizing. The sauce is once again, unique. I’m amazed to hear that Goldleaf actually uses different sauce base for different dishes (most restaurants use the same base and hence dishes have similar tastes).
Traditional Prawn Rolls (炸虾枣)
These homemade prawn rolls are another specialty of Goldleaf. What made this dish so memorable were the fresh chestnuts used. The crunchy chestnuts coupled with prawns in the roll reminded me of home cooked food. Best thing about this? It’s lightly fried, and won’t give diners a queasy feeling after consumption.
Desserts and Drinks
I have to say the yam paste with ginko nuts (left) is the best dessert out of the four I have tried. It was sweet, warm and satisfying after such a sumptuous meal. What I love most about this is the texture being thick and savory. Personally, although decent, the herbal jelly, green tea and red tea puddings weren’t my cup of tea (pun intended), after such a heavy dinner.
Service and Ambience
The service staffs are meticulous and attentive to my needs. They are swift in satisfying customers’ needs and are people-oriented. Overall, the ambience of this restaurant is relaxed and casual. It can be slightly noisy, but I guess that’s part of the experience. I would like to thank Karen for being such a wonderful host in Goldleaf Restaurant.
Goldleaf (Taiwan) Restaurant Pte Ltd 金叶餐厅 is located at
110 Amoy Street, Singapore 069930.
Telephone number: 63248310
Opening hours: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 11pm
*They are pretty packed during lunch hours – I highly recommend
going down in the evening for dinner instead.
** Goldleaf (Taiwan) Restaurant Pte Ltd would like to extend the 10% discount to NUS staff and students. Besides that, they can also “present this page for 10% off bill.” Promotion valid till end of the year.