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Google
Deeply Disappointed – Poor Quality, Misleading Dishes, and Terrible Execution
I recently visited Pearl Harbourfront Chinese Cuisine expecting a high-end Cantonese dining experience, but what we got was truly disappointing – both in terms of food quality and presentation.
We ordered the Peking duck, and were shocked to see only 20 small slices served. But even more disappointing was the obvious pre-made nature of the dish: the duck meat was dry, tough, and had a strong reheated and frozen odor, with none of the crispiness or freshness that defines this classic. The duck skin was greasy, soft, and gamey, with an off-putting oily aftertaste. The thin pancakes – traditionally a key part of the experience – had been replaced by generic supermarket wraps (the kind you buy for $2.99), and the julienned cucumber was replaced by thick, awkward chunks.
I’m not comparing this to Beijing-style duck or even to the roast ducks you find in Chinatown — I’m simply comparing it to other Cantonese restaurants that also serve Peking duck, and this was clearly not up to any acceptable standard. A dish like this should not even be offered on the menu in its current state.
The cumin lamb was similarly disappointing — not only lacking any trace of cumin flavor, but also served with random vegetables like snow peas, which made it feel more like a “mixed vegetable stir-fry with lamb” than anything resembling the dish described. If the kitchen can't do justice to "cumin lamb," then maybe it should rename it to better reflect what is actually being served. Putting a traditional name on a dish that has no relation to it misleads customers and erodes trust in Chinese cuisine.
The salt and pepper soft shell crab and salt and pepper pork chops were deep-fried yet somehow both came out soggy and greasy, clearly having been reheated or stir-fried again before serving. Worse still, instead of using fresh chili peppers, the dishes were sprinkled with cheap, pickled red peppers from a jar, which overwhelmed the flavor and added an unpleasant sour note.
To top it off, basic hygiene was a serious concern. One of the servers had very long fingernails, clearly visible while placing dishes on the table. It was incredibly off-putting and made us lose our appetite.
I invited guests hoping to show them good food, and instead, the meal turned into a major embarrassment. While the view is nice and the atmosphere appears upscale, the actual food and service fall far below what this restaurant is trying to present. For the prices being charged, this level of poor execution, cutting corners, and misleading menu items is completely unacceptable.