Vanda Room Moves From Shuangjing to Fuxingmen, Taking With it Possibly the Best Laska in Beijing
Dining in Fuxingmen? The idea alone might make you frown, shake your head, and say, “too far away.” We get it, but when Vanda Room shut down its Shunagjing branch and moved west, taking with it what is possibly the best rendition of Singaporean-style noodle soup aka laksa, you may not have any choice but to travel when the craving hits.
Sat on the 10th floor of Parkson Shopping Mall, Vanda Room sits among several other restaurants that have made Parkson a small food destination, including the likes of Najia Restaurant, Youma Cantonese Restaurant, Yuxiang Kitchen, Kongyiji, and Ershiwu Kuai Ban.
First opening in 2012 in Shuangjing, Vanda Room has made a name for itself with solid and authentic Singaporean fare, such as laksa, bak kut teh (pork rib soup, literally "meat bone tea"), Hainanese chicken rice, satay, and assorted curry dishes, as well as a balanced menu that favors speedier dishes to cater for the lunch crowd as well as more complicated dishes for the dinner set.
Those elements have traveled out west with the new venue, which has enough space to seat 70-plus diners among its modern and large space with wooden tables, comfortable chairs and sofas bringing to mind Singapore's penchant for all things efficient and neat.
The Teochew bak kut teh (pork rib soup, RMB 52 for a small pot) is flavored with star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, garlic, and pork ribs, boiled for hours so as to release all possible flavor. We enjoyed Vanda Room's rendition for not being quite as spicy some of the TCM-like versions found in Malaysia.
The juicy and tender Hainanese chicken (RMB 36 for a quarter chicken, RMB 70 for a half, or RMB 130 for a whole), which comes with chili sauce and soy sauce paste, was far better than the same option in Wan at U-Town Shopping Mall, and the rice was tastier than that found in Ji Kun Café.
However, it was the Katong laksa (RMB 36) that made the entire trip worth it. For those new to Malay and Singaporean cuisines, Katong is set in eastern Singapore and is influenced by its rich Peranakan culture. This specific laksa is loaded with diced rice noodles so that they can with scooped up with soup and eaten with a spoon. The soup broth is spiced with turmeric, lemon grass, pepper, ginger, coconut milk, citronella, and curry powder, giving it an unruly and rich combined flavor of sweet, spicy, savory, and umami. It also came topped with a sprinkle of chopped laksa leaf – the first time we’ve ever seen this done in Beijing – which reminded us of hot summer days spent unwinding in Singapore's unique aromas of food, tropical plants, and the sea.
To cool off, finish with Pandan Swiss roll (RMB 25), its shocking green color the result of the pandan leaves used to dye the sponge cake. Sea salt is added to the creamy center to temper the more herbal notes and palm sugar is splashed onto the plate for an addictive touch of sweetness. For an authentic experience, couple the cake with a cup of sweet teh tarik milk tea made with condensed milk and black tea, and if there’s still space, also try the bubur cha cha, a popular dessert made from sweet potatoes, taro, tapioca flour jelly, and sago in sweet coconut milk.
As a self-deemed half-Malay local, I'm often frustrated that genuine Malaysian/Singaporean dishes can often be hard to find in Beijing but thankfully the survival of Vanda Room means that we have at least one dependable option, even if it is a little further out.
Vanda Room
Daily 11am-9pm. 10/F, North Bldg, Parkson Shopping Mall, 101 Fuxingmennei Dajie, Xicheng District (6653 5120)
狮城小馆：西城区复兴门大街101号百盛购物中心北楼10层
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang
