Despite the humid weather, locals still love having steamboat. Nestled in Serangoon Garden, a new restaurant Steam Box opens, bringing Hong Kong’s hottest food trend “Steam-Potting” to Singaporeans. This is really a new way of eating steamboat. Nope you aren’t going to have it in a box. Instead, you are gonna steam your food first before drinking your porridge soup at the last.

So what happens is, the staff will first pour the raw rice grains and your desired soup base to the bottom of the pot. Then the raw ingredients went through high speed steaming. Depending on what ingredients are added, it takes just two to six minutes for a dish to be cooked!

What’s so good about steaming? Well, it allows all natural juices and nutrients of the ingredients are sealed in. In turn, the dishes boast a light yet robust flavour. Talking about healthy indulgence yo! At the end of it, the juices from the fresh ingredients are all collected below the steaming plate to cook the accompanying congee, which caps off the hearty meal.

Some of our favourite ingredients include Marinated Chinese-style Ginger Chicken Thigh with Wolfberry (S$9) offering tender and juicy meats. We love the Minced Meat with Premium Salted Fish (S$9) so much so that we ordered twice. Freshly hand minced daily, the minced meat packs a piquant and flavourful note.

Seafood lovers will love the Fresh Live Clams ($13), Crayfish ($25 for 3-4 pieces), Barramundi ($18) and Crab ($28 for 3 crabs), which are delivered to the restaurant every morning. My recommendation? Go for their fish, because you know lah, steamed fish with sliced ginger is the best combination.

What else can be steamed? Dim Sum! Tuck into classics like Siew Mai (S$4.20), Prawn Dumpling (S$4.80) and Prawn Rice Roll (S$5.20). The Creamy Egg Custard Bun (S$4.80), with its luscious molten liquid, is bound to delight.

Of course, my face also went into steaming. Not a bad thing cuz this was what I experience during facial, but I have been talking to my friends behind a layer of steam. (Lesson learnt: choose your seat wisely)

There are also different condiments for you to mix and match and create your own dipping sauce. Their signature includes Sambal Sauce, Seafood Spicy & Sour Sauce and Black Pepper Meat Sauce, all of which are specially prepared by the chefs at Steam Box. I like to pair my steamed dishes with these sauces and a bowl of rice.

But to be honest, I felt a little dry after a while. I don’t mean that the ingredients are dry. But just that I was craving for some soup to go with my meal. Maybe it’s just me, steamboat without soup just feels like something missing. When we finally dig in to the watery porridge at the bottom of the pot, I can only say, the wait is worthwhile.

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