心潮飯店 SINCHAO RICE SHOPPE

Overall Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Dickson's Fooday mouth-watering food review is updated!
This time we visited a Michelin restaurant! 🌟🌟
And there’s a record of 500 dishes~~

Chinese Cuisine - Heart's Tide Restaurant!
This restaurant has always been on my bucket list,
but it seems more suited for a larger group dining.
That’s why I haven’t visited until now.

Only after Father's Day did I choose this restaurant for a family meal.
Even though it is a Michelin restaurant,
I found booking a table wasn't as difficult as I imagined.
Basically, as long as you time it right and book online, you should be fine!
Of course, during peak hours, you might need to book a bit earlier~
But compared to other renowned Michelin restaurants,
this one is relatively easier to secure a reservation!

Its location is also on the upper floor of Breeze Xinyi,
just minutes away from convenient transportation.
Once you walk upstairs, you can quickly spot the restaurant around the corner.

Overall, it has a very vintage charm.
The decor and spatial planning are also quite fitting,
suitable for both a two-person meal or a family gathering.

There are several tables outside the restaurant as well,
which should be for those who wish to queue on-site,
giving them the option to sit outside.

The menu is quite rich,
and overall, the descriptions and specifications of each dish are very detailed,
clearly labeling every different category.
If you need to order, you can just signal the waitstaff!~

This restaurant is mainly known for its fried rice,
so let's order a few dishes of fried rice!

Since it has the honor of being a Michelin restaurant,
the quality of its dishes must surely be above average.
Let’s see how it holds up to the Michelin star standard!

Food: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖
Beverage: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
Atmosphere: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
Service: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
Price: 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
Location: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

⭐️ Food
The dishes ordered on that day are as follows:

👉 Tomato Crystal Sweet Shrimp
This dish is considered a chilled appetizer.
It features various types of tomatoes paired with sweet shrimp.
The variety of tomatoes is abundant, and they come in all colors,
making for a vibrant presentation.
It’s a dish that looks better than it tastes.

The crystal sweet shrimp was ice-cold and delicious.
Although the size of the shrimp is small,
each person can at least enjoy one shrimp,
paired with the tomatoes, providing a refreshing sensation.

However, the portion is a bit small,
as there were four of us and sharing this dish left us wanting more.
Later I realized that at Heart's Tide,
the portion sizes for every dish are generally small.
If four to six people are dining,
I would recommend ordering at least two servings of each dish
to suit larger groups.

For a single dish, it is suitable for about 2-3 people.

👉 Premium American Ribeye Fried Rice 10oz
First, we ordered a ribeye fried rice.
Since they boast premium American ribeye,
the quality of the beef must be great.
While ordering, the staff also asked how we would like the beef cooked,
and the default recommendation was medium-rare.
We decided to go with medium-rare too.

When it was served, I realized the portion wasn’t very large.

Regardless, the flavor is fantastic.
The quality of the beef is excellent,
and overall, coupled with the fried rice,
it makes for a very tasty dish.

I can definitely see why this restaurant’s specialty is fried rice,
as they handle it exceptionally well!

I would absolutely recommend this fried rice!
Though at this price point, the smaller portions are a bit disappointing,
the flavor and taste make it well worth the try.

👉 Kung Fu Fragrant Chicken Soup
For the chicken soup, when it was served,
everyone was a bit taken aback,
as it was the first time we saw chicken soup served in a teapot.
Those familiar with teapots know they hold a limited amount,
so the soup really didn’t have much inside.

The liquid in the teapot was just about filled to its size,
and there were certainly some chicken pieces and other ingredients inside,
but overall, the portion was very minimal.🤣🤣🤣

Since there were four of us for the soup,
four little cups were provided for serving.
Each person could only drink about two small cups before it was gone.🥲🥲

However, the ingredients were quite substantial,
containing chicken and several other accompaniments.
The soup was simmered very flavorful!

But due to the minuscule portion,
I wouldn’t highly recommend this dish compared to others!

👉 Fried Soft-shell Crab with Egg Yolk and Roselle Sauce
This dish features fried soft-shell crab,
coated in egg yolk,
paired with a roselle sauce on the side.

When served, I found it visually stunning.
This was another dish that looked better than it tasted!

The fried soft shell crab was handled quite well, crispy and tender.

Yet again, the portion was quite small,
each person only received one piece of fried soft-shell crab,
and could add the sauce on the side for dipping.

Thus, each person ate one piece, and that was it for this dish.🤣🤣🤣

👉 Sakura Shrimp Cabbage
Since we ordered rice, we also needed some greens!
This dish is simply stir-fried cabbage
with a generous topping of sakura shrimp.

However, as it's just stir-fried cabbage,
there isn’t much that’s exceptionally surprising.
That said, this dish actually had the largest portion of anything we ordered.
Looks like greens are priced more reasonably? 🤣🤣🤣

👉 Roasted Taiwanese Duck Leg
After seeing an enticing picture of duck leg,
we obviously had to order one to try.

Similarly, I thought all their dishes were well prepared,
whether it was in terms of flavor,
or the cooking heat and tenderness,
I found everything on point, including the duck leg.

Although the portion was also quite small,
only about seven to eight pieces.
Each person could easily finish this dish with just one or two pieces.

However, everyone dining with me that day praised the dishes we tried,
and I can only say it’s delightful to dine on such exquisite meals.

I personally would recommend ordering this duck leg.

👉 Grilled Scallop and Fish Roe Fried Rice
Initially, we only ordered the previously mentioned beef fried rice,
but felt that one dish wouldn’t be enough for all four of us.

Thus, in the second round, we ordered the fish roe fried rice as well.
This fried rice features grilled scallops on top,
and while ordering, the staff mentioned
that the default serving only includes three scallops.
Would we like to add one more?

We immediately requested an additional scallop,
but I wasn’t sure if there would be an extra charge for this.
I suppose there would be? 🤣🤣🤣

This scallop and fish roe fried rice,
I personally think is also highly recommended.
The scallop was half-cooked,

and was handled quite well,
with a generous portion of fish roe throughout the fried rice.
Overall, this fried rice is flavorful and rich!

However, it’s unfortunate that the portion was again quite small.
I feel this restaurant’s fried rice portions
are designed for about 1 to 1.5 adults per serving.
So if you visit,
feel free to order more dishes.
You can also wait until your food arrives, then add more if necessary!

Keep in mind,
they do have a one-and-a-half-hour dining time limit,
and your last order must be placed within the final half-hour.

So be mindful of your dining timing to enjoy your meal!

👉 Stir-fried Eggs with Shrimp
In the second round, since we ordered fried rice,
I thought we should complement it with another hot dish.
As I really enjoy scrambled egg dishes with shrimp,
I ordered the scrambled eggs with white shrimp.

I genuinely loved this white shrimp with scrambled eggs dish.
Although it's cooked similarly to what you’d find elsewhere,
the shrimp was plentiful,
and the overall egg texture was fantastic!

When combined with the fried rice, it provided a different flavor experience.
This dish is also another I'd recommend!

👉 Classic Caramel Pudding
For dessert, we chose pudding and tiramisu.
Regarding desserts, I found they were just average.
The caramel pudding had the very traditional bitter caramel consistency.

In terms of dessert quality, it's medium to above average.
After finishing the main courses, the dessert was a nice choice.

👉 Signature Mung Bean Tiramisu
The tiramisu, although mentioned earlier as mung bean-flavored,
didn't leave much of a mung bean impression upon tasting.
The tiramisu was quite average,
the most standard version you could find.

Its alcohol flavor wasn't very strong,
so it’s not one of those heavy alcoholic tiramisus,
basically, it topped the standard level but wasn’t definitely distinct!

⭐️ Drinks
They also have quite a variety of beverage options,
with a lengthy drink menu.
Since there’s a bar area within the restaurant,
you can order cocktails as well as red or white wines.

If you’re not looking for cocktails or alcoholic drinks,
there are plenty of soft drink options,
including carbonated drinks and juices.
We only ordered two beverages that day:

👉 Roselle Lemon Sparkling
👉 Apple Osmanthus Oolong

I thought both drinks were fantastic,
especially the Apple Osmanthus Oolong.

After trying it, older folks were singing its praises,
as it had the sweetness of apple combined with the flavor of osmanthus.
Even though it’s oolong tea,
they really enjoyed it!

The Roselle sparkling lemon had a sweet and sour taste,
but was a bit less distinctive.

I’d recommend ordering something like the Apple Osmanthus Oolong,
which I believe the older folks would love!

⭐️ Atmosphere
The indoor space isn’t very large,
but there are many private dining areas,
so if your party exceeds four people,
you’ll be prioritized to a private room for dining.

Of course, there are many tables for two or four outside too,
suitable for two-person dates or four friends dining together.
The restaurant does have a decent number of tables,
but the spacing between these tables is quite tight.

If nearby patrons are being too loud,
it can get a bit noisy.

The interior decor generally employs a green theme,
giving it a sense of returning to a vintage restaurant vibe.
But it’s contrasted a bit by
the presence of a modern cocktail bar in the restaurant.

So, it creates a unique blend of modern and classic.
Within each private room,
there are artistic wall decorations or murals enhancing the decor.

Overall, I find the dining atmosphere quite pleasant!

⭐️ Service
The staff here are very friendly and polite.
For instance, when ordering, they recommend dishes and introduce the menu.
They also check in regularly to refill water for everyone.

If you want to take photos,
the staff is very enthusiastic about assisting with that as well.

Overall, the service here is akin to any upscale restaurant,
ensuring you feel well cared for.

⭐️ Price
I think the biggest downside for this restaurant is the pricing.
Even though it’s a Michelin restaurant located in a department store in Xinyi,
perhaps this causes the costs to be a bit higher.

But since the portion sizes are truly small,
the prices don’t seem reasonable—
this restaurant’s offerings focus on fine dining precision,
with each dish visually appealing and well-crafted,
so you can’t fault the culinary expertise!

However, if you’re looking for a filling meal or want to indulge in multiple dishes,
you’ll likely need to dig deeper into your pockets.

Therefore, I'd say it's a place worth trying to sample different flavors,
but if you want to enjoy a substantial meal akin to typical Chinese dining,
it may require a pretty hefty bill.

So, I think this is a place to take family or elders to try,
but if you bring someone extremely picky,
who believes dining out should involve getting full
or who places a lot of emphasis on value,
you may want to reconsider bringing them.
They could end up complaining about the small portions!

⭐️ Location
As previously mentioned, this restaurant is on the upper floor of Breeze Xinyi,
making it very convenient in terms of access.
Whether you take the MRT or a bus, both options are easy.
Getting off the MRT and walking up is a breeze!

There’s also a bus stop right outside—
or if you need to drive, there are parking lots in the vicinity!

Given its location in Xinyi,
it makes it easy to plan a day out,
doing some shopping nearby before dining.
Once it's mealtime, it’ll be a seamless transition to the restaurant.
Thus, I find the location quite excellent!

⭐️ Overall
In summary,
it’s clear why this restaurant has earned a Michelin star,
as its dishes are remarkably fine,
both in appearance and flavor.
I recommend coming here to taste the exquisite preparations.

Moreover, the overall environment doesn’t seem to have major flaws.
Although weekend dining times can get crowded,
the staff manages flow well,
so you won’t likely experience discomfort.

Plus, for a Michelin, securing a reservation isn’t difficult at all,
so for those looking to experience their first Michelin dining,
this might be a great starting point!

🤪 Dickson's Mouth-Watering Zone 🤪
Want to take your date to a Michelin restaurant?
This place seems perfect for beginners exploring Michelin cuisine!

After all, many Michelin spots are incredibly pricey,
and on top of that, they may be hard to book.
Not to mention, this one is conveniently located in Xinyi!

It's perfect for taking your date here after exploring the Xinyi area.
Here’s a simple itinerary to consider:

First, obviously, book tickets for a movie at the nearby Vieshow,
perhaps catch a great film at the Titan theater.
By then, it’ll likely be afternoon.

Next, you could stroll around the department stores in the Xinyi region,
maybe stop for some ice cream at Nan Shan or something similar.

As evening approaches,
you’ll be ready to try this Michelin restaurant!
Just imagine telling your date you’re taking her to a Michelin restaurant,
it sounds pretty impressive!

After finishing your meal here quickly,
you can continue on to the nightlife,
whether it's bars in Xinyi or in the Eastern District, it’s all possible!

Look at how wonderfully curated this date plan is,
perfect for quickly fostering relationships with your date! 😍😍😍😍