Shi Li Fang Taiwanese Steamboat (食立方)

My friend introduced to me a new Taiwanese steamboat restaurant called Shi Li Fang (食立方). Literally translated into English, it means Eat to the power of 3!  Mmmh....The owner must be an engineer, or a mathematician!  The restaurant is located on the 7th floor in Orchard Central, a new 'in' place for food.

This restaurant is very unique in the steamboat scene, as most of the restaurant space is dedicated to individual hot pot, only less than 10 tables for two persons.  What does it mean?  This means that if you go there with a group of people with very different food requirements, for example, some don't eat beef, some don't eat mutton, some no fish, etc.  In that case, everybody in the group can have a hot pot for his own, and eat to his heart's content.  In addition, if one day you have a sudden craving for steamboat but so sad that you can find nobody to go with you, you can still come here to satisfy your taste buds.

Fish, Chicken & Mushroom Soup Bases ($11.80)

Anyway, we chose three soup bases, fish, chicken and mushroom.  My personal preference is the fish soup.  It was less thick, and not oily as the chicken and mushroom soups.

Cabbage and Fried Crispy Fish Skin ($3.50)

The fish skin tasted lousy as it was, but once you dumped it into the soup, wow, it offered a different and great taste.  It was soft yet chewy, with the soup fully penetrated into the fish skin.  I would say this is one most special dish I found here.

Superior Beef ($18.80)

Ribeye ($13.20)

Their meats were not bad.  I in particular like their superior beef, the one with fat spawning the entire beef, making it look like a piece of marble.  Oishi desu ne!

Scallops (S$10.60)

Prawns ($4.70)

Their seafood was not bad either.  Scollops and the prawns were fresh and had great taste.  I must admit I was disappointed when they brought us the prawn, just three pieces, so pathetic!  However, after I tasted one, I changed my mind.  The prawns for sure were fresh and of good quality.

Song Fishhead ($5.60)

Service-wise, I think you have to bear with them a bit.  As is the case for almost every other restaurant in Singapore, they are under staffed.  Only about 5 wait staff for the whole place, so you just have to be a bit more patient and be more understanding.