Promenade Market @ 84 takes the title of hawker centre closest to the sea, with a pleasant sea breeze drafting through its crowded rows of stalls. There, you can find 2 dim sum stalls barely a stone’s throw away from each other with some history — Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum and Feng Xin Dim Sum.
However, that raises the question: which one is better?
Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum has been in the hawker centre for nearly 30 years, with weathered old dim sum baskets stacked by the stall’s side serving as a reminder of its longevity.
On the other hand, Feng Xin Dim Sum is a relatively new addition to the hawker centre. Both stalls have a similar setup, with a middle-aged lady at the front handling orders while a male chef handles the cooking at the back.
According to whispers online, the owner of Feng Xin Dim Sum was a former employee of Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum, who decided to open his own stall.
I asked both stalls about this alleged history, and they gave similar answers. Both owners told me the split was merely a business-oriented decision, with the lady at Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum barely remembering any details. While there’s no drama on the personal side, I still wanted to know which serves the better dim sum!
Siew Mai
First battleground, the siew mai. Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum’s and Feng Xin Dim Sum’s siew mai go for S$4.20 for 4pc, so they’re evenly matched on that front. The first difference is immediately clear, with Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum’s siew mai (left) having the edge in terms of size.
Feng Xin Dim Sum’s siew mai is wrapped slightly differently, with the pork filling bursting out from the top, which looks more appealing. This also fills the first bite with a bit more of that delicious prawn and pork filling.
However, Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum came out on top in terms of taste. The siew mai was significantly more complex in its flavour profile, with subtle hints of pepperiness and even earthiness. Comparatively, Feng Xin Dim Sum was a little basic, but the prawn did taste slightly fresher.
Overall, I think Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum wins in this category. The variety of subtle flavours I had from the siew mai beats the unique stuffing style of Feng Xin Dim Sum.
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Har Gao
In the blue corner (above, left), Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum’s Har Gao (S$4.30 for 3pcs). In the red corner (above, right), Feng Xin Dim Sum’s Har Gao (S$4.20 for 3pcs). Round 2, fight!
Feng Xin Dim Sum has a S$0.10 price advantage, not really amounting to much, but it’s worth pointing out. They also appear fuller and pinker than their competitor’s har gao. Looks aren’t everything, though.
The har gao from Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum slipped off the wooden basket with buttery smoothness, compared to how Feng Xin Dim Sum’s har gao stuck to both the basket and each other. The former’s skin was much softer and silkier, even translucent and fragile-looking. Rest assured, the har gao held firmly in my chopsticks.
I didn’t really like how sticky Feng Xin Dim Sum’s har gao was; it felt like the dish fell into the most common pitfalls and difficulties when making har gao. Plus, the folded rim on top of the dumpling was dry and hard.
Once again, Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum triumphs in terms of taste. The translucent, silky skin gave every bite a gentle undertone, with the succulent prawn filling bursting with flavour.
That’s not to say Feng Xin Dim Sum’s har gao was terrible, but it needs some improvement as the filling followed the dry trend of the skin. On the plus side, the prawn filling was at least firmer and chewier.
Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum edges out Feng Xin Dim Sum in this category, too, and it’s looking bleak for the young up-and-comer. Normally, I’d consider a 2 – 0 score as the decisive end of the match, but I feel like I need to give Feng Xin Dim Sum a little credit for something they did well.
Chilli
While both plates of chilli look the same at first glance, I assure you they taste wildly different. Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum’s chilli (left) and Feng Xin Dim Sum’s chilli (right) serve as the cherry on top of their dim sum, and I think Feng Xin Dim Sum has finally won a category.
It starts with a mostly sweet flavour, teasing your taste buds with mild prickling hints of spice before fully sending it with a spicy symphony as you swallow the chilli. Compare this to Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum’s chilli, which just tastes sweet.
Verdict
In the end, Neptune Hong Kong Dim Sum wins this heated dim sum showdown. You really cannot beat decades of experience in the dim sum business, even if you copy their menu nearly 1-for-1. However, don’t let this discourage you from ever patronising Feng Xin Dim Sum again, as taste is subjective. I encourage you to head down to Promenade Market @ 84 and try both dim sum stalls for yourself.
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