When I got news of Full of Luck Club by Li Bai has opened at Holland Village I was pretty excited but with the same token, I was surprised by the move. Why Would Li Bai of Sheraton keen to open up a restaurant outside the space of the hotel? I find this strategy interesting.
I went Full of Luck Club twice before I came up with this post. First was for the bao while it was still in soft launch phase. Next visit was for their full menu. It seems that the trend for bao is up and coming too.
At Full of Luck Club though it is a Chinese or maybe Fusion restaurant to be more precise, it doesn’t have the typical Chinese restaurant vibes. Instead, it has a hipster cafe vibes in it.
Full of Luck Club offers 5 savoury Bao at any 2 for $9.80 and 1 and only dessert bao, Hokey-Pokey Ice Cream at $6.
Among the 5 savoury Bao, 3 were spicy, namely Kung Pao Fried Chicken, Salted Egg Yolk Prawn and Braised Pork Belly. Next are 2 non-spicy Bao, the Portuguese Pork Chop and Panko-crusted Portobello being the only vegetarian choice.
The Bao in general was a little too dense. The consolation is that the fillings were pretty generous and tasty.
I was extremely disappointed with the Hokey Pokey Bao ($6) as the bun were frozen and hard. They served me the sweet bao while I was still having my savoury bao therefore I asked to serve later. As such I suspect they must have frozen it to keep the ice cream from melting. With the same token, it resulted in a frozen bun. The ice cream was a little too sweet too.
Since Full of Luck Club is by Li Bai, they do offer a good number of Dim Sum dishes too. There are 9 Dim Sum on the menu while we tried only 2. We enjoyed the Baked BBQ Pork Puff ($5.40/3 pcs) more than Crispy Beancurd Skin Rolls with Shrimps and Chives ($6/3 pcs).
The Baked BBQ Pork Puff has generous amount of stuffing cum a flaky pastry. As for the second Dim Sum item, though the stuffing was equally generous and it was with crispy beancurd skin, a pity the wrap was soaked with oil.
I spotted few of my all time favourite dishes such as Golden Sand Corn with Salted Egg Yolk ($4.80), Poached Wontons in Chilli Soy ($7.20), Crispy Salmon Skin with Salted Egg Yolk ($6) and Deep-fried Squid with Salt and Pepper ($8). There are 6 light bites in total which made great starters but we ordered none. Instead, we moved directly to the Sharing Plates.
We ordered only the Braised Spinach Benacurd ($16) and enjoyed everything about the beancurd as the beancurd was silky and well seasoned. However, I find the sauce a little too starchy.
We were glad to spot a section on Claypot Rice. Uniquely, over at Full of Luck Club, they uses interesting ingredients on the claypot like Black Bean Smoked Duck ($14), Truffle Pepper Beef ($16) and Yuzu Char Siew Cod ($16). If diners prefer the commonly found flavours could opt for the Chicken and Salted Fish ($14) or Mixed Preserved Meats ($14). One last dish on the Claypot Rice menu is the Portuguesue Pork Chop ($14) which sounded equally fabulous.
There are 3 interesting Iced Tea served at the restaurant; Lychee Oolong Iced Tea ($4.50), Raspberry Pu-er Iced Tea ($4.50) and Sour Plum Oolong ($4.50). I was glad that they no longer serve the Iced Tea in disposed plastic cup, instead in a tall glass.
Full of Luck Club serves an extensive list of beverages that include Wine, Chinese Craft Beer and Sparkling Sake for alcoholic drinks; Premium Chinese Tea and Coffee for non-alcoholic choices.
Should diner popped over Full of Luck Club for lunch, do look out for the lunch set which consist of either 2 baos or claypot rice with an Iced Tea.
NAHMJ Verdict
In a nutshell, we enjoyed the food and drinks prepared at Full of Luck Club.
There are interesting choices for sharing or for solo dining. And since it is next to a MRT station, diners need not worry rain or shine.
Full Of Luck Club By Li Bai
243 Holland Ave, Singapore 278977
Tel: +65 6208 6845
Website: http://www.fullofluck.club
FB: https://www.facebook.com/fullofluckclub/?fref=ts
Opening Hours
Daily 1100 to 2300
Getting There
By MRT:
- Circle line – Holldand Village
By Bus:
- alight at Blk 12 or at Holland Village MRT station along Holland Avenue 48, 61, 95, 106, 970
- alight at or opposite Holland Village along Holland Road 7, 61, 75, 77, 95, 165, 970
Rating: 7.5/10