• CRYSTAL JADE PRESTIGE

  02-01 Marina Bay Link Mall (Ground Plaza), 8A Marina Boulevard, tel: 6509-9493

  Open: 11.30am to 3pm (weekday), 11am to 3.30pm (weekend and public holiday), 6 to 10.30pm daily

  Food: 3.5 stars

  Service: 3.5 stars

  Ambience: 3 stars

  Price: Budget from $50 a person for dim sum, from $100 a person for a la carte

Within the Crystal Jade hierarchy, I would position the new restaurant as below its premium Crystal Jade Golden Palace in Paragon shopping centre.

Think of it as a smaller version of the Crystal Jade Palace Restaurant in Ngee Ann City - not cheap, but more family-friendly.

The cooking, too, falls short of the exquisite quality you find at the Paragon outlet, but lives up to the generally good fine-dining standards at Crystal Jade.

Out of the five dim sum items I try at lunch, only one - Steamed Shrimp, Scallop & Bamboo Pith Dumpling ($6.80 for three) - turns out disappointing. That is only because the stuffing is underseasoned. Otherwise, I enjoy the freshness of the seafood as well as the delicate, translucent skin of the dumpling.

The other dim sum are good. The siew mai ($6.60 for four) has a delicious filling of pork and shrimp and comes topped with fish roe. The Baked BBQ Pork With Sesame Pastry ($6.20 for three) is topped with pine nuts, not sesame, and boasts soft, buttery pastry.

The Deep-fried Crispy Beancurd Skin Roll ($6.20) lives up to its name in that the beancurd skin is much crispier than what is served in other restaurants. The springy shrimp paste wrapped in the skin is delightful too.

Among the main dishes I try at dinner, most turn out good, but not great.

The Smoked Peking Duck ($88) is a different interpretation of the classic dish in that the bird is smoked before being roasted in an oven.

I like the woody, smoky aroma that greets you when the dish is served, but find the meat, while tender, rather dry.

It may be because the chef has sliced the pieces too thinly, which I point out to the manager. When I return for lunch three days later, I notice the duck at a neighbouring table comes in thicker slices.

The Baked Japanese Cod Fish With Teriyaki Sauce ($20 a person) is also different. The teriyaki sauce is used sparingly, which makes the dish less cloying than most versions. The fish is served with slices of ripe mango that provide not only a refreshing fruity sweetness, but also a pleasant touch of acidity.

Because Chinese New Year is approaching, I also order a vegetarian dish Cantonese folk typically eat on the first day of the lunar calendar - Braised Assorted Vegetable with Fermented Beancurd Sauce ($22). This turns out to be very good.

There is a distinct fragrance of red fermented beancurd (called nam yu in Cantonese), but the seasoning is not too salty.

The assorted ingredients - which include Napa cabbage, Chinese mushrooms and black and snow fungus - are simmered long enough in the sauce to soak up the delicious flavours.

That is a dish I am happy to eat any time, not just during Chinese New Year.

• Follow Wong Ah Yoke on Twitter @STahyoke
• The Sunday Times paid for its meals at the restaurant reviewed here.