As with other restaurants in the Maxim's Group, the food at Sichuan Garden has been adapted to suit the local palate - although the menu is predominantly Sichuanese, the fiery effects of chilli are kept to a manageable level.
From the list of dim sum choices, we opted for shrimp dumplings ($28 for four) and turnip puffs ($28 for three). The former, a Cantonese favourite, were slightly disappointing. The shrimp filling was bland and had a suspicious taste of soda. The crispy turnip puffs were a better choice.
Served cold, braised gluten with fungus ($55) was a perfect summer appetiser. The gluten, which had absorbed all the flavours of the fungus and Chinese black mushrooms, was simply delicious.
Pork dumplings in chilli sauce ($24 for eight) were another let-down. The wrapping was a little too thick for our liking and the dish would have benefited from more flavours.
Things improved with the pan-fried string beans ($72), which we selected from the main menu. The string beans were cooked to a perfect texture, while olive leaves infused a pungent taste and minced pork added bite.
The dessert selection was excellent, with souffle balls with mashed red-bean filling being just one of the many choices. But as we had very little room, we opted for sago cream with mango and pomelo ($20) and chilled coffee pudding ($18), which were both light and refreshing. Lunch for two, including two glasses of juice and Chinese tea, came to $350.