Imperial Treasure’s new secret Bar + Grill offers barbecue skewers including offal and duck’s chin

Not your average grill joint – this hidden restaurant-within-a-restaurant is for those seeking a novel dining experience revolving around Chinese-style barbecue paired with wine.

The Imperial Treasure brand is so beloved in Singapore’s dining scene that it certainly feels like no matter what new concept it rolls out, it simply can’t go wrong.

Its latest offering is a hidden restaurant-within-a-restaurant – down a moody corridor of Imperial Treasure Cantonese Cuisine at Great World, a large dining room featuring 28 counter seats around an open kitchen opens up.

Previously an R&D space, it’s now Imperial Treasure Bar + Grill. The specialty here is Chinese-style skewers designed to be paired with wine.

Cooked over an electric grill, many of the skewers, ranging from fresh seafood to vegetable, meat and offal, are grilled with oyster sauce – some items utilise Japanese barbecue sauce, too – and served with Chinese-style condiments like chilli vinegar and spice powder.

Menu items like Grilled Six-Head Fresh Abalone with Oyster Sauce, Grilled USA Diced Beef with Salt and Grilled Giant Grouper Fillet with Oyster Sauce showcase the freshness of the produce.

But there are also more exotic items, like Grilled Duck’s Chin with Japanese BBQ Sauce. While duck chins are a popular snack in China and even feature in home cooking, the dish isn’t often found on menus here.

“We observed that more diners are seeking new flavours and experiences. Duck chin has very interesting textures and when cooked right, tastes really good. Not many people have tried it or even know about this part,” an Imperial Treasure spokesperson told us, adding that they aim to introduce more lesser-known dishes as time progresses.

Right now, though, the menu also includes a good range of offal dishes like Grilled Pig’s Liver with Oyster Sauce, Grilled Pig’s Large Intestine with Japanese BBQ Sauce, Grilled Chicken Liver with Honey and Grilled Chicken Heart with Salt.  

Diners can choose from an a la carte menu or go with the Skewers Sets at S$68++ or S$108++ per person. Each set has 10 courses and concludes with a hot bowl of mee sua in an intensely tasty chicken broth, as well as desserts of Black Glutinous Rice Pudding and Chilled Osmanthus Jelly with Wolfberries.

The restaurant also has two private rooms, each with a 12-seat capacity. Wines are curated to enhance the food and the resident sommelier will guide you through them. There are also sakes, beers and classic cocktails.

“We are constantly thinking about how to provide an elevated dining experience for our customers,” Imperial Treasure’s spokesperson shared. “While people are familiar with Japanese-style yakitori, our commitment to serving the freshest and finest ingredients inspired us to explore premium Chinese-style grilling and how different wines can further enhance the unique flavour profile of those ingredients.”

With 20-plus restaurants and counting, how does Imperial Treasure decide on new concepts to roll out? By identifying gaps in the market and considering diner feedback, they said. And, “From our travels, we find new delicacies and concepts. If we feel they can work in our markets, we will plan to introduce them.” For instance, a new concept that will roll out before the end of the year centres around Huaiyang cuisine, a style of cooking from regions around the Huaihe and Yangtze rivers in China.

In the meantime, duck chin, which turns out to be quite tasty paired with chilli vinegar, will satisfy our taste for the rather more novel and exotic.  

Imperial Treasure Bar + Grill is at 1 Kim Seng Promenade, Great World #02-111, Singapore 237994.