Spring Court has evidently withstood the test of time since it opened its doors in the former Great World Amusement Park at Kim Seng Road in 1929. Whilst it is always good to welcome refreshing changes in life, it is just as heart-warming to know that good ol' traditional recipes have not been eroded with the sea of changes in Singapore. With about three to four generations worth of authentic Cantonese recipes passed down till today, Spring Court continues to welcome its loyal customers alongside new generations of citizens as well as those less familiar to its grounds.

• The Vibe
  It is hard not to notice Spring Court. Located at Chinatown Street, Spring Court is 100% Oriental, 101% Chinese. High-backed antique wooden chairs placed around large clothed tables line themselves neatly throughout the restaurant grounds. Even lovelier are their traditional wooden chests that store utensils and jugs of Chinese tea, together with intricate carvings along wooden doors and pillars. Large paper lamps with delicate Chinese-style designs hang from the ceiling, illuminating the whole restaurant with a relaxing yellow hue and adding a graceful Oriental touch.
• The Food
  For starters, Managing Director Soon Puay Keow has introduced her family's popiah ($6 per roll) recipe, with delicate skin wrapped firmly around a vast assortment of vegetables, minced pork ribs and other ingredients. Portions are large – one popiah is enough to fill a meal's worth. Pop a piece into your mouth and luxuriate in the feel of different textures, juices and flavours given off by each ingredient. Its natural sweetness emerges from tender shredded slices of pork ribs, giving the entire roll a pleasurable oomph indescribable to the senses.

  Other specialty dishes include the Shark's Fin & Crab Meat Soup ($28). The steaming bowl of shark's fin soup was aromatic as well as generous in ingredients. Staying true to the original recipe, which date back to 1929, fresh crab meat sweetened the soup stock as well as adds flavour to it. This dish becomes more savoury as substantial bits of shark's fin and fish slices add a chewy texture to the light soup stock.

  The highlight of the meal is the Spring Court's all-famous Chilli Crab in Claypot ($3.80 per 100g; approx $55 one whole crab). Cooked in a large claypot and soaked in a mouth-watering blended chilli sauce, this famous Hokkien dish lives up to its reputation indeed. The Sri-Lankan imported crabs encase crab meat so tender and succulent, it makes chewing a pleasure beyond words. The accompanying sauce further enhances the exquisite taste.

  Prolong your enjoyment with a smooth and refreshing dessert like the Fresh Almond Paste in Coconut ($6.80). Almond lovers rejoice! This warm dessert combines the refreshing taste of young coconut as well as sweetness of almond into one, with the option of scraping out coconut flesh to add a juicier tinge to the overall dessert.

• The Service
  Professional and experienced, staff at Spring Court will always be delighted to introduce dishes to customers. Loyal customers often leave it in their hands when it comes to ordering in a group – simply provide them with a budget and be satisfied with a delicious menu and an ultimately sumptuous meal.

The SD Food Advisor's take on Spring Court
A traditional restaurant with a long-standing history never seems to go wrong, especially with recipes up to seven decades old. The overall oriental decoration of Spring Court seems to enhance its reputation as the oldest Chinese restaurant in Singapore. Furthermore, the availability of top-grade Chinese delicacies packed into reasonable pricings makes tasting authentic Chinese cuisine all the more satisfying.