There’s another award-winning food chain picking Richmond as its first Canadian outpost.
Singapore Cantonese fine dining restaurant, Crystal Jade Palace, is taking over the old Mobler Furniture unit at 3351 Sweden Way.
Well, it’s part of the building.
It will sit inside the upcoming GreenTee Golf Richmond Centre, an indoor golf complex by JKWG Development with screen golf bays, a club fitting studio, a pro shop and a sauna under the same roof.
JKWG operates several golf courses and member-owned private clubs in BC.
If you remember the Korean brunch spot that was previously in Kerrisdale, Jess Restaurant, it is part of JKWG.
Crystal Jade started in Singapore in 1991 and grew to more than 100 locations across Asia, split between casual chains like Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao and Crystal Jade Hong Kong Kitchen, and a fine dining tier made up of Crystal Jade Palace and Crystal Jade Golden Palace.
Richmond is getting the fine dining one.
Its sister restaurant, Crystal Jade Golden Palace in Singapore’s Paragon mall, held one Michelin star from 2016 to 2018.
Meanwhile, casual concepts in Hong Kong & Macau outpost held Michelin Bib Gourmand from 2009 to 2015 and Shanghai and Seoul held that same Michelin designation in 2017 & 2018.
At its Singapore flagship, Crystal Jade Palace serves refined Cantonese classics alongside a few modern regional takes, and reviewers keep pointing to its xiao long bao, Steamed XO Scallop Dumplings and Roasted Duck with Black Truffle.
The Richmond menu hasn’t been released yet, so we’ll have to wait and see which of these make the trip.
The Richmond plan was announced in mid-August, and the work on the ground has kept going since.
JKWG has hired Allen Ren as the restaurant’s executive chef.
He has more than 23 years running Chinese kitchens in Asia and Canada, most recently as executive chef at iDen & Quanjude in Vancouver, and specializes in Cantonese and Huaiyang cooking.
Crystal Jade’s group executive chef, Martin Foo, also flew in with his master chef team to work with the Richmond kitchen, and the golf centre has started bringing on pre-opening staff.
Back in Singapore, the picture looks a bit different.
On September 29, receivers from Kroll were appointed over the group’s Singapore and Hong Kong holding companies.
Four more Singapore outlets closed on October 6, bringing this year’s closures there to nine and leaving nine open, and the receivers say the business is being readied for a sale.
The restaurants still open in Singapore include Crystal Jade Palace at Takashimaya and Golden Palace at Paragon.
The outlets that closed were its casual chains, including three Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao locations and a Crystal Jade Hong Kong Kitchen, while all three of its fine dining restaurants are still in business.
Nothing published so far says whether the receivership touches the Richmond restaurant, and JKWG calls Crystal Jade Palace “our new restaurant” in its own posts.
The upcoming restaurant has been in hiring mode since September, so the restaurant is likely to open sometime this Fall.
Crystal Jade Palace joins other upcoming Richmond food spots like Trusty Congee King, Lai San Wan Noodles and Sangoku.
Address
3351 Sweden Way, Richmond, BC
