Liu Fu Si Fang Cai (劉府私房菜) Privating Dining - An Exclusive Culinary Haven for Chinese Cuisine Enthusiasts

I recently had the privilege of experiencing Liu Fu Si Fang Cai (劉府私房菜), a sought-after private dining in Singapore. It stands as a revered bastion of private dining dedicated to the art of Chinese cuisine. Though open to reservations monthly, it maintains an air of exclusivity, requiring a dash of luck to secure a coveted table.

Black Garlic Chicken Soup 4.5/5

The dining symphony commenced with the elegant overture of Black Garlic Chicken Soup. Served bubbling in a pot, the chicken, infused with the subtle sweetness of black garlic, bestowed an enriched depth to the flavoursome broth. The harmony between the robust chicken essence and the nuanced black garlic note was a delightful prelude to the feast ahead.

Har Cheong Pork Belly 4.2/5

Setting the stage for innovative culinary twists, Liu Fu Si Fang Cai showcased their rendition of Har Cheong Pork Belly. While Har Cheong Chicken is a familiar delicacy, the concept of Har Cheong Pork Belly was a revelation. Delicately fried to a golden crisp, the pork belly delivered a burst of flavour, harmoniously merging the beloved shrimp paste essence with the tender meat.

Steamed Soon Hock with 2 types of Chye Poh 4/5

The spotlight then turned to the Steamed Soon Hock with 2 types of Chye Poh. This perfectly executed dish demonstrated the synergy between delicate cooking techniques and thoughtfully paired ingredients. The marriage of the Soon Hock's tender flesh with the distinct sweetness of the Chye Poh created a symphony of flavours that tantalized the palate.

Mustard Greens with Sio Bak 5/5

An unexpected delight arrived in the form of Mustard Greens with Sio Bak, cooked ingeniously in Assam. This unique concoction showcased the culinary prowess of Liu Fu Si Fang Cai. The infusion of Assam into the dish balanced the inherent bitterness of the mustard greens, resulting in a harmonious blend of flavours that delighted even the most discerning palates.

Fried Hokkien Mee 4/5

The highly anticipated signature, Fried Hokkien Mee, took the stage next. Infused with the rich essence of prawn stock, the dish was a homage to traditional flavours. While not claiming the crown of the best I've tasted, it was undoubtedly a plate of gratifying delight.

Black Pepper Crab 4.5/5

The feast took a delightful twist with the indulgence of Black Pepper Crab. Delving into the crab's succulent flesh, coated in a piquant black pepper sauce, was an experience that ignited the senses. The sauce's fiery notes skillfully complemented the crab's natural sweetness, making it a finger-licking, unforgettable endeavour.

Crystal Tang Yuan 3.5/5

As the culinary journey drew to a close, the Crystal Tang Yuan took centre stage, offering a sweet denouement to the gastronomic masterpiece. Bursting with two distinct flavours, this dessert captured the essence of Liu Fu Si Fang Cai's innovative approach to traditional dishes, leaving a lingering and memorable impression.

In conclusion, Liu Fu Si Fang Cai stands as a testament to the heritage and classic dishes that flourish within the realm of private dining. Each dish's harmonious symphony of flavours and techniques showcases the chef's dedication to elevating the dining experience. While the reservation process may demand a dash of luck, the resulting culinary journey is undoubtedly worth the anticipation. For those pursuing a gastronomic adventure that marries tradition and creativity, Liu Fu Si Fang Cai awaits with open doors and exquisite creations.


Liu Fu Si Fang Cai (劉府私房菜) Privating Dining
20 Tembeling Road
Singapore 423556
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CHAR Restaurant @ Jalan Besar - The All New Premium Slow Roasted Kurobuta Char Siew

CHAR Restaruant is started back in 2014 by two Vietnam born brothers Anthony and Alvin Ung who used to live and work in the United Kingdom before re-locating to Singapore. The duo opens their first restaurant at Guillemard Road  before moving to their current location at Jalan Besar. CHAR restaurant is known for their unique twist on traditional Chinese roasts such as char siew, roast pork and roast duck, accompanied by a sizeable Cantonese-based menu.

Passionfruit Prawn Ball 4/5

Our dinner started with some Passionfruit Prawn Ball ($22) which is shelled, lightly dusted in flour and deep fried to an enjoyable crunchy and crispy texture. The prawns are then coated in a sweet and tangy passionfruit dressing, for a refreshing finish.

Signature Double Boiled Chicken Soup 4.5/5

Cantonese cuisine is known for the soup and not to be missed is the Signature Double Boiled Chicken Soup ($10). The bowl of soup comes with chicken pieces, morel mushrooms, white cabbage and dried scallops. The comforting bowl of soup has a milky consistency, packed with depth. This is achieved from boiling chicken bones and cartilage for hours. Do note that limited bowls are available per day.

Signature Char Siew 4/5

The Signature Char Siew ($6 per 100g) is the brothers' original creation for their restaurant opening. A minimum order of 300g is required. Using pork belly for their char siew, I was told the balanced ratio of lean and fat undergone 3 different stages of cooking to achieve the tenderness and moist. During the last stage, a special marinade consists of 30 different ingredients is infused into the pork belly. The char siew texture indeed is very soft, almost felt like having a piece of fat. The sticky dark sauce was really sweet, in fact a bit too sweet for me.

Premium Slow Roasted Kurobuta Char Siew 4.5/5

The brothers' latest creation is the Premium Slow Roasted Kurobuta Char Siew ($20 per 150g) which is only available during dinner and needed be to reserved beforehand. Only 10 portion is available each day. Using the premium kurobuta pork belly, it has a higher lean to fat ratio with marbling. It gives the char siew a firm yet moist bite. It is then slow roasted over a combination of charcoal and sweet lychee wood, giving it an aromatic smoky flavour.

Black Garlic Stewed Chicken in Casserole 4/5

Give me a bowl of rice, that is my thought when the Black Garlic Stewed Chicken in Casserole ($15.80) is served. The claypot comes with pieces of chicken thigh and oyster mushroom braised in a dark sauce consisting of oyster sauce, dark soya sauce and sugar. The roasted black garlic cloves provided a nice caramelised sweetness to the dish.

Fresh Wild Yam with Pork in Sambal Sauce 4/5

The Fresh Wild Yam with Pork in Sambal Sauce ($13.80) is an interesting dish incorporating fresh wild yam with pork slices, celery and green peppers in sambal belachan sauce. Although sambal belachan is used, it is not as spicy as I thought. In fact it is well balanced, with a nice wok hei aroma. My favourite element is the crunchiness of the wild yam.

Charcoal Beancurd with Spinach and Wild Fungi 4.2/5

From crunchiness, my attention moved to the silky Charcoal Beancurd with Spinach and Wild Fungi ($14.80).  Freshly made daily from scratch and infused with charcoal powder, the beancurd is first steamed and then deep fried. A light broth consisting of oyster sauce, dried scallop and wild mushrooms is drizzled over the beancurd, giving it a coat of shine for a wonderful dish.

Crispy Egg Noodles with Kurobuta Pork 4.5/5

Last but not least we have the Crispy Egg Noodles with Kurobuta Pork ($16.80) to wrap up the dinner. I enjoyed how the egg noodles managed to soak up the delightful broth while still have a slight crisp to it. The jewel on the crown is the lightly pan-fried Kurobuta pork.

Besides the roasts and Cantonese dishes, CHAR restaurant offers a selection of ciders and ales specially handpicked by the Ung brothers. Everyday there will be three ales and a cider by draft at $14 per pint and $8 for half a pint. On top of that, there are bottle ales and ciders at $15 and $14 a bottle respectively.


CHAR Restaurant
363 Jalan Besar Road
Singapore 208994
Tel: +65 68427759
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Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line), Boon Keng (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 1130am - 230pm, 6pm - 10pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Horne Road. Turn left onto Horne Road. Walk to the end of Horne Road. Turn right onto Tyrwhitt Road. Turn left onto Beatty Lane and walk to Jalan Besar Road. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Boon Keng MRT station. Take Exit C. Turn left onto Boon Keng Road.  Walk to Bendemeer Road. Turn right onto Bendemeer Road. Walk down Bendemeer Road to Jalan Besar Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Min Jiang @ One North - The Magic Of Black Garlic

Known for its unique flavour and health benefit, the black garlic took the stage from 15 March to 14 April 2017 at Min Jiang, One-North. For a limited period, Master Chef Goh Chee Kong has created six dishes highlighting the special ingredient - Japanese Black Garlic. Unlike the normal garlic, black garlic is actually sweet due to the ageing process.

Black Garlic Duo Platter 3.5/5

We started with the Black Garlic Duo Platter ($12/pax) which comprises of Pan Fried Scallop with Black Garlic and Sliced Pork with Shredded Pickled Papaya and Black Garlic. The scallop is stuffed with a minced prawn-black garlic-water chestnut paste and lightly seared. While the scallop is plump and flavourful, the sweetness of the black garlic was hardly noticeable. I preferred the sliced pork which I actually could taste the subtle sweetness of the black garlic

Double Boiled Black Chicken Soup with Black Garlic 4.5/5

One of my favourite dishes on the menu is the Double Boiled Black Chicken Soup with Black Garlic, Dried Scallops and Top Shell ($22/pax). The flavourful and nourishing soup is brewed for a good 4 hours, extracting the essences of the black chicken and seafood. A glove of black garlic is added at the end and steamed for another 20 minutes, giving the soup an extra sweet note from the black garlic.

Steamed Lobster with Winter Melon and Black Garlic 4/5

The Steamed Lobster with Winter Melon and Black Garlic ($30/order) is topped with a mixture of minced black and white garlic which complemented the bouncy and juicy lobster meat. The use of winter melon gives the dish a refreshing touch.

Stewed Organic Green Tea Noodles with Black Garlic and Minced Pork 4.2/5

Not to be missed is the Stewed Organic Green Tea Noodles with Black Garlic and Minced Pork ($10/pax). The dish has the elements of Zha Jiang Mian and the restaurant's popular braised mee pok dish. It is tossed in dried shrimp chilli pasta and jazzed up with black garlic.

Pandan Jelly with Lime Sorbet 4/5

Wrapping up the dinner, we had the Pandan Jelly with Lime Sorbet ($10/pax). A refreshing and sweet finish to round off the dinner.

The Black Garlic promotion is available only for a limited period from 15 March to 14 April 2017. Besides the dishes I tried, there are other creation from Chef Goh such as the Sauteed Beef Cubes with Two Kinds of Garlic and Pan Fried Sea Perch with Black Garlic and Seasonal Vegetables.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Min Jiang at One North
No. 5 Rochester Park
Singapore 139216
Tel: +65 67740122
Website
Nearest MRT: Buona Vista (CC Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 230pm, 6pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Buona Vista MRT station. Take Exit B or C. Walk to Star Vista. At Rochester Drive turn left. Continue on Rochester Drive to the end of the road. Cross the road and continue on Rochester Park. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Yan Restauant (宴) @ National Gallery Singapore - Introduces Prosperity Soup Feast

Yan Restaurant at National Gallery Singapore is introducing the Prosperity Soup Feast for a limited period from 19 September 2016 to 31 October 2016. A total of 25 double boiled soups are prepared using time-honoured recipes. Every week the menu will feature 5 of the soups and rotating them weekly during the promotion period.

Double Boiled Frog with Conpoy and Winter Melon 4.5/5

If you have been under the weather and feeling heaty, the Doubled Boiled Frog with Conpoy and Winter Melon will be the perfect soup to clear the body heatiness. The light and refreshing was not only comforting, it comes with a homely flavour that felt like mother's cooking.

Doubled Boiled Hashima with Huang Qi and Dang Shen 3.8/5

For those ladies that want a nice complexion, the Doubled Boiled Hashima with Huang Qi and Dang Shen will help to improves the skin complexion for a radiant glow.

Doubled Boiled Sea Whelk and Black Garlic 4/5

With the outbreak of Zika in Singapore, you probably want to strengthen your immune system and Yan Restaurant has the right soup in the Doubled Boiled Sea Whelk and Black Garlic, using the medical properties of the black garlic and wolfberries.

Doubled Boiled Duck with Parsley and Dried Orange Peel 4.2/5

Having a cold? The Doubled Boiled Duck with Parsley and Dried Orange Peel is supposed to help prevent cold. Besides the medical benefit and robust soup, what I enjoyed most is tender roasted duck that comes with the soup.

Double Boiled Chinese Cabbage with Yunnan Ham 3.8/5

When I knew that the Double Boiled Chinese Cabbage with Yunnan Ham can help to nourishes the lungs and boosts energy, I thought this is the right soup me as I have asthma and Singapore is starting to experience the haze from the forest fire in Indonesia. I thought the bitterness of the Chinese cabbage threw the balance of the soup a little off or it will be an even better dish.

The soups are priced at $13.80 each, and they all comes with a bowl of rice. It is not a bowl of ordinary rice. The fragrant bowl of rice is cooked in an imperial stock and comes with crispy rice.  It has both flavour and texture.

Signature Roasted Crispy Suckling Pig Served 3 Ways

Not to be missed at Yan Restaurant is some of the mainstay dishes such as the Signature Roasted Crispy Suckling Pig ($124 for half, $248 for whole) served in 3 ways. First is to enjoy the crispiness of the crackling skin paired with the steamed pancake, cucumber and scallion.

Carved Shoulder 4.5/5

The second way of enjoying the suckling pig is the Carved Shoulder. If you have enjoyed the crispy skin, this is like 2 in 1. You get to have both the succulent meat as well as the crispy skin.

Oven Baked Fillet with Lemongrass 4/5

Last but not least, we have the Oven Baked Fillet with Lemongrass. I wasn't expecting that little fellow has so much meat. It felt like have Japanese yakitori.

Steamed Thousand Layer Beancurd 4.2/5

We were all so impressed with the knife skill when the Steamed Thousand Layer Beancurd with Dice Honey Glazed Pork, Conpoy, Mushroom and Ginko Nuts. The silky smooth beancurd was complemented by the beautiful sauce and I enjoyed the contrast of textures from the diced pork, conpoy, mushroom and ginko nuts.

Chilled Mango Cream Topped with Vanilla Ice Cream and Oats 4.5/5

Wrapping up our dinner is the Chilled Mango Cream. It is served in a coconut husk and topped with vanilla ice cream and oats for the extra crunch. The bonus is that you can even have the coconut flesh after cleaning up the chilled mango cream and ice cream.

Kindly be reminder that the Prosperity Soup Feast is run on a rotational basis, with a minimum of 5 different soups available daily. If you want to try any specific soup out of the 25 soups, guests is welcome to pre-order at least a day in advance. Besides the limited period of the prosperity soup feast, Yan Restauant also offers a omakasa-style dining experience when Chef Chan and his team will design a customized menu using the best seasonal produce.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Yan Restauant (宴)
National Gallery Singapore
1 St Andrew's Road
#05-02
Singapore 178957
Tel: +65 63845585
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Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 6pm - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit D. Turn left and walk down North Bridge Road. Turn left onto Coleman Street. Walk down Coleman Street. Walk to destination. Journey time around 5 minutes. [Map]