Yan Restaurant (宴) @ National Gallery Singapore - Encapsulates The Heart And Soul Of Cantonese Cuisine With A Refreshed Menu

Yan Restaurant (宴) at National Gallery Singapore welcomes new Head Chef Ng Sen Tio. Under his belt is three decades of experience in the kitchens of Chinese restaurants in Singapore. Staying true to Yan's ethos of offering a convivial feast of Cantonese flavours for the tummy, eyes and soul, Chef Ng curates a new and refreshed menu.

We started with a trio of starters which gives us a glimpse of the refreshed menu. On the plate, we have the Marinated Okra with Homemade Spiced Sauce, House Special Caramelized Barbecued Pork and Fried Minced Duck Meat with Cuttlefish Paste in Egg Pancake. The spiced sauce for the okra is like our local "Hae Bee Hiam" which complements the crunchy green excellently. The barbecued pork uses the "wu hua rou" cut which has a delectable fat to lean ratio. It is also beautifully caramelised and not overly sweet, this is a joy to eat. Lastly, the egg pancake comes with different layers of texture at play. This is a traditional dish taught by his mentor in the 1970s. While it is good, I can't really taste the duck meat in it.

Golden Pumpkin Broth with Seafood and Chicken Paste Beancurd 4.2/5

The Golden Pumpkin Broth with Seafood and Chicken Paste Beancurd ($18 per serving) is a dish that can be enjoyed by both young and old. The paste beancurd ball is so soft that it is easy for the old to indulge in. The young can have it with the ease of mind that they will not find fish bones in it. As for me, the sweet pumpkin broth packed with essence from the pork and chicken consomme goes really well with the pillowy paste beancurd ball. Each spoonful feels like floating on cloud nine.

Claypot Work-fried Prawns with Fish Maw, Vermicelli and Homemade XO Sauce 4.5/5

A dish that I will definitely order in my re-visit is the Claypot Work-fried Prawns with Fish Maw, Vermicelli and Homemade XO Sauce ($38/$57/$76). The ingredients are braised separately and cooked with the XO sauce, melding everything the flavours together. It is then garnished with fresh buds of night-blooming jasmine, emitting a sweet scent as the lid is lifted.

Wok-fried Crab with Homemade Pumpkin Sauce 4.5/5

For those that have gotten tired of chilli, salted egg or black pepper crab, the Wok-fried Crab with Homemade Pumpkin Sauce will be a delightful substitute. The sauce is creamy and sweet. The addition of curry leaves perks it with aromas. It is one finger-licking tasty dish that you probably doesn't want to miss. Not to forget ordering some fried mantou to wipe clean the sauce.

House Special Local Lobster Porridge with Clams and Puffed Rice 4.2/5

For something comforting, there is the House Special Local Lobster Porridge with Clams and Puffed Rice. The robust broth is made from chicken stock, lobster and prawn shells. Then steamed rice and seafood are added, allowing the rice grains to absorbed the flavours. Before serving, deep-fried crispy purple rice is added for that extra textural enjoyment.

Chilled Peach Resin with Osmanthus and Aloe Vera Jelly 4/5

Finishing off the dinner, I have the Chilled Peach Resin with Osmanthus and Aloe Vera Jelly. It is light and refreshing, yet not overly sweet with crunchy peach resin.

Noted: This is an invited tasting.


Yan Restaurant (宴)
National Gallery Singapore
1 St Andrew's Road
#05-02
Singapore 178958
Tel: +65 63845585
Facebook
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]

AquaMarine @ Marina Mandarin Hotel Singapore - Old School Hong Kong Delights

For a limited period from 5 April to 30 April 2019, AquaMarine at Marina Mandarin Hotel Singapore will be offering Hong Kong cuisine of yesteryear to their Halal-certified buffet. The buffet spread will consists old school Hong Kong delights such as quail egg siew mai, braised beef rib with mui choy, claypot lamb brisket with bamboo shoot and more.

Chui Chow Oyster Porridge 4.2/5

Warm up the stomach with a bowl of comforting Chui Chow Oyster Porridge. The addition of fresh oyster provided the additional boost to the flavourful broth while the rice puff gives it a delightful finishing crisp.

Hong Kong Cart Noodle 4.2/5

A must try is the Hong Kong Cart Noodle, a popular street food originating in the 1950s. What stand out is the superb broth that is packed with depth and robustness. The beauty of cart noodle is that one can add anything into their bowl of noodle, and this comes with the choice of braised chicken wing, curry fishball, cuttlefish and braised beef. I love this so much that I gone back for a second helping.

Quail Egg Siew Mai 3.5/5

Pan Fried Abalone Cheong Fun with XO Sauce 4/5

Hong Kong cuisine is known for the dim sum and its inevitable that these needs to be on the buffet spread. The Quail Egg Siew Mai is a traditional dim sum that is hardly seen on the menu nowadays. My favourite goes to to the Pan Fried Abalone Cheong Fun with XO Sauce for its wok-hei, complemented by the excellent XO sauce.

Baby Lobster in "Bi Feng Tang" Style 3.8/5

Only available during dinner is the Baby Lobster in "Bi Feng Tang" Style. The bouncy flesh of the baby lobster is coated with lots of garlic, ginger, chilli and spring onion for an aromatic finish.

Braised Beef Rib with "Mui Choy" 3.8/5

While the Braised Beef Rib with "Mui Choy" is cooked until very tender, I feel that the braised beef rib shines on its own even without the accompanying Mui Choy.

Egg Waffle 3.5/5

For the dessert section, you can also find popular and traditional Hong Kong street snacks such as Egg Waffle, Hong Kong Red Bean Pudding, Bolo Bao, Egg Tart and Walnut Cookies. Let you into a secret, I like to have the egg waffle together with the durian pengat. It is just an heavenly combination.

Hong Kong Red Bean Rice Pudding, Bolo Bun, Egg Tart, Walnut Cookies

I would also recommend getting a cup of Hong Kong Milk Tea to go along with the desserts. It is a good chance of the usual kuehs and cakes on the dessert line.

Pricing
$60++ per adult and $30++ per child for lunch daily
$73++ per adult and $36.50++ per child for dinner Monday to Thursday
$83++ per adult and $41.50++ per child for dinner Friday to Sunday, Public Holidays and eves of Public Holidays

Note: This is an invited tasting.


AquaMarine
Marina Mandarin Singapore
6 Raffles Boulevard
Level 4
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 68451111
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 3pm, 630pm - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit B or D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

The Line @ Shangri-La Hotel Singapore - Usher In An Auspicious Year Of The Pig With A Sumptuous Lunar New Year Reunion Feast

Gather your loved ones together and herald a year of happiness and richness with a reunion feast at The Line, Shangri-La Hotel Singapore. The celebratory spread features auspicious regional dishes including Shanghainese, Cantonese, Szechuan and Singaporean favourites to welcome prosperity and fortitude for the Lunar New Year.

Available from 10 January to 28 February 2019, diners can look forward to a plethora of international dishes, with a number of festive highlights such as the Cantonese Imperial Seafood Porridge, Chilli Crayfish, Fried Salted Egg Fish Skin, Cantonese Waxed Meat Rice, and Crispy Chicken with Young Ginger.

The Chilli Crayfish is one of my favourite dishes, with tender fresh crayfish meat that just falls off easily from its shell. Drenched in a pool of sweet chilli sauce that adds just the right amount of heat to bring out the freshness of the seafood.

Available at the buffet lineup is the Cantonese Imperial Seafood Porridge. The perfect dish for something warm and comforting before diving into the richer savouries or have them along with bowls of these porridge which exudes out the sweet freshness of seafood.

One of the local's favourite - the Fried Salted Egg Fish Skin did not disappoint with its crispy deep-fried fish skin dusted in thick coats of salted egg powder. This richly flavoured snack is deeply addictive.

Round off your Lunar New Year meal with their Cantonese Waxed Meat Rice - for something familiar and comforting.

Other dishes at the buffet include the seafood, meat, and asian food sections.

The lavish dessert spread include an impressive array of petite dessert cups and cakes as well, such as the Green Tea Opera, 66% Caraibe Chocolate Cremeux, Profiteroles, 72% Chocolate Nutty Cake, Rainbow eclair, Tiramisu, Strawberry Litchi, Black Velvet cake and so on. Diners can also indulge in a variety of nonya delights such as the pandan chiffon, kuehs, as well as old school cakes.

Reunion Dinner Feast
10 January to 28 February 2019
Monday and Sunday - $80++
Friday and Saturday - $95++

BBQ-themed feast
Tuesday - $88++

Mad for Wagyu Feast
Wednesday - $88++

Seafood-themed Feast
Thursday - $98++ inclusive of free flow ,beers and soft drinks

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


The Line
Shangri-La Hotel Singapore
Lobby Level
22 Orange Grove Road
Singapore 258350
Tel: +65 62134398
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 6am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk towards Wheellock Place via ION. Exit Wheellock Place and turn left towards Liat Tower. Cross the road at the traffic light junction and turn left towards Royal Thai Embassy. Walk down to the end of Orchard Road. Turn right onto Orange Grove Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 23 minutes. [Map]

Empress Porridge @ Fusionpolis Galaxis - 无米粥 (no rice grain) Porridge Steamboat

Empress Porridge was first established in NUH Medical Centre and has since become known for their home cooked flavours with a rotating menu of wholesome dishes. Now setting foot in Fusionpolis Place, Empress Porridge continues to warm your bellies with an expanded menu with two new additions - Porridge Steamboat and Take Home Dinner.

Porridge Steamboat 3.5/5

The Porridge Steamboat ($15) comes with a finely milled porridge base, along with an assortment of protein and vegetables. To achieve the desired grainless texture, the Empress Porridge’s 无米粥 is slow cooked for hours which at the same time draw out the sweetness of the rice.

Portion for two

Minimum 2 pax is required. Each set comes with fresh prawns, sliced fish, white and brown mushrooms, seasonal vegetables, ring ring beancurd roll including your choice of beef/chick/pork meatballs. Additional charges apply to add-on meat and vegetables. The fish slices were quite good, I like the hint of rice wine that came along with it. I do not recommend choosing beef out of the 3 meat options. I had that but I do not like the taste of it at all. Hence, best to go for either the chicken or the meatballs. The meatballs were sweet and juicy, couldn't be any better to go with the velvety porridge.

Mustard Leaves Fried Rice

A thoughtful touch added to this set is the mini bowl of Mustard Leaves Fried Rice that will be served to you to wrap up your meal. This is to make sure that you are really full at the end of this humble feast!

Empress Porridge 3/5

Solo diners can simply go for the Signature Empress Porridge ($4.80) for similar comfort. Signature Empress Porridge is cooked with a mixture of brown and white rice, simmered with dried scallops, cuttlefish, dried shrimp, tender pork collar and braised peanut. Brown rice gave it more bite which I find a lot more satisfying than just using plain white rice. The savoury taste come mainly from the dried scallops and shrimps which elevates the enjoyment of the porridge. However, there might be a need to cut back on the dried shrimps as they can get rather overwhelming after a few bites.

Carrot Cake 3/5

Prawn Paste Chicken 3/5

Other familiar delights includes Carrot Cake ($2.50) and Prawn Paste Chicken ($2.50). Pricing is economical, considering that these are not from your neighbourhood hawker centre or coffeeshop. The radish on the carrot cake is done in-house which flavoured the fluffy egg nicely, just like Cai Pok egg! The 'cake' itself is mediocre but it will satiate your craving nonetheless. The prawn paste chicken was a bit oily but if you like chicken kaarage, this is not too far off.

A quick solution to having homecooked food is their Empress' Take Home Dinner. From $9 onwards, each set comes with 1 bowl of heartwarming soup, slow-cooked daily for up to eight hours, 3 hearty dishes and 1 variation of rice dish. Check out their website for more information on pricing and dishes available.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Empress Porridge
Fusionpolis Galaxis
1 Fusionopolis Place
#01-15
Singapore 138522
Tel: +65 93836788/ 69095228
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: One-North (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 730am - 730pm
Sat: 8am - 1pm
(Closed on Sun & PH)

Direction: 
1) Alight at One-North MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Full of Luck Restaurant @ Holland Village - Contemporary Chinese Restaurant Dishing Out Signature Classic Cantonese Cuisine

Situated along the ever-changing dining enclaves of Holland Village, Full of Luck Restaurant is a casual dining concept serving signature classic Cantonese cuisine in a vibrant and contemporary setting. Back from a recent fresh revamp, it unveils a new look and introduces exciting tweaks to its menu with plenty of new dishes alongside its existing favourites to tantalise tastebuds.

Crab Meat Chilli Cheese Tart with Pomelo 4.2/5

We kickstart our meal with the appetiser Crab Meat Chilli Cheese Tart with Pomelo ($10). Featuring a delectable combination of sweet savoury crabmeat chilli and cheese in a buttery crumbly tart shell, the tarts are further topped with bursts of refreshing pomelo as well. The different unique flavours complement well with one another.

Chef's Signature Honey Glazed Char Siew 4.5/5

As the name suggest, the Chef's Signature Honey Glazed Char Siew ($16) is the signature dish of the restaurant, whereby customers are advised to reserve the dish in advance to avoid disappointment. Grilled for 45 minutes and torched with sugar, the slices of char siew are tender with a good meat to fats ratio and a crackling crisp skin on the outside. The honey glazed exterior lends a sweet flavour to the savoury meat, resulting in a perfectly balanced dish.

Braised Garoupa with Beancurd in Claypot 4/5

The Braised Garoupa with Beancurd in Claypot ($24) features fresh slices of tender sweet garoupa meat and savoury beancurd with garlic and flavourful sauce, which contributes a umami flavour to the dish.

Braised Homemade Spinach Egg Tofu with Mushrooms and Dried Scallops 4/5

The Braised Homemade Spinach Egg Tofu with Mushrooms and Dried Scallops ($12) is a comforting dish to tuck into with slices of house-made spinach tofu beautifully stacked. Silky soft inside with a slightly crisp exterior, the egg tofu are soaked in a rich superior stock with mushrooms and dried scallops that lends a sweet-svaoury flavour to the dish.

Poached Seafood Rice 4.2/5

The Poached Seafood Rice ($23) comes in a claypot of aromatic poached seafood rice with crispy rice crackers embedded within each bite, and also generous servings of fresh seafood such as the prawns, scallops and mushrooms which infuse a natural sweetness to the dish's broth. It is definitely a nourishing comfort dish that we enjoyed alot.

Osmanthus Raindrop Cake 4/5

End the meal on a sweet note with the Osmanthus Raindrop Cake ($6). It comes in a blob of wobbly jelly with a subtle osmanthus fragrance and in the shape of a raindrop. It is paired with brown sugar syrup and soy powder which adds a sweeter flavour to the dish.

Golden Swallow 4.2/5

Complete your meal with some of their specialty drinks which feature unique flavour concoctions. The Golden Shallow ($16) from their cocktail drinks menu is a smooth and floral short drink made with St. Germain elderflower, shiso umeshu, white wine syrup, peach tincture and prosecco.

Yuzu Genmaicha 4/5

From the Mocktails menu, the Yuzu Genmaicha ($7) is a refreshing genmaicha and yuzu drink with house made hibiscus foam which lends a subtle sweet flavour to the light citrusy body.

Helmed by a team of young and talented chefs, Full of Luck Restaurant aspires to deliver the luxuries of fine dining through affordably priced dishes with high quality ingredients and refined traditional cooking. What's more, the vibrant, contemporary setting and its convenient location right outside Holland Village station, renders it the ideal place for cosy family or friends gatherings to enjoy some contemporary Cantonese dining as well.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Full Of Luck Club
243 Holland Ave
Singapore 278977
Tel: +65 62086845
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Holland Village (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Holland Village MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 2 minutes. [Map]

Restaurant Ibid @ North Canal Road - Inaugural Asia MasterChef Winner Opens His First Restaurant

The month of May has been an exciting one for the Singapore's F&B scene with many new restaurants opening. One of them is Restaurant Ibid by MasterChef Asia winner of the first season - Woo Wai Leong. He calls his cuisine Nanyang-style. Basically inspired by the South East Asia multi-cultural society, synthesis of Asian and Western cooking techniques, and the quest to forge a  new identity as well as to reconnect with his cultural heritage.

Spring Onion Shaobing 4/5

Dinner at Restaurant Ibid comes in set menus. There are 3 set menus, 4 course ($78++), 6 course ($88+) and 8 course ($118++). We started with the complementary Spring Onion Shaobing, a typical street food snack which can be found in China. At Ibid, the shaobing is stuffed with mozzarella cheese paired with yeast butter and laksa leaves. The pungent from the black pepper gives the snack a beautiful aroma as one bites into it.

Escargot Skewers 3.5/5

The other complimentary dish is the Escargot Skewers. The escargot is brushed with Dou Ban Jiang mayonnaise, grilled over charcoal and then dipped in bawang goreng (caramelised shallots). It is then wrapped in betel leaves and torched until charred. Its an interesting way of appreciating the escargot but I thought it needed a bit of zest to lift the flavour.

Tea Egg Soubise 4.2/5

The Tea Egg Soubise comes with  a centrepiece of sous vide organic egg in a light and refreshing broth made from a blend of aged mandarin peels and Pu Er tea leaves. crystal rock sugar and kelp. It is paired with fresh shiitake mushrooms and gingko nuts that have been fried in brown butter and salt.

Lamb Tartare 3.8/5

Lamb Tartare probably is a first for me. The lamb rump is charred in pan and then chopped into small pieces before tossing with finely chopped celery white onions. You will not get the gaminess as the chopped lamb is mixed with a spice mix of cumin, dried chillies and Szechuan peppercorn. I only wish there are more of the lotus root cracker for me to go with the lamb tartare.

White Radish Porridge 3/5

The texture of the White Radish Porridge tastes more like a puree for its creamy texture. The creaminess comes from the soy milk cooked with overnight rice. Thinly sliced radish strips provide a nice crunch to the smooth finishing. While it is a nice dish, I felt that the dish did not give me the satisfaction or anticipation, somewhat like the rhythm is broken.

Ah Hua Kelong Grouper 4.5/5

The Ah Hua Kelong Grouper may looks like any ordinary pan seared fish fillet with crispy skin but you will discover the treasure when you dive into it. Lying on the bottom of the seabed is the silky tofu butter. The dish jumps to live with the shaoxing fumet, an emulsion of fish stock, carnation milk, shaoxing butter, shallots and black peppercorn.

Black Garlic Short Rib 4.8/5

I heard that the Black Garlic Short Rib is a signature dish of Chef Woo, which he has showcases in numerous pop-up before opening the currently restaurant. Besides the tender and juicy short rib, the highlight is the used of angelica root and pickled black fungus for that extra crunch. The acidity of the black fungus pickled in soya sauce, black vinegar and sugar helps to cut through the richness, for a harmonised enjoyment.

Momoiro Collar 4.5/5

The Momoiro Collar is grilled over charcoal for a beautiful smokey aroma while retaining the succulence. What surprises me is the accompanying sauce that is made of caramel glazed black vinegar, red fermented beancurd and red rice wine and butter, which complements the pork excellently.

Lotus Rice 4/5

The last course before moving to dessert is the Lotus Rice. Infused with the lotus leaves flavour, the glutinous rice is packed with an abundance of flavours from the mushroom, foie gras and preserved liver sausages.

Hibiscus Dessert 3/5

I actually didn't know that hibiscus can be eaten until I had the Hibiscus Dessert. The beautiful hibiscus garden comes with rosella tang yuan, Chinese ginger sugar crumble, house-made red bean jam and yoghurt ice cream. The chewy tang yuan is rather bland, so have it together with the sweet red bean jam and yoghurt ice cream to enjoy it.

Soy Milk Ice Cream 4.8/5

A must try at Restaurant Ibid is the Soy Milk Ice Cream made from soy milk and tofu. Its like our local beancurd. There is a sense of familiarity but yet elevated by the technique and other components on the plate such as the almond espuma and sesame cake.

Overall I have enjoyed the food and dining experience at Restaurant Ibid. I like how Chef Woo uses ingredients that is close to our heritage but given it a new modernize interpretation with western culinary technique. While some of the dishes may still need a bit of fine tuning but its heading the right direction, with great potential to be the next big hit

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Restaurant Ibid
18 North Canal Road
Singapore 048830
Tel: +65 91518698
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NE Line), Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 1130am - 230pm, 630pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards the junction of North Canal Road and South Bridge Road. Cross the junction and continue on North Canal Road. Walk along the shophouses along North Canal Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Raffles Place MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk towards North Canal Road. Continue on North Canal Road. Walk along the shophouses along North Canal Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]