Yan Restaurant (宴) @ National Gallery - 7 Chinese New Year Set Menus To Usher In The Year Of The Dog

To usher in the Year of the Dog, Yan (宴) at National Gallery has put together 7 set menus for reunion of all sizes - from the multigenerational to nuclear families to couples. Alongside with the Cantonese classics, new dishes will be presented to celebrate this Lunar New year.

Shun De Yu Sheng with Yellowtail 4/5

As the tradition goes, the Chinese New Year feast starts with Lo Hei. It simply sets the mood for the rest of the meal. Shun De Yu Sheng 顺得鱼生 is probably the most beautiful yu sheng in terms of presentation and colours. It reminds me of traditional Korean dish which emphasizes on 5 colours and the wisdom of nutritional balance. What I like about this Yu Sheng is that apart from the picked ginger, it does away all the marinated and seasoned garnishes, and in place are juicy and crisp sliced capsiums that stood out in their natural shades of red, green and yellow. That might sound rather raw but the heap of crispy fried vermicelli balances that out. Instead of plum sauce, citrusy lime juice dresses the yu sheng, giving it that extra lift which is further accentuated by sliced lemon leaves. And why bother with biscuit crunch when you can have deep fried youtiao chips?

Double-boiled Chicken Soup with Sea Whelk 4/5

Double-boiled Chicken Soup with Sea Whelk 响螺炖鸡汤. The soup consists of Canada sea whelk, pork and whole chicken double-boiled in superior stock for 8 hours. The superior stock is an 8-hour brewed soup base, cooked with ham, chicken feet, lean pork and whole chicken. This is a wholesome soup that elevates the warmth in the atmosphere during CNY reunion meal.  I felt rejuvenated upon each sip - very rich in flavour, very full in body.

Roast Crispy Suckling Pig 3.8/5

Enjoy Yan’s signature Roast Crispy Suckling Pig in 3 ways ($124 for half/ $248 for whole). Served to you in sequence throughout your meal, first up is of course the classic style that comes with plum sauce and condiments. Lifting the crispy skin gently off the meat and laying it down on house-made pancake, anticipation built up as I create my mini suckling pig pancake. It cracked like a hard candy in my mouth, releasing burst of juice from its thin layer of fat.

Carved Shoulder 4/5

Oven-baked Fillet with Lemongrass 3.5/5

Subsequently, we were served with the Carved Shoulder, followed by Oven-baked Fillet with Lemongrass. The carved shoulder comes with a balance of meat and crispy skin. My favourite is the bony parts which can be quite moreish to chew on. Marinated with barbecue sauce and baked with lemongrass, the latter is for those who favour meat over everything else.

Lobster Fillet with Egg White 3/5

Lobster Fillet with Egg White 白雪龙虾 (a la carte) is one of my favourite Chinese dish - one that involves very few ingredients but takes quite a bit of skills to master. Chunks of lobster meats resting on top of scrambled egg white, visually it was quite stunning but the taste fell short a little. The lobster meats no doubt were firm and sweet, and the texture of the egg white was almost silky. However, there was this noticeable eggy taste which disturbed the profile of the dish.

Braised Deluxe Seafood Platter 4/5

Braised Deluxe Seafood Platter 长长久久 ($38/pax). 长长久久 – ‘chiong chiong gao gao’ – playing on the pronunciation of ‘dog’ in Cantonese, it symbolises longevity and enduring friendships, love and harmony. A great alternative to Pen Cai, I appreciate the fact that the ingredients are cooked separately. Braised with ham, old chicken chicken feet for 10 hours. The Australia fresh abalone slice was plumb and soft. My favourite is the Australia dried sea cucumber that has been braised with ginger and spring onion for 2 hours - lusciously tender, that my chopsticks could hardly hold it up. Other ingredients include fish lips, king of grouper fillet, scallops, prawns, sea moss, dried oyster and conpoy. Available as add-on to other set menus for a minimum of 4 persons, order one day in advance.

Dessert 3.8/5

As all the food started to settle in the stomach, the sweet tooth kicked in. The chilled bowl of Tong Sui with diced honey dew, white fungus and Peach Resin is like an iced cold beer in the summer, while the Pan-fried Nian Gao, coated with grated coconut, brings a warm, comforting sweetness to the soul.

The 7 set menus range from $118 to $268 per person. Yan’s Chinese New Year offerings are available from 1 February to 3 March 2018, and now open for reservations.

Words and photos 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.


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]

Cartoon Network Cafe by The Soup Spoon @ Punggol Waterway Point - Character Theme Pop-Up Café Featuring Powerpuff Girls, We Bare Bears, Ben 10 And Adventure Time Land

Following a collaboration between The Soup Spoon Union and Cartoon Network Asia-Pacific, a cartoon-themed cafe, Cartoon Network Cafe by The Soup Spoon Union opened its doors just last month at the Waterway Point Mall in Punggol. A setup thoughtfully decorated with statues, cutouts and toys of loved characters such as the Powerpuff Girls, We Bare Bears, Ben 10 and Adventure Time Land, it renders every spot in this fun-filled 93-seater café an IG-worthy haven that will have all the kids (and even adults) screaming internally in delight. Its appeal is further amplified with a wide variety of dish offerings inspired by the animated shows and its characters that will instantly transport you back to the good ol' days. We stepped in and dove right into their extensive menu featuring a slew of pretty themed dishes ranging from appetisers, mains, desserts, drinks and milkshakes. Big on visuals but how do they fare in taste?

Finn & Jake’s Chicken with Red Velvet Waffles 3.5/5

The Finn & Jake’s Chicken with Red Velvet Waffles ($15.90) features crispy pops of chicken karaage with red velvet waffles. A different take on the classic chicken waffles dish, the red velvet waffles is a sweeter rendition with a cakey brownie-like texture and a strong hint of cocoa flavour. The waffles may be a tad too dry but it is made better with a liberal drizzle of the accompanying honey served alongside, as well as the crispy and juicy chicken karrage pieces that were well-executed. A sweet and savoury marriage of flavours which surprisingly worked out for me.

Pan-Pan Calzone 3.5/5

The Pan-Pan Calzone ($10.90) is essentially a folded in version of pizza in a huge pie-like shape. Biting into the crisp crusted exterior reveals savoury insides, with tomato sauce, cheese and meats. Decently executed, this dish is a hit among the kids.

We Bare Bears Angus Ribeye Steak 3/5

The We Bare Bears Angus Ribeye Steak ($23.80) comes with a beef ribeye steak and a side of fries and salad. Done medium rare, the steak is grilled to a slightly tougher texture and a tad dry lacking the succulence and seasonings for that burst of flavours.

Grizzly Beef Burger 3/5

The Grizzly Beef Burger ($18.80) features generous ingredients including the beef patty, onion rings, sunny side up egg, mushrooms and cheese centred between soft brioche toasted buns that has We Bare Bear’s big brother Grizz’s face with two small sausages that made up its ears. The beef patty boasts a softer texture though the overall quality was below satisfactory due to the tasteless meat which lacked seasonings. The only flavours that came through were perhaps the cheese and thin pieces of onion rings sandwiched in between.

Blossom Strawberry Soda 3.8/5

For the drinks, we had the Blossom Strawberry Soda ($10.90) which comes in a flask of strawberry flavoured soda and a fluffy cloud of cotton candy perched on top of a beaker of strawberry and lemon slices. Pouring the strawberry drink in melts the cotton candy in the process, which adds a sufficient sweetness to the strawberry soda, giving it a non-cloying and refreshing taste to the drink with a slight tangy tinge of lemon.

Bubbles Cheesecake 3.8/5

From the desserts menu, we had the Bubbles Cheesecake ($14.90) which features a gorgeously plated dish of creamy cheesecake slice, sweet berries, whipped cream, biscuit crumbles and cotton candy on the side. The cheesecake boasts a soft texture with a rich cheese flavour to it, while the crumbles added a crunch to the soft cheesecake, as well as a mild saltiness to the sweetness of the cheesecake for a more balanced flavour of the dessert.

The Cartoon Network Café has done well with the decorations of the place and design of its themed dishes, yet there are still much room for improvement in terms of the food quality. Although it does curate a fun-filled and memorable dining experience for the kids, the prices may be a bit too steep as like the other character cafes in Singapore, which might make visits a one-time experience for most. However, as the characters featured will be rotated every 3 to 6 months, we wait in anticipation as it brings back opportunities to excite taste buds and have crowds of people showing up for another unique dining experience at CN Café again.

Words and photos 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.


Cartoon Network Café by The Soup Spoon
Waterway Point Mall
83 Punggol Central
#B1-12
Singapore 828761
Tel: +65 63859254
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Punggol (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Punggol MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]