Chinese Food

So crispy, so good, and you can have this at home too. Even though this is on the dine-in ala carte menu, there's also a takeaway option so you can have Yan Ting's exceptional Cantonese food right at home.
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This 'Pik Fong Tong' style crispy chicken is part of the ala carte menu, which also include other luxurious Chinese dishes such as braised superior bird's nest with lobster broth ($88), double-boiled abalone consomme with maca root ($42), dry-braised sea cucumber ($28) with mushrooms, and beef tenderloin with garlic ($48).
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Besides the ala carte menu, Yan Ting is also offering eight CNY set menu. I've tried one of the set menu, and yes, they serve very fine Cantonese food.
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This silky smooth broth was very very gao (thick), and it was full of the sweetness of chicken with lingering light umami from dried scallops. That huge slab of fish maw certainly stole the show as well, being the centerpiece in this individually portioned broth.
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This is part of the $198++ menu, while Yàn’s CNY set menus are priced from $128++ to $278++ per person. Highlights also include steamed fish (such as sea perch, soon hock, or star grouper), Braised Ee-Fu Noodles with Dried Scallop and Enoki Mushroom and Braised ‘Mee Pok’ with Fresh Mushroom and XO Sauce. They are available during lunch and dinner till 19 February 2019.
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On 4 February, New Year’s Eve, there will be two seatings for dinner. The first seating runs from 5.30pm to 7.45pm, and the second seating runs from 8.15pm to 10.30pm.
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For Reservations:
Call: 6384 5585
Email: reserve@Yan.com.sg
Book online via CHOPE: http://bit.ly/219xw4u
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[Tasting]

This chicken soup was clear and tasted clean, yet it was sweet and deep in flavours, and included very premium ingredients such as nameko mushrooms, fish maw, sea cucumber and bird's nest.
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This is available from now till 19 February 2019, as Man Fu Yuan 满福苑 of Intercontinental Singapore launches eight CNY Menu priced from $108/guest onwards.
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Those looking for a more indulgent celebration can opt for some of higher end prix-fixe menu which features yusheng with abalone, Hokkaido scallops and salmon; lobster with egg noodles in XO chilli sauce (I've posted this on 14 Jan); and bird’s nest soup in pumpkin; braised five-head abalone with sea cucumber and flower mushrooms.
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To find out more about the CNY offerings here, visit their website: singapore.intercontinental.com
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[Tasting]

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What sets Min Jiang's pencai apart from the rest is the inclusion of their housemade lotus root pork patties, housemade from prawns, lotus roots, and a combination of Australian pork belly and hand-minced pork collar to achieve the perfect bite with the desired fat-meat ratio. The patties are well-braised, and pan-fried only upon order.
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Besides this lotus root pork patties, this contains the usual luxurious ingredients in a pencai - Australian 10-head abalones, pork belly, sea cucumber, dried oysters, dried scallops, flower mushrooms, ‘fa cai’ (black moss), and Tianjin cabbage. This is really tasty.
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Always a lovely dinner here at my friend's steamboat restaurant. What sets Longqing apart from other hotpot offerings in Singapore is the soup base, and I've tried almost all that they have - spicy mala, lotus root and lily bulb, pork bone clear broth, tomato soup, wild mushroom, and shark's fin melon herbal soup, and I found them to be thick and deep in flavours, and has none of the artificial flavourings.
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They now have a new soup base - 老黄瓜猪肚汤, where the pig stomach is balanced by 老黄瓜, and both flavours are equally evident. And because they wanted the 老黄瓜 flavours to stand out, they've tuned down the amount of pepper here, so it's a creamy sweet broth that's not too heaty.
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Out of the steamboat ingredients, two dishes stand out - a Wild-caught whole New Zealand Snapper ($42, 600g to 700g) with fresh sweetness, and a full blood Australian wagyu at $58 for 300g that's tender yet strong in beefy flavours.
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This meal was paid for by the restaurant owner who's also my friend.

Their signature yellow roe crab evolved from the traditional Teochew Cold Crab, by incorporating tastes and eating styles from different cultures. Only crabs that have double-shell (i.e., they have a soft shell within the hard shell, happens while they are renewing their shell) are used, as it's the time when the crab would be full of roe (pictured, as Gail has opened up the crab to reveal the roe within).

Shang Palace which has been serving excellent traditional Cantonese cuisine is presenting a unique twist for this festive season. There'll be a seven-course menu featuring Braised Partridge Broth with Bird’s Nest and Foie Gras; Baked Cod Fillet with Lobster Bisque (pictured); Wok-fried Diced Beef Wagyu; and Sliced Peking Duck with Foie Gras. That's many of the finest ingredients by Award-winning Shang Palace’s Executive Chef Mok Kit Keung.
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Festive Lunch and Dinner menu are available from 21 December to 25 December; New Year’s Lunch and Dinner menu are available from 29 December 2018 to 1 January 2019:
* Festive Lunch and Dinner (21 to 25 December 2018 | $168++ 7-course set menu inclusive of a glass of sparkling wine)
* New Year's Lunch and Dinner (29 December 2018 to 1 January 2019 | $178++ 7-course set menu; or $198++ inclusive of a glass of Veuve Clicquot Champagne)
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Lunch is served Monday to Friday from 12noon to 2.30pm, with three seatings on weekends and public holidays - 11am to 12.15pm; 12.30pm to 1.45pm; and 2pm to 3pm. Dinner is served daily from 6pm to 10pm, with 2 seatings on eve of public holidays and public holidays - 6pm to 8.15pm; and 8.30pm to 10pm.
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I really liked Peach Blossoms newly launched series of claypot. They're rich, flavourful claypot with a touch of home-cooked warmth.
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Besides the Pan-fried Wagyu Beef in Fragrant Curry (which I posted on 17 Nov 2018), they also serve the Braised King Prawn with Glass Noodle and Lemongrass; stir-fried pork collar in dried chilli shrimp paste; braised stuff chicken wings in Chinese wine sauce; and yong tau Foo ingredients (pan-fried eggplant, beancurd, bell peppers stuffed with shrimp paste) in black bean sauce.
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[Tasting]

Lovely home-cooked warmth can be found in Peach Blossoms latest seasonal menu launch, Claypot Comforts. These felt indeed like my kind of comfort food, but elevated with the use of premium ingredients.
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Pictured is wagyu in curry. I liked that the wagyu had been pan-fried before simmering with the curry in the claypot, so wagyu was all fatty with a nice sear on the outside. It's served with an onsen tamago and kimchi.
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I really liked the new series of claypots served here, especially the king prawns with glass noodles, the yong tau foo in black bean sauce, and stuffed chicken wings in Chinese rice wine. I'll share these with you another time!
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[Tasting]

There's not much time left for their hairy crab, as the season will soon be over, and Shang Palace's hairy crab menu will only be available till end of the montb.
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Pictured is a garoupa by Chef Mok, incorporating hairy crab into a generous serving of thick gravy of hairy crab roe.
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Besides this dish, the Hairy Crab Six-Course Set Menu includes:
1. Foie Gras with Kumquat Jelly and Pomelo, and Braised Hairy Crab with Diced Bean Curd served with Spring Onion Pancake (柚子甘桔鹅肝冻拼蟹粉豆腐葱油饼);
2. Traditional Braised Yellow Eel Bisque with Shredded Abalone and Chrysanthemum (古法菊花鲍丝黃鳝羹), or Braised Partridge Bisque with Bird’s Nest and Chinese Yam (燕窩淮山鹧鸪羹);
3. Sautéed Garoupa with Seasonal Greens and Hairy Crab Roe (蟹粉碧绿斑球)
4. Steamed Hairy Crab (清蒸大闸蟹, I've posted this on 18 October), served with a complimentary 150ml bottle of 8-year-old Chinese yellow wine;
5. Fried Glutinous Rice with Preserved Meat, Shrimp and Garlic served in a Bamboo Basket (笼仔金蒜生虾腊味糯米饭);
6. Glutinous Rice Balls with Osmanthus and Sweet Fermented Glutinous Rice Hakka Kueh (桂花酒酿丸子拼客家茶粿)
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To make a reservation:
Call ‪(65) 6213 4398‬ or
Email ‪dining.sls@shangri-la.com‬
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Why hasn't Shang Palace receive it's Michelin star yet? So far everything I tried at Shang Palace were excellent, and their hairy crab menu is another fine example.
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Pictured is a modern interpretation by Chef Mok, incorporating hairy crab into a thick concoction of hairy crab roe with diced bean curd. This is meant to be eaten together with a homemade pancake that was pan-fried to crisp golden brown with a hint of green onion (what I've pictured is my half-eaten pancake 😂, swipe for the full and original presentation). This is creatively paired with a foie gras filled with kumquat jelly and pomelo.
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Besides this dish, the Hairy Crab Six-Course Set Menu includes:
1. Foie Gras with Kumquat Jelly and Pomelo, and Braised Hairy Crab with Diced Bean Curd served with Spring Onion Pancake (柚子甘桔鹅肝冻拼蟹粉豆腐葱油饼);
2. Traditional Braised Yellow Eel Bisque with Shredded Abalone and Chrysanthemum (古法菊花鲍丝黃鳝羹), or Braised Partridge Bisque with Bird’s Nest and Chinese Yam (燕窩淮山鹧鸪羹);
3. Sautéed Garoupa with Seasonal Greens and Hairy Crab Roe (蟹粉碧绿斑球)
4. Steamed Hairy Crab (清蒸大闸蟹, I've posted this on 18 October), served with a complimentary 150ml bottle of 8-year-old Chinese yellow wine;
5. Fried Glutinous Rice with Preserved Meat, Shrimp and Garlic served in a Bamboo Basket (笼仔金蒜生虾腊味糯米饭);
6. Glutinous Rice Balls with Osmanthus and Sweet Fermented Glutinous Rice Hakka Kueh (桂花酒酿丸子拼客家茶粿)
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To make a reservation:
Call ‪(65) 6213 4398‬ or
Email ‪dining.sls@shangri-la.com‬
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[Hosted]

These prized roe in the hairy crab don’t come easy, as they’re only in season two months per year, and the season has just started.
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Pictured is the hairy crab from Shang Palace, prepared using one of the simplest cooking method, but meticulously done in order to preserve all the freshness and natural sweetness of the crab roe and flesh. This aromatic dish is served with a cup of ginger tea, but the six-course menu come with a complimentary 150ml bottle of 8-year-old Chinese yellow wine which pairs perfectly with this delicacy.
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I’ll share more about the other dishes in the six-course menu another time. But as a preview, the set menu includes Foie Gras with Kumquat Jelly and Pomelo (柚子甘桔鹅干冻), Braised Partridge Bisque with Bird’s Nest and Chinese Yam (燕窝淮山鹧鸪羹), and Sautéed Garoupa with Seasonal Greens and Hairy Crab Roe（蟹粉碧绿斑球).
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To make a reservation:
Call ‪(65) 6213 4398‬ or
Email ‪dining.sls@shangri-la.com‬
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