Yan
The National Gallery will forever be known to me as the old Supreme Court. As one of the last batches of lawyers freshly minted in its courtrooms, I've fond memories hanging out in the bar-room of old. It was exuberant place of stimulating debate, sagely counsel, and just plain ol' salacious hearsay.
The stately building, granted conservation status as an important heritage of Singapore, has been refurbished into an art museum and a popular destination for families with young 'uns. Not my scene, of course, but the slew of dining options at the National Gallery are quite the draw. Like I always say, food is what attracts Singaporeans near and far. You can build a mall in the godforsaken nowhere, but fill it with restaurants galore, and the crowds will come.
Sitting next to Aura at the top floor of the National Gallery, Yan Restaurant appears incredibly popular: The restaurant was a full-house even on a typically sluggish Monday night for dinner. It's little wonder, as Yan's modern Cantonese fare was impressive. And for a white-tableclothed, fine-dining restaurant, the food at Yan is surprisingly hearty and unpretentious. And while the menu's fairly extensive, I'd recommend sticking to the contemporary stuff; it's a wonderful blend of the familiar flavours of Cantonese cooking with an unexpected twist for refinement.
We shared the single-portioned House Special Baked Pork Ribs ($13.80) as a starter. Flecked with black olives and slicked with a honeyed glaze, this was fall-off-the-bone luscious.
The Shark Cartilage Broth ($18) loaded with a couple of fat, juicy wantons, was silky and exquisite, without leaving that milky film of collagen.
Another must-try, the Bi-Feng Tang-Style Sri Lankan Crab ($120 for 1.2kg) is the closest thing to Hongkong's Under Bridge Spicy Crab. Littered with batter crumbs, popcorn nubbins and robust with the heat and spice of fried garlic mince, dried chilli and peppercorns, this was sumptuous.
The stately building, granted conservation status as an important heritage of Singapore, has been refurbished into an art museum and a popular destination for families with young 'uns. Not my scene, of course, but the slew of dining options at the National Gallery are quite the draw. Like I always say, food is what attracts Singaporeans near and far. You can build a mall in the godforsaken nowhere, but fill it with restaurants galore, and the crowds will come.
Sitting next to Aura at the top floor of the National Gallery, Yan Restaurant appears incredibly popular: The restaurant was a full-house even on a typically sluggish Monday night for dinner. It's little wonder, as Yan's modern Cantonese fare was impressive. And for a white-tableclothed, fine-dining restaurant, the food at Yan is surprisingly hearty and unpretentious. And while the menu's fairly extensive, I'd recommend sticking to the contemporary stuff; it's a wonderful blend of the familiar flavours of Cantonese cooking with an unexpected twist for refinement.
We shared the single-portioned House Special Baked Pork Ribs ($13.80) as a starter. Flecked with black olives and slicked with a honeyed glaze, this was fall-off-the-bone luscious.
The Shark Cartilage Broth ($18) loaded with a couple of fat, juicy wantons, was silky and exquisite, without leaving that milky film of collagen.
The Golden Pumpkin Broth ($18) studded with fresh crabmeat, scallops, and kailan stems, was luscious with oodles of egg drop.
A must-try, the Braised Chicken with Chilli & Enoki ($22), served bubbling in pre-heated claypot, was absolutely smashing. It was pure comfort food, I was sorely tempted to order steamed white rice to go with.
The Claypot Braised Beancurd ($22) with diced chicken, salted fish nubbins, and mushrooms, was perhaps one of the very best renditions of this classic. So good I was sorely tempted to order another bowl of rice just to pair this with.
The Braised Bamboo Pith with Mushrooms ($22), slathered in a velvety oyster-based sauce and topped with chewy beancurd skin rolls, was delicate and scrumptious. One of the most polished versions of this classic.
Another must-try, the Bi-Feng Tang-Style Sri Lankan Crab ($120 for 1.2kg) is the closest thing to Hongkong's Under Bridge Spicy Crab. Littered with batter crumbs, popcorn nubbins and robust with the heat and spice of fried garlic mince, dried chilli and peppercorns, this was sumptuous.
The requisite but not obligatory vegetable dish, Stir-Fried Kailan ($18) was simplicity at its finest. A hot flame, and a light hand with the seasoning, and the delicate grassy sweetness of the vegetable shines through.
We rounded off the dinner with the Seafood Noodle Soup ($14) which was more gravy than soup, but scrumptious nonetheless.
Yan Restaurant
1 Saint Andrew's Road
National Gallery #05-02
Tel: 6384 5585
Open daily from 11.30am to 2.30pm for lunch; 6pm to 10.30pm for dinner
Website: www.yan.com.sg
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