CANTONESE ELEVATED AT YÀN
With a new chef on board and delicious menu additions,Yàn presents itself as one of Singapore’s top Cantonese restaurants
Yàn, which is quietly tucked on the 5th level of the National Gallery Singapore, is an elegant Chinese restaurant specializing in Cantonese cuisine that turns heads with its chic and stylish interiors, perfect for family occasions or an elegant business meal. But what will make guests want to plan their next visit right away are the sumptuous and unforgettable dishes. Three years since its grand opening at the iconic National Gallery Singapore, Yàn welcomes new Executive Chef, Lai Chi Sum, who brings with him four decades of culinary know-how, as well as his own distinctive style and sensibilities. Chef Lai boasts finely executed “home-style” meals or private-dining style experience, ensuring that each person at the table feels like a special guest. What’s more, Chef Lai’s dedication to quality derives from provenance, as well as insistence that good cooking requires time and focus – values learned from his humble beginnings in Hong Kong, which he now proudly brings to the table at Yàn.
THE HEART OF CANTONESE CUISINE
Serving new dishes inspired by Hong Kong’s intimate private kitchens, new Master Chef Lai’s arrival marks a rejuvenated dining experience at Yàn. At the heart of it, it is about passion for familiar and traditional Cantonese specialties, which feature ingredients of the region – often seasonal – that is cooked carefully, instilling rich, deep flavors to the dishes. Waxing lyrical aside, we’ll let the food do the talking, starting with the House Special Baked Pork Ribs with Black Olive ($13.80++/person), which is inspired by the old Guang Zhou farmers who cooked what they harvested.
One example would be olives, which were preserved and cooked with meats. This reinterpretation by Chef Lai results in a succulent dish that marries tart, sweet, and savory flavors, held together by generous cuts of tender pork ribs.
Originating from Hong Kong in the early ‘80s, the Baked Crab Shell with Crab Meat and Onion ($18++/person) has a more western slant, where fresh flower crabmeat is cooked with béchamel sauce. The mixture is topped with breadcrumbs and baked in an empty crab shell, resulting in a rich, creamy, and decadent dish.
The ‘private dining style’ method also highlights freshness and simplicity, and this can be found in the Steamed Kampong Chicken with Ginger and Spring Onion ($25++ for half, $50++ for whole). Local, free-range chicken is first steamed, then fried and finally, topped with a zesty sauté of scallion, spring onion, ginger, and salt. Pair it with a bowl of steamed rice and it spells perfection.
FEAST ON CLASSICS
In addition to the new offerings, Chef Lai flexes his culinary muscle and proves that he also has his way with the classics.
For the Signature Crispy Roast Suckling Pig ($130++ for half, $260++ for whole), it is served three ways. The first course features the crispy skin served on house-made flat pancakes and condiments. It’s then followed by choice cuts of the shoulder, and finally, tender meat that’s oven-baked with lemongrass.
And what is a Cantonese feast without duck? The Yàn Peking Roast Duck Served in 2 Ways ($55++ for half, $105++ for whole) is perhaps a must-have at every table. Here, the crisp, glistening skin is served in a homemade crêpe with traditional garnishes, while the duck meat is cut, stir-fried with diced vegetables, and finally, spooned onto lettuce cups.