Tien Court

Tien Court easily makes the list as one of the oldest restaurants in Singapore, having fired up its stove in 1970. This is a testament to the fact that it’s doing something right. Newly installed master chef Kwan Yiu Kan, who started cooking at the age of 14, is a familiar name in the Chinese gourmand scene in Singapore. Hailing from Guangdong and with more than four decades of experience under his toque blanche, chef Kwan brings refine and classical Cantonese cooking to Tien Court, with signature dishes that include the tea-smoked duck and the extremely flavourful lobster broth served in a pumpkin. This is a restaurant that has stubbornly resisted the contemporary movement. And there’s a certain familiarity and comfort in dining in a restaurant that’s stripped of any pretension, with its focus solely on the strength of the cooking.

TATLER TIP

If you’re entertaining for business, ask for one of the five private rooms, where there is no minimum spend. You can also ask chef Kwan to whip up off-menu items.

SIGNATURE DISHES

1. Tien Court signature tea smoked duck

2. Baked fresh scallops served with cheese mayonnaise and teriyaki brinjal 3. Stuffed sea cucumber with prawn and meat filling served with shitake mushroom 4. Lobster broth served in mini pumpkin