Shisen Hanten are well prepared to usher the Lunar Year of the Tiger in. Helmed by Chef Kentaro, a two-Michelin-star maestro of this stylish establishment, eight auspiciously-themed set menus await you.
The last time I was at Shisen Hanten, it was for dim sum at lunch. The grand chandeliers in daylight lent an ambience of fine dining and prepared me for what was to come. My dinner experience this time round lent a different ambience by night. It was certainly grand with quiet hues of conversation floating above diners.
I was ready to savour the season of Spring in Szechwan at Shisen Hanten, the highest Michelin-rated Chinese restaurant in Singapore. Tonight I was invited to a tasting of a few highlights from each of the set menus available. Plated for each diner and served to the table, we were dining in a group of five at a suitable distance away from the next table.
We began with the infamous Lo Hei so divinely put together by Chef Kentaro. Not too sweet which is always my worry, it was laden with abalone and thick chunks of salmon. If there is one favourite I have over the Lunar Season, it is this. I love the freshness of salad and the combination of tastes from ingredients added to the pot, that hail with good wishes too.
It was my first Yu Sheng for this year unlike others at the table. I savoured every mouthful, remembering past times when we stood around in large groups, shouting out wishes for the year. All good fun that seemed like a distant memory now! Priced at $98 for a small and $148 for a large this is really a good buy for the top quality that it is.
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Chef Kentaro’s invention of poached tiger stripes minced pork dumpling was classic. Served with a side of black vinegar mixed with Shisen Hanten’s signature Szechwan Chilli Oil for a spicy dip. Divine! So good that we asked for more towards the end, for one of the other dishes.
If you are not one for set menus, Shisen Hanten gives you the option of curating your own menu. All of the items available in the set menus are also available a la carte so that makes it more interesting. Pick your favourites from each set and be happy!
There were a few stunners for the night and this was definitely one – stir-fried Bird’s Nest with Alaska crabmeat and egg white accompanied with double-boiled fish maw in superior consommé. Wow what a full-loaded barrel of a dish this was! So fine to the taste buds, the consommé complementing everything else.
A conversation ensued about consommé and how much it takes to create a bowl. Hours of slow boiling with superior ingredients, I felt so privileged to be at the end of the production chain, sitting comfortably in a beautiful restaurant devouring every spoonful. Lucky me! It is these types of must-have dishes that will take me back to superior restaurants like Shisen Hanten.
The next dish arrived – steamed Grouper with yellow pepper broth. The firm fish texture was excellent, something I look forward to when having fish. It was immersed in a very spicy yellow pepper broth which blew my head off but met the spice level of others. That says it all - I am not a spice girl!
Looking forward to a superior vegetarian dish at the end, which is usually the case, we were served a braised Australian 2-head whole Abalone with premium sea cucumber stuffed with shrimp paste in oyster sauce. Firstly, this is what real oyster sauce tastes like. It was delicious, the taste of oyster running through the sauce. Yummy!!!
A generous sized Abalone gave way to that chewy texture which I love. This was such good quality but comes at a price. The meals at Shisen Hanten are no less than five star. It is evident from the quality of service with well-trained staff on hand, food and ambience.
The sea cucumber was stuffed with shrimp paste, likened to a yong-tau-fu but again this was made with superior ingredients that the paste was oozing with the taste of shrimp. This Lunar dish is another must-have, as it seriously is as authentic as it gets.
Last but not least, the third stunner for the night – braised Inaniwa Udon with lobster and roasted garlic in superior golden broth. While I have to say the lobster was fresh and the fine Udon melted in my mouth, again, it was the broth that pulled this dish together. With underlying tones of all flavours rather than a dish with bold flavours, this dish was so delicious. Sometimes less is more I feel.
Every dish was plated individually and seemed like they were good-sized portions but by the end of the night, I was full. There were three desserts about to arrive, one of which was my absolute Lunar favourite – crispy purple sweet potato and yam Nian Gao.
Layers of purple sweet potato and yam Nian Gao were wrapped in a pastry sheet then deep-fried till golden brown - crispy on the outside, sticky and chewy on the inside. For those of you who don’t know, Nian Gao is a Chinese New Year delight prepared from glutinous rice flour. It is considered good luck to eat it during this time of year as it means a more prosperous year. Believed to be an offering to the Kitchen God with the aim of shutting him up with sticky cake. Hilarious!
I also tasted the traditional double-boiled superior bird’s nest with apple and red dates, another Lunar delicacy. Served warm, this pulled the meal together. My other all-time favourite dessert - pineapple tart, but this was shaped in the form of a gold ingot. Wow it looked like we were all set for an amazingly prosperous year or so I hoped.
All of these desserts are available a la carte and across all festive menus plus ready for takeout too. Now that we have become accustomed to stay-at-home gatherings, options are available to order a curated mix of exquisite festive goodies, Prosperity Yu Sheng from Shisen Hanten’s Lunar New Year Takeaway and of course the extensive Delivery menu. Festive takeaway goodies are available from 10 January 2022 onwards.
So whether you choose from seasonal specials and all-time favourites to customise a dine-in meal that best suits your tastes or you’d prefer takeout, Shisen Hanten is prepared and all set to go.
Prices for takeaway items listed above are nett and available for self-collection or island-wide delivery via festive.shisenhanten.com.sg. For reservations, diners can visit www.chope.co/singapore-restaurants/restaurant/shisen-hanten-chen-kentaro or contact +65 6831 6262 or +65 6831 6266.
Indulge in your Lunar New Year celebrations by using your preferred Credit Cards from DBS / POSB to enjoy 20 percent off all takeaway goodies.
a. Level 35, Orchard Wing Mandarin Orchard Singapore, 333 Orchard Road Singapore 238867
e. shisenhanten@ouerestaurants.com
