Lunar New Year at Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro

Shisen Hanten located on level 35 of the Mandarin Orchard, was crowned with two Michelin stars from 2016-2018, the highest achievement for a Chinese restaurant in Singapore. 

I know the restaurant well as it’s one of my sister’s favourites. The Chinese food served in a restaurant like this would get all the boxes ticked from atmosphere, presentation, top grade fresh ingredients, amazing flavours to excellent service. It takes a lot as you can see to make a grade like this and Shisen Hanten did. 

Sylvia another Expat Choice contributor, and I were at this restaurant a few years ago to celebrate her birthday. We had an amazingly good time and enjoyed dishes from Peking duck to various delightful Szechwan signatures. So when we were invited for a Chinese New Year (CNY) tasting this time round, we were super excited. 

The moment I walked in to the restaurant, I felt comfortable and luxurious at the same time. The high ceiling and numerous impressive chandeliers generated a wow visual effect while generous spacing between each table provided for the ultra-comfortable dining environment. 

As you can guess, the first dish served on the CNY menu was my all-time favourite Yu Sheng. I have tried various versions of Yu Sheng over many years in Singapore but I must say this one was worth every penny. Nothing like a premium one in a good Chinese restaurant. 

At Shisen Hanten, the dish was presented with generous amounts of thinly sliced abalone, two beautifully crafted flowers made of sashimi grade salmon belly accompanied by their homemade sour-plum sauce. The beautiful presentation was eye candy to start with and the freshness of abalone slices and salmon were an absolute highlight. 

As we tossed and mixed the dish well, my first mouthful of Yu Sheng got me the soft melt-in-your-mouth texture from the salmon belly. Slightly chewy yet tender was the next texture I picked up from fresh abalone. With the myriad of shredded fresh vegetables and garnishes, topped with bursting fish roe here and there I can imagine that you know how amazing this dish was to the palette. A fusion of tastes and textures yummy!

All ingredients combined so well made even better by Shisen Hanten’s homemade sour-plum sauce balanced well. Syrup in Yu Sheng is usually a tad too sweet for me. The idea of sour plum was I thought an absolutely clever idea and added an interesting new note in the flavour. 

Tiger striped dumplings were served as a next course. Naturally coloured orange dumplings were placed beautifully on a plate of steamed Chinese dark green leaves. A symbolic picture of tigers in the jungle as the new lunar year of the tiger approaches.

I must say the highlight here was definitely the sauce. The sharp punch from aged Chinese black vinegar mixed with the signature chilli oil of Shisen Hanten, topped with generous fresh garlic mince. I could have drunk a full bowl of that sauce and still want more. It wasn’t just me. Others at the table felt the same. A classic all-time favourite that really made me want to take a jar home. 

The next dish served was a really sophisticated one that I think is almost impossible to replicate at home. Stir-fried bird’s nest with Alaska crabmeat and egg white accompanied with double-boiled fish maw in superior consommé. Just by the name of it, you know it’s worth paying to dine in this restaurant rather than attempt making it. 

The way they prepared it was simple yet the best way to showcase this dish. The sweetness of fresh crabmeat, bird’s nest and egg white added creamy texture without changing the flavour. Fish maw and consommé were served in a special soup bowl, with a candle flame underneath to keep the consommé warm. 

Fish maw was cooked to just tender but still left a good chewy texture. The consommé was such a heavenly delight to the palate, the kind of food that would warm body and soul. I can imagine the tremendous efforts behind this dish and was so appreciative of every single bite/slurp of it.

Steamed grouper with yellow pickle pepper broth was indeed another unique dish. Growing up in a family with a father who was an expert in fish, I know grouper is one of the best fish you can get in most Chinese restaurants. I knew it was steamed to perfection when I felt the firm texture and mild taste with a slight sweetness in my mouth. 

The yellow pepper broth had a surprising spicy kick to it slightly sour too and what I would expect from an authentic Szechwan restaurant. It wowed me and absolutely won my heart over many other Chinese dishes instantly. It presents a hidden surprise for spicy food lovers as you would never guess by the simple look of it. A dish like this truly showcased the Shisen Hanten’s chef’s skills in creating depth of flavour with simple yet premium ingredients. 

As our tummies filled up, the real treasure of the night arrived ~ braised Australian 2-head whole abalone with premium sea cucumber stuffed with shrimp paste and mushroom. The abalone was like a mini steak in size, braised in their signature broth for a good six hours. 

Each bite was a melody of juicy tender abalone plumped up with intense broth flavours. Sea cucumber on the side provided a semi soft texture, with stuffing made from shrimp paste and mushroom. It was like a premium grade of Yong Tau Foo, with a superior broth for company. What a luxurious combination! 

When braised Inaniwa udon with lobster and roasted garlic in superior golden broth was served, everyone was wondering if we had any more space to fit it in. Interesting though, good food never fails its test. Despite being the last savoury dish and a generous portion too, almost everyone finished it. 

The hand-kneaded and stretched Inaniwa Udon, which was famous for its delightful and chewy texture, was perfectly sauced in a six-hour simmered golden broth. Topped with a halved lobster which was juicy and meaty, whole garlic cloves roasted golden melted in my mouth. What a satisfying end for a luxurious journey of the palette. 

While we all said we could not fit another morsel in, it was time to savour some special CNY desserts. Thank goodness Chinese desserts are always in small bite-sized pieces to share, usually lighter in taste without heavy cream neither overly sweetened. 

I started with the double-boiled superior bird’s nest with apple and red date. Apple was slow cooked with red dates in crystal sugar syrup for long hours, to result in a tender mouth-melting texture and a broth that was pleasantly sweet with a lovely caramel tinge. 

The premium bird’s nest was double boiled to perfect silky texture which added on another creamy element without the heaviness in flavour. This dessert was served warm, suitable for those who crave sweets yet prefer a healthier choice. 

Next was the crispy purple sweet potato and yam Nian Gao. The presentation looked like a shorter and broader spring roll, with a beautiful edible golden brushed ink on top, a symbol of fortune and prosperity. It had all my favourite elements in one bite. 

Inside the crispy golden deep fried pastry, was a soft, sticky and chewy texture of layers - purple sweet potato, yam and traditional Nian Gao (CNY’s cake made with glutinous rice flour and dark brown sugar). While it was filling it was also very satisfying for big fans of these root vegetables like me! It had another four treasures version with Nian Gao, red dates, Japanese pumpkin and Japanese purple sweet potato which I am also keen to try another time.

We ended the meal with home baked golden pineapple pastry tarts designed in the form of Ingot. These most popular confectionery sold in jars are served as snacks and desserts during the Chinese New Year. Placed on the dining table in homes when you visit, it is typically a “serve yourself” from all the snacks available. 

Shisen Hanten came up with their own creative Ingot version (Ingot is a block of gold used as money in Chinese historic times). The handmade buttery fluffy pastry with generous sweet and slightly tart pineapple paste fillings were a perfect mate to tea and coffee. This slightly larger ingot was definitely satisfying for a pineapple tart lover like me and definitely enough in one piece. Available a la carte at $10 (2 pieces) or takeaway $39 (8 pieces) these typically are sold out fast. 

From experience, a good Chinese restaurant would never let you walk out of the restaurant without a bursting waistline. If you do it usually means the restaurant is not good enough. It’s so typical that at the beginning of a meal I commit to eating a moderate portion of each dish but by the end, I end up eating double the amount. 

As dishes just got better and better I seriously had no regrets. Who would want to miss out on such great food? Of course this is not the time of year to be on a diet as they go contrary to the essence of what CNY is about. Eat, drink and be merry to usher in the New Year. Diets after all can always start tomorrow. 

Even someone like me with a big appetite struggled towards the end of this amazing meal. It was a pleasant struggle though I must admit. Shisen Hanten kept to its brand of offering a superior dining experience for their customers throughout the years despite Covid. 

Every single dish on their Chinese New Year menu was carefully selected and well thought through from execution of the chef’s culinary skills to presentation at the dining table. I like how dishes were prepared in a way that preserved utmost freshness that splurged the original flavour of premium ingredients used. Plus and very important for me, without being overpowered by a heavy sauce. 

At Shisen Hanten, homemade sauces played a supporting role to elevate every dish while complementing main ingredients. That’s the essence of how Michelin star concept started. I also noticed that none of the dishes were greasy which also ticked the health box. This is the type of Chinese I like, knowing I was eating quality food. 

Shisen Hanten offers 8 CNY menus perfectly designed for 2-5 people. Many of their festive items can also be found on the a la carte menu. I would highly recommend that you book online and experience this amazing CNY feast before they are fully booked. 

I’m definitely coming back with my sister for her birthday treat as I know she would love it and so would I. Gong Xi Fa Cai! May the Year of the Tiger bring us all peace and normalcy, back to the good days.

As we leave Christmas and New Year celebrations behind, 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.

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.