There’s something great about sampling Cantonese fine dining in Singapore, especially if you’re relatively new to Chinese food and don’t mind doing the touristy thing. Boasting an authentic menu and a prime rooftop location that attracts both locals and visitors, Yan at the National Gallery Singapore is the perfect spot for such an experience in Singapore. I was all game for it.
Nestled cosily on the fifth floor of the newly-revamped National Gallery, Yan sits just below the equally stunning rooftop bar, Smoke & Mirrors. It opened just last November, and exudes an air of a modern Chinese restaurant, while serving a medley of traditional and new dishes with a nod to Canto traditions.
We sampled the omakase lunch menu – at approximately $60 per head for six courses, it certainly wasn’t bad for value. The starters were a great mix of unconventional dim sum renditions – a truffle and prawn dumpling, a vegetarian dumpling, and my favourite, the pan fried chilli crab meat bun… Seriously, how can you go wrong with chilli crab meat in a bun?
The omakase menu followed up with a series of four savoury dishes. The standout dish was the golden pumpkin broth with fresh scallops – this had everyone at the table talking about how refined and smooth the broth was, and while it had a rich pumpkin colour, it surprised with a delicious umami seafood flavour. Yan’s Peking roast duck was also impressive, but a little light on the sweet and thick hoi sin sauce for my liking.
A slider with the ID of 672 doesn't exist.I was blown away with the dessert, however – a chilled mango cream topped with oats and vanilla ice cream, served in a coconut. There’s just something about desserts being served in a coconut that gives it that tropical holiday vibe, which is always a great way to end a meal – even a Chinese one.
Particularly, I loved the modern setting and the location, and could easily see how this could make a perfect lunch spot – especially when followed with a cocktail and a sunset view of the Padang at Smoke & Mirrors afterwards.
Yan, #05-02 National Gallery Singapore, 1 St. Andrews Road, Singapore 178957, p. 6384 5585. Open 11.30am-2.30pm, dinner 6pm-10.30pm.