Yàn is no stranger to those working in the CBD / City Hall area and they are known in the scene for their Cantonese fare.  Recently, they have a refreshed ala carte menu to introduce new flavours and creations to their diners. 

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We started off with their signature – Yàn Peking Roast Duck ($45++ for half, $90++ for whole).  A whole duck is scalded, stuffed with spices and left to marinate for a day before being basted, air dried overnight and roasted till brown the next day.  Best enjoyed with a slice of chinese pancake, cucumber, spring onions and plum sauce, which was how we had ours! 
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The next dish is the double-boiled collagen soup with fish maw and convoy ($38++ per person).  The soup is double-boiled for six hours with mature hen, pork bones and sustainably-sourced shark cartilage and convoy, which explains the slight starchiness.  The collagen-rich soup is very comforting and truly is a hallmark of Cantonese cuisine. 
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An alternative to duck is the poached free-range salted chicken served “hakka style” ($30++ for half, $60++ for whole).  The chicken is poached until it is 80% cooked before soaking it in an ice-bath and seasoned with sand ginger paste.  Due to its preparation process, we understand that orders should be placed one day in advance. 
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The next dish, steamed eel with minced garlic and shredded mandarin peel (seasonal price) is a dish I would reorder on my next visit.  The eel is deboned and steamed with minced garlic and mandarin peels.  A light housemade sauce made of soy sauce, spring onions and ginger is poured over the dish.  The result is a fresh fleshy fish enhanced by the aromatics. 
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After all the meats / seafood, we had the braised beancurd with preserved greens and luffa – a slightly different take from the usual greens with the addition of Shanghai snow vegetable and preserved greens.
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I saved the best savoury dish for the last – the wok-fried live lobster with pan-fried cheong fun in chef’s special pork lard sauce (seasonal price).  This is a must-order.  The chee cheong fun is first pan-friend on both sides and plated into the claypot.  The lobster is then plated on top and the sauce is poured over.  The dish has sufficient wok-hei and those ribbons of chee cheong fun is so flavourful and addictive.  This is a dish we couldn’t get enough. 
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We can’t leave without having our desserts, can we?  The hot yam paste with ginkgo nuts and coconut milk is a popular option.  For something to share amongst friends and family, you can also consider the fried sesame rice ball with white lotus paste filling.  

It has been a while since we last visited Yàn; but this visit reminded us of one of our visit a few years ago when we had their house special local lobster porridge with a robust broth – ah, such good memories. 

Tags: @yancantonesecuisine
Budget per person: $40 to $60 per person

  • Yan Restaurant

  • Phone
    +65 6384 5585
  • Address
    1 St Andrew’s Rd, #05-02 National Gallery, Singapore 178957
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