By Amy Van
There are a dime a dozen Chinese restaurants in Singapore. If you are looking for something different to host a business dinner or a special celebration, consider the following places that offer Chinese menus with modern twist – from a small independent outfit serving refined Franco-Chinese to more sophisticated establishments by top Cantonese chefs.
1. Chez Kai
Credit: Chez Kai
Recently Chef Yeo Kai Siang transformed his home private dining venture into a degustation-only restaurant. Christened Chez Kai, the small restaurant is located in a heritage shophouse at the fringe of Geylang Road (the newly renovated Colinwoo Residences). The young Singaporean who was trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris serves a well-curated nine-course ‘Franco-Chinese’ menu.
The dining experience kicks off with ‘Aged Ham, Duck, Chicken Consomme’ – the clarified broth is given a nice depth of flavour thanks to a melange of prosciutto ham, ham hock, duck, chicken and pork bones. This is followed by a unique dish with a Hakka slant: slightly crisp pan-seared ‘abacus seeds’ made of yam and tapioca flour are partnered with a 65-degree cured egg, apple-wood smoked hamachi and flavourful swordfish broth.
The Homemade Egg Pasta, made from scratch using local eggs is crowned with a plump Hokkaido scallop, and spiced up with XO sauce – whipped up in-house with trimmings of Hokkaido scallop, and prawns and dried shrimps. In between the courses, you’ll also get to munch on freshly baked sweet potato bread, served with homemade kombu and seaweed butter.
If you are looking for a customised menu, give the team one week’s notice to curate something special for you.
Find out more: Chez Kai
