Main Dining Hall. (Photo from: Shisen Hanten)
Located at Mandarin Orchard Singapore, this Sichuan-accented restaurant from Japan — marking its fifth consecutive year as the highest Michelin-rated Chinese restaurant in Singapore — awes you with a lofty chandelier-lit dining hall that oozes elegance, tastefully decked in shades of gold and taupe against a backdrop of dark woods.
Fortune Abalone & Salmon Yu Sheng.
No Lunar New Year celebration is complete without the auspicious “Lo-hei” and the rendition here of Fortune Abalone & Salmon Yu Sheng (SGD78 for four to six pax; SGD128 for eight to 10 pax) boasts sashimi-grade salmon belly and generous slices of the prized mollusc, doused in a zesty house-made sour plum sauce and served in a giant lacquered plate so that you don't spill any good luck during the traditional toss.
Poached Tiger Stripes Minced Pork Dumpling. (Photo from Shisen Hanten)
Specially handcrafted to celebrate this year’s zodiac animal is the Poached Tiger Stripes Minced Pork Dumpling, made with orange-coloured (derived from carrot) dough skin embedded with seaweed strips to create a tiger-striped pattern–stuffed with a juicy filling of seasoned minced pork and vegetables and served with a side of black vinegar mixed with Shisen Hanten’s signature Szechwan Chilli Oil dip that’s surprisingly mild but no less tasty.
Left: Braised Inaniwa Udon (Photo from: Shisen Hanten). Right: Bird’s Nest with Alaska Crabmeat.
There’s a couple of dishes worth the splurge, available in the ala carte and the premium set menus. For a silky start to the new year, go for the Braised Inaniwa Udon with Lobster and Roasted Garlic in Superior Golden Broth that delights with a good-sized meaty Boston lobster on a bed of hand-stretched Inaniwa Udon from Akita prefecture, bathed in a rich six-hour simmered carrot broth. Equally decadent is the Stir-fried Bird’s Nest with Alaska Crabmeat and Egg White Accompanied with Double-boiled Fish Maw in Superior Consommé; the delicate ensemble is a symphony of umami and seafood sweetness.
Left: Steamed Grouper. Right: Mapo Tofu. (Photo from: Shisen Hanten)
One of the outstanding dishes in our tasting session was the Steamed Grouper with Yellow Pickle Pepper Broth (available in the Fortune Menu at SGD148.80++ per person). The bouncy locally farmed grouper is perfectly steamed and superbly paired with a sweet and sour broth brewed from fermented yellow pepper — delivering a spicy kick that creeps up and lingers on you — that accentuates the natural sweetness of the fish.
The Lunar New Year 2022 menu at Shisen Hanten.
Not inclined to dine out? Consider ordering the Baby Abalone Abundance Fortune Pot (SGD488) that promises a resplendent pot of more than 15 premium ingredients, including fresh scallops, sea cucumber and live prawns that can be enjoyed in the comfort of your home. You can also opt to stock up on festive goodies such as the auspiciously shaped Golden Pineapple Ingots (SGD39 for a box of 8); Four Treasure Mini Nian Gao (SGD36 for 4), Hokkaido Steamed Pumpkin Cake (SGD38), Steamed Yam Cake with Dried Scallop and Steamed Carrot Cake with Chinese Sausage (SGD36 each). Self-collection or island-wide delivery orders can be made via https://festive.shisenhanten.com.sg.
Shisen Hanten’s refined Chinese cuisine, peppered with Sichuan nuances and expertly executed by Chef Kentaro, makes for a refreshing change to the run-of-the-mill Lunar New Year feasting; all dishes are designed to ring in the Year of the Tiger with a bang. The eight-course set menus start at SGD128.80++ per person for the Opulence Menu and climb to SGD388++ per person for the more lavish Peace Menu. All festive offerings are available from 10 January 2022 onwards.
Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro is located at Orchard Wing Level 35, Mandarin Orchard Singapore, 333 Orchard Road, 238867, Singapore.
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