My nose didn’t fail on me. When I smelled a distinct and familiar aroma of this dish from a neighbouring table, I wondered “Taste Paradise”?
It was till after the meal that I realised that the chef helming the kitchen of Xin Yue at UE Square River Valley Road was indeed award winning Chef Fung Chi Keung. He was former Group Executive Chef for Paradise Group where he helped launch their first fine dining concept Taste Paradise.
Some fans might have followed him to Xin Yue, which despite having no publicity or reviews yet, had some tables filled.
The Chinese restaurant was so named because ‘Xin’ and ‘Yue’ meant ‘new’ and Cantonese’ respectively, an indication of a menu feauring modern interpretations of familiar Cantonese recipes.
Therefore you can expect dim sum during day time, and the likes of roast, double-boiled soups and other exquisite Cantonese fare.
Prices might not be working towards diners’ favour though. In short, it is expensive.
A Double-Boiled Soup could cost from $12 (one person’s portion) for the daily specials, to $58 for a Fish Maw Soup with Mirror Fish, and $78 where the Buddha can Jump Over The Wall.
Starters such as the recommended Chilled Mini Tomatoes with Sweet Plump ($8 per serving), Chilled Japanese Cucumber with Jelly Fish ($9.80 per serving) and Pan-seared Suckling Pig with Thai Style Salad ($18 per person) all felt steep.
It is also not uncommon to find luxurious ingredients such as Alaskan Crab, Lobster, Foie Gras and Hokkaido Scallops in some way or another in the menu.
Most of the dishes were of good quality though, exquisitely plated, beaming with umami flavours, but also of small quantities.
Both noodles I tried – the Wok fried Homemade Mashed Fish Meat Noodle with Sea Treasure ($10), and Wok Fried Ramen with Lobster Pincer in Black Olives ($12) while did not have the use of heavy sauces or ingredients, proved that dishes which looked deceptively simple could indeed show the skills of the chefs behind them.
This is the type of restaurant to bring Chinese clients to.
Xin Yue Modern Chinese Restaurant
UE Square, 207 River Valley Road #01-51/54 (River Wing) Singapore 238275 (Mohammed Sultan)
Tel: +65 6235 8854
Opening Hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm-10:30pm (Mon – Fri); 11.30am – 3.30pm, 6pm-10:30pm (Sat, Sun, PH)
Reservation Online Now (Xin Yue0
Other Chinese Restaurant Entries
TungLok XiHe (Grandstand)
Summer Palace (Regent Singapore)
9Goubuli (Marina Bay Sands)
London Fat Duck (Scotts Square)
Forest (RWS)
