Opened on 16 January 2022, Yi Qian Private Dining is a full-service Chinese restaurant serving up fine Cantonese and Teochew fare. Designed to evoke a sense of regal grandeur, the Chinese characters of the restaurant name follow the complex written form created by Tang Dynasty Empress Regnant, Wu Ze Tian that is used for official documents and Chinese currency notes. Furthermore, Yi Qian means one thousand’ in Mandarin, signifying longevity and representing the creation of a culinary legacy that will be carried on for a thousand years.
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Located in a quiet business building at Thye Hong Industrial Center, Yi Qian private dining specialised in Cantonese and Teochew cuisine. The ex-Golden Palace Chef Raymond showcased his fine culinary skills with over 100 scrumptious dishes to choose from, plus an interesting option to diners. Challenge Chef Raymond by customizing your own menu!
Being Taiwanese / Australian in background, I was not as lucky to have options and dining experiences as most Singaporeans did. But as far as I remember, all the Teochew cuisine I had in the past was amazing. So when I stepped into Yi Qian you can imagine how much I anticipated tasting this food.
Surprised at how low key the restaurant is in terms of location, I felt it was a hidden gem that people would hear through word of mouth. Foodies knew how to hunt good food no matter what. With a bright, cozy space for diners and some private function rooms, my other Expat Choice foodie pal June and I were led to our seats, drooling over the menu.
Everyone’s love, crispy prawn fritters stood out. Made with Sakura prawns which lifted the aroma and made it a delightful appetiser. What’s worth mentioning is the super garlicky chilli dipping sauce which is a Teochew specialty. The sauce sucked me in - I could not stop eating!
Not expecting the highlight so soon, the next dish was a “wow” for all around the table. Yi Qian’s signature dish - stir-fried shark fin with crabmeat, served with superior stock in teapot. The presentation of this dish was one of a kind, reminded me of my 3 Michelin-star dining experience at Fat Duck in London.
Elegantly placed on a delicate plate, the premium stock was served in a cute Chinese teapot with a small cup paired alongside. We were given instructions not to pour the stock into the plate. Instead, a spoonful of shark fin and crabmeat, followed by a sip of stock, the best way to enjoy this dish.
It was my first time eating stir-fried shark fin. It was such a clever idea as it elevated the texture and aroma of shark fin which in original form, is somewhat tasteless. The traditional way was to serve it in superior stock to allow for a soak-up of flavour. This stir-fried version though was so tasty on its own, even without stock. A bit of charred flavour and chewy texture initially, then a wonderful melody, as I sipped on the stock.
Needless to say the stock itself was made using premium old chicken bones and ham stewed over six hours. You can imagine the wow factor - like one dish experienced in two ways. Exceptionally tasty! Hats off to Chef Raymond for such a creation. I loved it!
Next up was the poached bamboo clam with bean sprout and dough fritter in prawn stock. At $18, we enjoyed a yummilicious local delight, with premium bamboo clams. The soup was so rich in prawn flavour and bean sprouts added a light crunch coupled with a heavier crunch from the dough fritter. It all combined so well with the thinly-sliced and poached-to-perfection bamboo clam! This was definitely another highlight at Yi Qian!
For me, no highlight beat the Teochew yam omelette! My all-time favourite! The Teochew omelette is traditionally prepared with oysters, whereas here at Yi Qian, it was substituted with fresh prawns. Chef Raymond cleverly expanded his potential fans for this dish, as oysters are not everyone’s favourite.
The beautiful golden crispy texture showed itself immediately followed by the melt-in-your-mouth soft yam in the center. I couldn’t decide which version I liked more - oysters or prawns because I love them both! This made it to my must order list when I return for sure.
It was time for veggies! Sizzling Kailan in claypot at Yi Qian, a dish that I smelt way before I saw it. A specialty in Hong Kong with the especially intense fragrance of belachan (prawn paste) sizzling in claypot creates an aroma like no other. Shrimps used here were much higher grade in quality, complemented extremely well with crunchy Kailan.
Like all Chinese banquets, noodles and rice came last. Just in case diners were still hungry, a filler to ensure all left with full bellies. Being a big fan of carbs in all forms and shapes, the wok-fried kwayteow (flat rice noodles) came with tantalising wow ingredients, very different to the ones I had before.
Let alone mastering the wok hei (high heat wok searing ), a must element for a successful kwayteow - which leaves the end product with a slightly charred aromatic taste. Crunchy preserved radish, tiny crispy kailan green bits and sweet shrimp chunks really made this Teochew favourite a new hit on the block. I especially loved the new radish element and kailan blend.
A positive note to this dish was that it was made without the traditional pork lard so it’s a healthy lift that certainly did not compromise the taste.
While I thought kwayteow could be the perfect end to this savoury feast, another treasure arrived which wiped out my silly thought. We started with fancy shark fin so why not finish with luxurious abalone! This incredibly aromatic smoky claypot was filled with long grain fluffy rice, coated in dark soy sauce, dotted with salty fish, and a juicy plump braised abalone served on top.
A flavour so simple yet with all the right ingredients for a comforting, hearty savoury end. A warning for chilli lovers, my guess is you will double up the quantity of rice if you pair it with chilli padi in soya sauce! That’s a bullet proof fact of good quality carbs in best company.
Last but not least, who eats more filling carbs for desserts? Chinese!! From sticky rice, sago pudding to rice cakes, you name it. To be honest I didn’t mind having healthier carbs like yam or sweet potatoes for dessert. At least they were high in fiber and helped with digestion after a big feast.
Despite its simple look, sugar encrusted deep fried yam sticks, a Teochew classic dessert required good techniques to get it right. The fluffy texture of yam in big chunks with a super glass-thin sugar coating is like a Teochew version of creme brûlée in the shape of Belgium fries, yet not so heavy and rich in taste. The delightful sweet crunch of sugar coating and melt-in-the-mouth yam combination danced on my palate like marvellous music notes. It brought a big smile to my face and utmost satisfaction, the perfect end to a wonderful feast.
Scrolling through the menu at Yi Qian, apart from the 100 dishes diners could indulge in, there was also a high level of flexibility to choose a preferred sauce or cooking style. Chef Raymond does his best to accommodate dishes tuned into personal preferences. I guess that’s why they use the term private dining rather than simply calling it a restaurant. The concept is there waiting to be grabbed.
A signature at Yi Qian that caught my attention on the menu was pig’s stomach and chicken in pepper soup. This dish must be pre-ordered a day in advance. A whole Kampung chicken wrapped in pig’s stomach, boiled with white pepper soup for long hours, with spices, ginkgo nuts, ginger and more. I would definitely come back to try this!
As I walked out of Yi Qian, a big table of eight diners were having a good time, a sight so exciting to see. Chinese cuisine is definitely a “more the merrier” style of dining, with dishes to share. I had already made a mental list of ten friends who would enjoy Yi Qian, this new hidden gem on the rise!
