Every Chinese Singaporean / Malaysian has that ONE special friend that loves Cantonese fine dining.
In my case, I brought said friend to Yan Ting at St. Regis Singapore. Twice.
As such, this blogpost shows all that we’ve enjoyed during both times.
Yan Ting review
This is actually my second time blogging about Yan Ting – the first post (read here) being in the earlier part of 2023.
Yan Ting’s seating area
Inside, it’s hard to not be in awe – the set up is so oriental, so regal – in a good way, it makes you wanna just behave yourself in a place like this.
The little things: Beautiful plates. Table setting. Menus. Condiments.
You know it’s Cantonese fine dining when presented with one of these:
Red Chilli Sauce, Soy Sauce, Pickled Green Chillies
Anyhow, when my friend and I visited Yan Ting – with my Amex Platinum Charge card and the American Express Love Dining benefits that allows diners up to 50% off, we definitely got a sweet, sweet deal dining in.
Cantonese Dishes
Oh both days, soon after ordering, the food all seemed to come at once.
These mains were from the first visitation:
Yes, we ordered BOTH fried rice and white rice. Ahaha.
In an attempt to be healthy, we went for a mxed vegetable dish of all sorts. This was great – one can taste all the veggies here, flavoured enhanced by the broth.
Silky Beancurd with Bamboo Pith and Mushroom
And had some stereotypical ‘pregnant or confinement dish’ (quoting my friend) – Claypot Stewed Chicken in Yellow Rice Wine.
I actually had this at my previous visit to Yan Ting as well – and it was SO GOOD that I had to have it again. The broth is still as thick and heavy with the aftertaste of chinese wined chicken. Easily my favourite dish at Yan Ting.
Claypot Stewed Chicken in Yellow Rice Wine
We were also in the mood for fried rice, and Yan Ting does their rice really well – piping hot and evenly flavoured, but not too oily.
BBQ Pork fried rice
So there it was – a rice, a vegetable, and a protein.
Our second visitation didn’t seem too far off in combination: another rice, vegetable, and protein dish.
Next visitation
We did a customized vegetable dish this time – at Yan Ting, customers can choose from a list of potential veggies (e.g. asparagus, brocolli, kai lan, leaf lettuce, etc), and a cooking method (e.g. stir-fried with XO sauce, stir-fried with ginger).
And we went for this:
Stir Fried Baby Spinach with Garlic
Both of us were actually near-swooning over a bunch of spinach – the dish, just lightly fried but ENOUGH to coat all the spinach in garlic, was divine. It’s one of those simple dishes that takes great skill, and we were definitely impressed.
sometimes, simple is best
That day’s protein had tofu and seafood involved.
Braised Beancurd with Scallop and Crabmeat
I seriously have to hand it to the chef here – the tofu had absorbed all the seafoody goodness, and he tofu and scallop have practically camoufladged each other both visually and in taste.
high Scallop to Beancurd ratio
Yan Ting was definitely generous with the amount of seafood given. The scallops were huge, and there were dollops of crabmeats along with crab EGGS.
Pure. Indulgence.
Crab Eggs
At this point, rice seems almost like an afterthought, but hey, we need our carbs, right?
Claypot rice with Chinese Sausage and Taro
If you love Chinese Sausage (lap cheong), you’ll love this. Super fragrant in the fried rice without being overpowering, and very stereotypically Cantonese.
just a sample
So, while my personal favourite dish here is the Claypot Stewed Chicken in Yellow Rice Wine – it has a somewhat acquired taste, and may not be for everyone. If i had to recommend SOMETHING, it would be the Crispy Roasted Pork Belly (Siew Yoke).
Crispy Roasted Pork Belly
This is one of THOSE dishes that you can find anywhere – hawker center, school canteen, mid-range eatery, michelin-star restaurant – BUT it’s one of those items that can range from Really Really Good to Really Really Bad.
Right now, we’re on the Really Really Good Spectrum.
I mean, look at the layers of meat and fat
The pork belly is practically idiot-proof: crispy on the top, soft and richly warm underneath, slightly salty all aroud. Good on its own or with dollops of mustard.
My friend declared this the Best Crispy Pork Belly she ever had.
Bliss
Dessert
I’ve said it in the past, and I will say it again: don’t skip out on dessert at Yan Ting.
Chilled Panna Cotta served in Whole Coconut
I need to rave about the Chilled Panna Cotta served in Whole Coconut.
First, savour the milky, rich, smooth, panna cotta (infused with the surrounding coconut flavour, of course). Then, effortfully dig up the coconut flesh from within.
My friend wasn’t into the … labour-intensive part of dessert, so she had the good old Almond Tea instead. Simple and comforting.
Fragrant Homemade Almond Tea (Left) and Panna Cotta (Right)
As with my previous Yan Ting review, both dine-ins exceeded expectations. Service was super professional, the food heavenly, and we just INDULGED our way through our meals.
Again, hands down one of the best Cantonese fine-dining places in Singapore, and 10/10 would recommend it to anyone.
AMEX love dining benefits (50% off)
As an holder of the American Express Platinum Charge Card, to enjoy Love Dining Benefits – there must be a minimum order of two qualifying mains for two adults. .
In total, I received the following dining discounts:
Yan Ting Review – first visitation
- Claypot Chicken in Yellow Wine – $26.00
- Vegetable with Bamboo Pith and Mushrooms – $28.00
- BBQ Pork Fried Rice – $18.00
- Chilled Panna Cotta – $16.00
- Almond Cream – $14.00
- Plain Rice – $2.00
- House Tea – $10.00 ($5.00 x 2 pax)
– Subtotal: $114.00
– Amex 50% discount = minus – $52.00 (Half of $104.00; discount applies to food only and the House Tea does not count)
– New Subtotal: $114.00– $52.00 = $62.00
– 9% GST: $6.14
– 10% Service Charge: $6.20
– Total Bill: $74.34
Yan Ting Review: second visitation
- Roasted Pork Belly – $32.00
- Beancurd with Scallops and Crabmeat – $38.00
- Baby Spinach stir-fried with garlic – $26.00
- Claypot Rice with Chinese Sausage and Taro – $38.00
– Subtotal: $134.00
– Amex 50% discount = minus – $67.00
– New Subtotal: $134.00– $67.00 = $67.00
– 9% GST: $6.63
– 10% Service Charge: $6.70
– Total Bill: $80.35
Want some Love Dining?
Apply for an American Express credit card and get bonus points!
American Express Platinum Charge Card (Image source: American Express)
Inspired by this post and want to apply for an American Express credit card? Apply through one of my referral links and receive either bonus Membership Rewards points or statement credit:
- The Platinum Charge Card: Use this referral link and receive up to S$100 statement credits and 100,000 airmiles (in the form of 160,000 Membership Rewards points) when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
- The American Express Platinum Card: Use this referral link and receive up to S$250 statement credits when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
- American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 40, 000 Krisflyer miles and S$50 statement credits when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed on this page are that of Happy High Life and may not necessarily reflect the position of American Express. Happy High Life is not responsible for any decisions made by readers. The terms and conditions for each credit card's application and usage may be subject to change by American Express. Therefore, readers are recommended to check any matters with American Express or its partners; the list of all benefits of the Platinum Charge Card can be found here.
Want more of HappyHighLife? Follow me on Social Media!
Enjoy reading food and restaurant reviews? Click here to navigate to all dining reviews in this blog.
Love reading about hotel stays? For a list of all hotels reviewed on this Happy High Life blog, click here.
Love this post? Share it with others on Social Media!
