Food review: Xin Yue

SINGAPORE — Even after they’ve achieved success by rising through the ranks of a grand hotel or a large restaurant group, many chefs return to that dream of opening that modest eatery that they can truly call their own.

By that merit, Fung Chi Keung is living the dream. The former Paradise Group executive chef recently established Xin Yue, a no-frills Chinese restaurant decked out in shades of beige and dark wood, with space enough for 100 guests in the main dining room and up to 60 diners in three private rooms.

It is a small outfit compared with his erstwhile employer’s numerous sprawling restaurants, but it is exactly how he prefers it for now. After years of managing a strategic portfolio, the 49-year-old said he is happy to be back in the kitchen daily, creating dishes for Xin Yue and keeping an eagle eye on every plate that leaves the pass.

While he has developed a new menu that showcases his genius for walking that fine line between traditional and innovative Chinese fare, Fung has taken with him some signature dishes that his long-time customers love. This includes the shark’s fin in supreme broth served in a Japanese stone pot and crispy spring roll (between S$38.80 and S$88 per person, depending on the quality of the shark’s fin). The stock that forms the base of this soup is as rich and complex as ever, with the spring roll providing a fantastic contrast to the dish’s soft textures. Of course, those who prefer not to eat shark’s fin can substitute it for fish maw (S$42) or bird’s nest (S$68) instead.

Another long-time favourite from Fung’s canon is the baked rack of lamb in a red-wine stock reduction (S$16 per person). This dish is the perfect example of his ability to successfully meld his traditional Chinese roots with western cooking sensibilities. Accompanying the meat are morsels of crunchy roasted vegetables; while the meat itself emerges from the oven perfectly cooked to a dusky blush within, succulent and deeply flavoured with earthy red wine.

Similarly, his baked cod with truffle cream (S$18 per person) would stand up well on the menu of any French fine dining restaurant. You’d think that the pungency of truffles might overwhelm a fish as oily and rich as cod, but Fung manages to strike a brilliant balance between the two ingredients, yielding a dish that is deliciously gentle on the palate.

Besides decadent dishes such as these, there are plenty of humbler options, particularly at lunch, when dim sum is available.

The fact that this is a new and smaller establishment for Fung also has its advantages for diners — most notably the fact that prices for dishes similar to those found at his former place of work are significantly lower here. ANNETTE TAN

Xin Yue Modern Chinese Restaurant

Where: #01-51/54 UE Square (River Wing), 207 River Valley Road

Telephone: 6235 8854

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10.30pm; Saturday and Sunday 11.30am to 3.30pm, 6pm to 10.30pm