Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentar | 3.5/5

SINGAPORE — Shisen Hanten is the first overseas outpost of Akasaka Szechwan Restaurant, which was started by the late Chen Kenmin in Tokyo. It is helmed by his grandson Chen Kentaro, whose father Chen Kenichi is a renowned Iron Chef on the popular Japanese television show.

Shisen Hanten — which means Sichuan restaurant in Japanese — occupies the sprawling space vacated by Pine Court restaurant at Mandarin Orchard Singapore. The dining room’s high ceiling endows it with a natural sense of grandeur that is matched by rich, contemporary black and gold furnishings and sweeping views of the city through its full-height glass windows.

All the classics of Sichuan cuisine are honoured here. Mapo doufu (S$24) is brewed with a bean paste that undergoes three years of fermentation, giving the dish a delicate complexity despite the addition of hot peppers. This is served with a comforting bowl of steamed white rice from Hokkaido that helps to temper the dish’s heat.

Speaking of which, when asked before our meal, we chose a medium spice level that proved just right; any spicier than that and our lips might have prickled to a lisp.

The dan dan mian arrives in individual portions (S$12 each) with beautifully thin and smooth noodles that had a strong wheat flavour and were crowned by robustly seasoned ground pork. Tossed into the surprisingly light broth, it all makes for a soothing dish — although next time, we’ll stick to the classic dry version of these noodles instead.

There was similarly more pep in the sauteed chicken with chilli peppers (S$26), which, to put it simplistically, was an awesome plate of spicy fried chicken. Tiny morsels of crisp meat gave way to sweet-salty succulence. And the spicy heat doesn’t hit till a minute after that first bite. The next thing you know, you’re lisping — yet it’s hard to stop eating them.

It’s a good thing there were mellower dishes like the stewed fish in “super-spicy” Sichuan pepper sauce (S$30). Despite its name, the broth — like a rice-enriched soup — bore just a whisper of spice and was filled with silky slices of cod and meltingly tender cucumbers.

Through these spicy ups and downs, it becomes clear that the draw behind the Chen family’s Sichuan cuisine is their refinement of it without sacrificing the intrinsic flavours. Though not an economical dining experience, a meal here is as elegant and balanced a Sichuan meal as you’ll get here. Annette Tan

Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro

Where:

35F Orchard Wing, Mandarin Orchard Singapore

333 Orchard Road

Telephone:

6831 6262

Opening hours:

Daily 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm