Although we eat Chinese food most of the time, it’s nice to indulge in some exquisite Chinese fine dining every now and again. Especially when you are celebrating a joyous occasion or simply rewarding yourself with a nice meal after a hard week at work. Just remember to bring along your American Express Platinum Credit Card to enjoy some serious discounts!
Seasoned American Express Platinum Credit Card Members are already enjoying the benefits of the Love Dining program which offers 50% discount when 2 people dine, 35% discount for 3, 25% discount for 4, and 20% when 5-10 people dine.
But that’s not all. They have recently introduced a new Lifestyle Credit benefit where you can get S$100 statement credit when you spend S$100 or more at any participating retail store or restaurant from January to June. And a further S$100 statement credits when you spend S$100 or more from July to December. And yes, the credits can be “redeemed” on top of your Love Dining discount! We share tips on how to use these benefits below.
Join us as we explore three refined Chinese restaurants on the American Express Love Dining program:
- Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
- Si Chuan Dou Hua at UOB Plaza
- Yan Ting at The St Regis Hotel
Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
This is our first time at Wan Hao and we’ll say at the outset that we were not surprised that they are a recent recipient of the World Luxury Restaurant Award 2024.
The highlight of our meal was the lobster which was made two ways. One was a lobster noodle where the noodles were braised in the lovely lobster-infused gravy and the other was a lobster pao fan where we savoured the sweetness of the lobster broth. Both were excellent but if we were to choose one, we’d go with the pao fan as the broth really hit all the umami receptors. As to be expected, the quality of the lobster was excellent and the tail was full of tender, sweet, and juicy lobster meat!
The other dish that wowed us was the Deep-fried cod with crab meat and hairy crab roe! The cod is perfectly fried so it’s crisp on the outside and still flaky on the inside. It is bathed in a luxurious hairy crab roe sauce which is the epitome of umami!
Dim Sum
The chef’s creativity certainly shines through their dim sum dishes. The first thing that caught our eyes was the hexagonal-shaped dim sum baskets which gave us the impression that we are in for something really special!
The Chef brought the humble Har Gao (prawn dumpling) to the next level by crafting a beautiful Hokkaido Scallop Dumpling wrapped in a delicate pastel blue skin made from blue pea flower and topped with sturgeon caviar. The Lobster Dumpling was presented as a striking pink parcel with an intricate netting made from bamboo pith and topped with a gold leaf. You would be glad to know that it tastes as good as it looks!
The Steamed Beef Tripe and Yam with Szechuan chilli garlic sauce were reminiscent of Leslie’s favourite Hakka pork belly with yam dish with the beef tripe adding an interesting texture to the dish.
Unfortunately, the Love Dining discounts do not apply to dim sum dishes. Nonetheless, these few dishes have piqued our interest to return to try their other dim sum dishes.
Wan Hao Chinese restaurant is on level 3 of the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza hotel. They have been serving exquisite Cantonese delicacies since 1995 and will likely continue to do so for a while. We are glad to have discovered this restaurant through this food trail.
Wan Hao is a participating restaurant in the American Express Love Dining program.
Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
Level 3, 320 Orchard Road, Singapore 238865
Mon – Sun | 11:30am – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm
Reservations +65 6831 4605
Si Chuan Dou Hua at Level 60 UOB Plaza
We are no strangers to Si Chuan Dou Hua. Leslie used to run food photography workshops here that was even featured on CNN in 2015. It was also the restaurant manager, Linda Loke, who first introduced us to Chinese Tea culture and Si Chuan cuisine. They brought Si Chuan cuisine to our shores in the days when Si Chuan food was still a novel cuisine.
Since Chef Hoo Chee Keong took over the helm in 2021, they have started introducing modern Cantonese cuisine to the menu. As such, you can find dishes such as the Sichuan and Cantonese Trio Appetizer ($20/pax) where you get a thick pan-fried creamy piece of foie gras on watermelon and a sizeable spicy garlic prawn on a rice cracker.
The Braised “Ee Fu” noodles with Boston Lobster with ginger and shallot is a classic Cantonese dish that we have always enjoyed. I like that you get a whole Lobster claw whose juicy meat is exposed so you can eat it like a chicken drumstick.
I also enjoyed the Codfish with soymilk where the fish was meticulously sliced to resemble a chrysanthemum bloom and served with Chef’s special broth made with soy-bean milk and fish stock. The broth is reminiscent of creamy fish head steamboat soup but more delicate and refined.
For dessert, we simply had to have their signature Homemade Fine Bean Curd with wolfberries. There is a good reason why the restaurant is called Si Chuan “Dou Hua” as it is one specialty dish that they take pride in.
It was the good people at Si Chuan Dou Hua who shared their Dou Hua recipe with Leslie years ago when he was struggling to make dou hua at home. He finally succeeded and published the recipe so that our overseas Singaporean friends can satisfy their longing for this smooth and silky treat.
Due to the hot weather, our gracious host and SCDH restaurant director Linda Loke, suggested we have the Double-boiled Pear with peach gum and yuzu tea. The beautifully plated dessert complete with a blue pea flower provided a light and refreshing end to a lovely meal.
One thing you can always count on when dining at Si Chuan Dou Hua is the unbeatable view! The panoramic view at level 60 of UOB Plaza is simply breathtaking.
Si Chuan Dou Hua restaurant is a participating restaurant for both the American Express Love Dining program and Lifestyle Credit benefit.
Si Chuan Dou Hua
80 Raffles Place, #60-01 UOB Plaza 1, Singapore 048624
Mon – Sun | 11:30am – 2:30pm, 2:30pm – 6pm (high tea), 6:30pm – 10:30pm
Reservations +65 6535 6006
Yan Ting at The St Regis Hotel
Our meal at Yan Ting started with a luxurious Bird’s Nest soup. The elegant and plush interior of this newly renovated restaurant was the perfect setting to enjoy this indulgent Bird’s Nest soup. The generous mound of bird’s nest served in velvety golden superior broth and topped with Black truffle is a dish that will not fail to impress even those with an Emperor’s palate.
Bird’s Nest isn’t limited to just one preparation here. The menu features five additional ways to enjoy this delicacy, perfectly suited for a Cantonese fine dining experience.
Since the arrival of their new Head Chef, Chan Chun Shing, about a year ago, the menu has seen the introduction of several new dishes. One standout is the Fried ‘Pik Fong Tong’ Radish Cake, a twist on the classic dish that’s typically steamed or pan-fried. The deep-fried radish cake cubes, combined with crispy garlic and chili crumble, is highly addictive.
The other dish that stood out was the Crispy Beef Short Ribs with Cherry Tomatoes. The short ribs are first braised till tender, then fried in a crispy batter. They’re best enjoyed with marinated cherry tomatoes, which help balance the richness of the succulent beef chunks.
Lovers of classic Hong Kong style Charsiu will like their Honey-glazed Barbecued Iberico Pork that was tender and fragrant (from the Chinese wine). If you like the local version with charred edges and melt in your mouth fats, then you might not appreciate this as much.
Another well executed dish was the Wok-fried Lobster Angel Hair Pasta with Truffle. The Angel Hair pasta offers a different textural experience from the usual Chinese style noodles and is a refreshing take on the classic dish.
Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Yan Ting. It is undoubtedly a fine restaurant to experience authentic Cantonese cuisine with a modern twist. The newly renovated interior is really luxurious, yet comfortable and inviting. They have created spaces that can accommodate large or small gatherings and even romantic dinners for two.
Yan Ting is a participating restaurant for both the American Express Love Dining program and Lifestyle Credit benefit.
Yan Ting at The St Regis Singapore
Level 1U, 29 Tanglin Road
Singapore 247911
Mon – Fri | 12pm – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10:30pm
Sat – Sun | 10:30am – 12:30pm, 1pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10:30pm
Reservations: +65 6506 6887
American Express Love Dining and new Lifestyle Credits up to S$200
Tips on Love Dining
50% discount when 2 dines all year round is a tough discount to beat! Even 20% discount for 5-10 diners is still a very attractive proposition. With 9% GST and 10% service charge, you’ll basically be paying nett prices only.
As with any discount program, there are caveats. Firstly, the discount typically applies to only ala carte dishes. The other thing to note is that it is not applicable on public holidays and eve of public holidays.
It is good to let the restaurant know that you’ll be using your eligible American Express Card for the Love Dining program on arrival so that they can then advise which part of the menu is included in the program.
Find out all the participating restaurants and other details here.
New Lifestyle Credits
The concept is simple. Spend S$100 or more at participating merchants to get S$100 each half of the year! That means you can potentially get S$200 in statement credits each year.
To take advantage of this benefit, you must first perform a 2-step register and enroll process.
1. Register your interest here.
2. Look out for an email that will be sent (8-10 weeks later) from American Express to enroll. Note that you will have to copy and paste the URL to your browser. As good practice, emails from financial institutions do not have clickable links.
Note that the qualifying S$100 spend need to be made in a single transaction and only at participating retailers and restaurants. Notable retailers include Muji, Charles & Keith, Decathlon and Uniqlo.
Conclusion
We hope that you have enjoyed this food trail of three very elegant Chinese restaurants in Singapore and learnt more about the Love Dining privileges you can enjoy with The American Express Platinum Credit Card.
Need more reason to get the card? Receive a welcome offer of up to S$300 statement credit when you sign up today. Valid till 30 June 2024 with annual fee payment and minimum spending. Terms and Conditions apply.
Disclosure: This post is written in partnership with American Express Singapore. Opinions expressed are that of our own.
