Located in an obscure corner of the newly restored National Museum of Singapore – with no signboard or whatsoever on its exterior (signboard faces inwards as I discovered), Chef Chan’s Restaurant, honed by Master Chef Chan Chen Hei – a widely known and respected figure in the Chinese culinary circle, dwells completely at ease in the ‘new’ historical setting – as it is complete with Chef Chan’s personal precious collection of Chinese antiques amassed over the years.

The place is exquisite with only four private dining rooms up for reservations – walk-ins are not entertained. From utensils to cutleries (besides the glass carrying warm water), everything was matched to give one an authentic Cantonese dining experience to that of a Chinese noble.

With much anticipation, first up was the Melon Strips Enlivened with Orange Juice. While some claimed the melon to be crunchy, I find it rather hard to chew on. However, what turns me off from this dish was the sweet orange aftertaste one gets, and we all felt "Melon Strip Dip in Fanta Orange" would be more apt description.

One thing that irks me in Chinese fine dining is that you are unable to have a 2nd helping unlike those traditional Chinese banquet. This is illustrated when the Prawn Balls Stuffed with Pate and Wine was stacked temptingly on the serving plate but only one was distributed to each of us.

The exterior crust was crispy yet gentle for the throat but the interior was a major letdown – it was just overwhelmed with prawn taste that one cannot discern a hint of the pate or wine in it.

Stir Fried Shark's Fin with Eggs, Bean Sprouts and Spring Onion Served in Lettuce Leaves was probably one of the better dishes that night.

A good harmony among the ingredients – chewy shark’s fin and crunchy bean sprouts and lettuce leaves was a pleasure to chomp on. However, reality check beseech me to realise that one doesn’t need extraordinary culinary skill to execute this – this is one reason why my dad doesn’t order bean sprouts whenever we dine out.

The Sautéed Lobster with Garlic was another highly anticipated dish since it was one of the more “luxurious” items on the menu that night. The intense aroma of the garlic wowed us when it was first brought into our room, but we soon live to regret it as the profuse amount of garlic threatens to engulf the whole dish. It was such a shame since the lobster was very fresh and sweet but the tingling feeling from the garlic seeks to mar it.

The meat of the Steamed Sliced Red Garoupa in Village Style was very fresh with a good bite, but the gravy that accompanied it was outrageously starchy.

This is another example of excessive inclusion of element (starch if you are wondering) that threatens to blemish the already pathetic serving of fish that each of us got that night.

The Sautéed Vegetables with Shredded Mushrooms was greeted with disappointment that night. Drenched in gravy, it was just ordinary – any decent cook should be able to pull this off their kitchen – enough said.

The only showpiece for the night rightfully belongs to this seemingly humble chicken. Probably his best known dish, Chef Chan’s Famous Crispy Roast Chicken was the only dish that kept everyone quiet throughout its partake. Everyone was busy devouring the crispy skin that snap with every bite, coupled with the moist and tender chicken meat that was nothing short of flavour. This dish even though tended towards the saltier side near the end, was the only one that blew me away. A simple dish yet delicately and magnificently executed.

Dessert of the night was a choice between Papaya with White Fungus and Herbal Jelly with Glutinous Rice & Mango. And I opted for the latter, which I swiftly regretted. The dessert didn’t quite gel as one and I ended up eating it three ways, first the mango that was unripe therefore sour, then the glutinous rice which was nothing extraordinary, and lastly follow by the Herbal Jelly which some concluded should come with more honey, but I am used to having it bitter.

We chalked a total of $860.15 for 9 people (after 10% credit card discount), which roughly makes out to $96 per pax. For such a price and Straits Time claiming that it deserved at least one Michelin Star, expectations were high and I expected more. However, only the roast chicken make it for me that night that one is definitely better off having the rest of the dishes at some Tze Char stall elsewhere.

You can view the all photos and other reviews @ His Food Blog.

Preceding my previous visit to Chef Chan almost a year back just before it closed to go private, I was back again after its reopening to sample what private dining had to offer. Of course it helped that Chef Chan was offering a promotion which showcased its signature dishes from all 23 years it has been in business.

Located in a nondescript section of the posh and grand National Museum, Chef Chan takes quite a bit of luck to find. There are no signs whatsoever as to where the restaurant is and even the signboard faces inwards into the restaurant. Asking around would probably be a better option. The place is small, filled mainly with antiques Chef Chan has amassed over the years and of course 4 private rooms and a large dining area which seats up to 46 pax by reservations only (No walk in customers are allowed). Honestly I didn't find the rooms too private as we were only seperated from the next table by a peusdo wall partition.

Melon Strips Enlivened with Orange Juice - Probably melon strips soaked with orange juice would be more apt in describing this dish. The melon strips were crunchy but was completely overwhelmed by the excessively sweet orange taste. I would have suspected that the melon strips were dipped into F&N Fanta orange juice if not for the fact that there was visible pulp on the melons.

Prawn Balls Stuffed with Pate and Wine - Each of us had 1 prawn ball to our name and that was insufficient to say the least. The prawn balls were crispy but a tad too salty with a very strong prawn taste which overwhelmed any taste from the pate and probably the wine as well.

Stir Fried Shark's Fin with Eggs, Bean Sprouts and Spring Onion Served in Lettuce Leaves - This dish was actually very similar to what I had at Joo Heng sometime back except that Joo Heng's rendition probably cost much less than this one, with noticeably less shark's fin as well (Not that theres much to start with anyway). Paired up with lettuce, this dish was lightly salty and nice but failed to wow me. I reckon you don't really need much culinary skill to whip up such a dish.

Steamed Lobster with Garlic - Each of us got a lobster probably weighing in at about 300g or so. Fresh and sweet, this should have been one of the highlights of our meal. Unfortunately, the copious amount of garlic over parts of the lobster threatened to kill my tastebuds, rendering me almost immune to whatever succulent sweetness the lobster had to offer.

Steamed Sliced Garoupa in Village Style - The fish was freshly sweet with the flesh firm yet tender. Complementing it was a lightly savoury but a tad too starchy gravy. Portions were ridiculously small and each of us probably got only 4-5 slices of fish.

Sauteed Vegetable with Shredded Mushroom - This dish was greeted with much dismay and comments that anyone could have whipped up such a simple dish. I agree. The vegetables were a little too drenched in the gravy and didn't taste out of the ordinary. I'm pretty sure I've eaten better vegetable dishes at the coffeeshop cze char stall near my place.

Chef Chan's Famous Crispy Roast Chicken - Undisputedly the Pièce de résistance of the entire meal and probably the most well known dish of Chef Chan, the Crispy Roast Chicken. The last time I had it, it was lacking in flavours so I didn't quite get my expectations too high this time round. I don't know if my low expectations were the reason but the chicken blew me away. It was, if I may say, nothing short of excellent. Crispy skin that crackled with every bite coupled with tender, moist and flavourful meat. A gem indeed! The only tiny gripe I had was that the meat tended towards the salty side closer to the bone.

Papaya with White Fungus & Herbal Jelly with Glutinous Rice & Mango - We had the option of 2 desserts, 1 warm and 1 cold. I chose the latter which was the herbal jelly and promptly regretted it. The mango pieces that came with it seemed very unripe, crunchy and sour. It definitely didn't go well with the sweet glutinous rice or the slightly bitter herbal jelly. All in all a total disaster.
I had a taste of the papaya with white fungus and it was quite decent, sweet yet very light on the palate. But nothing fantastic.

The 9 of us chalked up a bill of about $860, which works out to be about $96 per person and the truth is, I wasn't even full after that. Food quality overall was decent with only the chicken shining through. For the price, I had really expected more. Especially when most of the dishes are supposedly Chef Chan's signature dishes and being private dining, most, if not all dishes should be prepared by Chef Chan himself.
I can only take cold comfort in the fact that service was good and we had a 10% discount off the bill. I really cannot fathom paying anymore.

See all my pictures here.

I did not like the original Chef Chan's at Odeon Towers but I heard the main problem there was that Chef Chan himself rarely did the cooking and a cousin in the industry said that when he does, it's usually very good.

So when we learnt that he had opened a private dining thing at the national museum, we had to go try his cooking.

WONDERFUL! There are only about 6-7 tables in the whole restaurant, so imagine the kind of attention that is paid by the kitchen to the food and by the waitstaff serving you. My group of 5 were given this private room and it was so cosy and intimate. The food cost us S$92++ per person but it was exquisite, refined, tasty and ...I'm sure you get the picture. Loved the ambience. Parking was a breeze.

At the end, the waitress asked in mandarin "Are you happy with today's dining?". Hell yes!!

I was quite reluctant to write review of this restaurant until I see Picky Gourmet's cos it is so good (in my opinion and PS.. I am also a Picky eater) that I did not want anyone to know and want to keep this place to myself.. =]

I frequent the old Chef Chan in Odeon and have went to one wedding dinner hosted there.. love the food and the deco and was quite upset when it closed. Love the three specialty - Fried roasted chicken, beef and sharksfin.

The new restaurant is nicely located in an obscure corner in the museum, got to spend sometime before you can find it, but trust me, its worth it. The deco is as good as the food as they are presented. the beef is tender (US beef), chicken is consistently good and the sharksfin is OhmyGod tasty and flavourful, the most important of all, it does not leave a thirsty feeling after the meal (equal to no MSG added)

As the food are served in a private dining style, you will not have a choice of what you want to eat. But.. if you have a craving of something you can always call Chef Chan earlier to ask if he can cook for you.

The Chef told us he chose a smaller restaurant so that he can control the food quality and his customer can enjoy the best of what he can offer. I kudos to the Chef's committment to the food and to his customers, for that and the delicious sharksfin, I will go back.

Who cares about Morton? (400 bucks for 2pax with bad service and sub-standard steak..I rather spend it here =P)

Formerly at Odeon Towers, Chef Chan closed last year with much "hooha" in the news. I wasn't too disappointed then because over the years food quality and standards have deteriorated greatly and I went back less and less.

Then not long ago again with some "hooha" we heard he is re-opening in National Museum. Was rather surprised because it was reported that Chef Chan wanted to take a break from the long hours of kitchen/restaurant work.

We arrived this day at Chef Chan at 830pm some what late but as I always figured it is best to spend money on Mondays since you fight less crowds and food/service usually better. Parking is in the museum itself, with entrance between YMCA and the museum "small" road.

There is no clear directions how to get to the restaurant and it is buried rather deep in but basically walk into the main door all the way to the end, make a left and walk out of the aircon area all the way till you see a small door with the restaurant sign.

Step into the restaurant is like stepping into the chinese antique collection of the museum. The furnishings heard all own by Chef Chan. He took the place because it has beautiful high ceilings and a classical space for his antiques. The restaurant only has 7 tables so it is VERY small. The ambience is like "palace" dinning with exquisite furnishings and cutlery. Space is very private and sparsely furnished with tables to provide a more personalized service and it shows every bit. There are 4 rooms with group seating and 3 tables of 4pax in the main hall. As I said very private.

Before I even go into the food, Let me just clarify that the restaurant is now operating more like a "Si Fang Cai Guan" - as in "private home dinning". The menu is fixed for the day depending on what is freshest and what the chef chooses. There is NO ala carte so be prepared to pay $88/pax (they say with min 4 to dine but served us anyway). That being said it is worth every penny you pay and if you want something else make a reservation and tell Chef Chan what you want he will prepare!

According to the manager, Chef Chan closed the old restaurant because he felt the standards could not be maintained and he wanted a break so the tough choice. This time round with a small restaurant and with Chef Chan cooking all the dishes himself, the the food quality and service standards shine through.

Menu is a 7 course dinner including dessert. Appetizer of the day was Bitter Melon with Squid. This is a cold dish. Something you don't normally see around restaurants so it is a refreshing change from your typical jellyfish and cold cuts stuff. Bitter Melon meshes well with the squid and the slightly spicy dressing.

The 2nd course is the Black Peppered US beef with Celery and Snow Peas. People familiar with the OLD Chef Chan restaurant will remember this dish as one of the 3 signature dishes. This time it is not tenderized beef but solid US beef cooked to exactly medium. Tender and juicy this is leaps and bound better than before. Portion is generous as well with enough to serve 3 rather than 2 persons. A delight if you love beef.

Third Course was the Braised Sharks Fin with Crab Meat and Winter Melon. Simply the best dish of the meal and one of the best sharks fin of this type I've had in a long time. Crab meat sweet and smooth (very clearly peeled fresh on the day not those refrigerated type). The stock is intensely rich and delightful. This is also one of the 3 signature dish but the last time I had it at the old place, it was a total disaster. Prepared by the chef himself, I can see why he closed the last restaurant already...

Next is the Steamed Pating Fruit Fish with garlic. Talk about perfect timing for steam fish this one is impeccable. Just right on the dot though people who hate garlic may need to ask chef to change this. Fish texture is smooth and very fresh with no hint of fishy smell - fish stomach no after taste or bitterness - general sign of freshness. It is 1/2 a fish for two pax which leaves me hoping to have the whole fish.

Crispy Chicken is next. This is the last of the trio of signature dish. Skin crisp and meat juicy. I can't say this is the best roast chicken i've ever had but it is nevertheless one of the better ones around. We got like 1/2 a chicken which is a little much so had to da pao.

Last dish a sauteed vegetable - didn't catch the veg name but it is a good finisher after a very substantial amount of meat. Nicely done dish but not something I will write home about since it is really just sauteed veg.

The dessert is boiled papaya with white fungus and red dates. A light dessert to end the meal but not something special or out of the world.

Overall food is impeccable and well worth the $88/pax as far as I am concern.

Service is where Chef Chan shines brightest getting the highest score I EVER given out period. Service staff typical of fine dinning Chinese restaurants so I won't write more. The highlight is Chef Chan himself came out twice during the meal to check on us and make sure everything is alright. It is something he didn't had to do but made a particular effort to do so even for two poorly dressed couple. Then when we were having desserts and all the cooking is done he came around talked to us for a good 30minutes till 10 plus almost 11pm. The restaurant closes at 10pm?We chat about food in general and he advised us what not to have in Chinese restaurants in general. My partner wanted to ask if he can do Conpoy fried rice with crab meat next time we come but he tells us not to waste money. He could charge us $20+ (what you normally pay in fine dine Chinese restaurant) for it but he says it is not worth our $$$ to do so we are not getting value for it though if we insist he can do. Wow talk about looking out for customers!

At the end of it all he even walked with us to the museum main door. When on earth do you find a chef at this level friendly or humble enough, whatever way you put it, to walk and chat with you to the door at first ever meeting? You can say it is a Monday not many customers so he can afford to do so but it is something he didn't have to do and chat with customer until after closing hours? I am not sure if he does this very often but this personalized touch is refreshing and well worth repeat visits often.