Xi Yan is one of the recent handful of eateries that has emerged recently in which the restaurant produces a set menu and the consumer just eats what is being served.

Finding the place can be a nightmare by itself since the restaurant has no visible signboard. To make things worse, there is a Japanese restaurant name right outside Xi Yan. Thus, I was roaming the Tanjong Pagar area trying to find it when I eventually saw the light leading up a small flight of stairs to the restaurant. It really felt like entering some secret society meeting.

Entering the restaurant, it is a Chinese setting that serves about six tables. While waiting for your food, there are files that one can browse through with a series of media coverage that the place has garnered over the past months. Very impressive indeed but this also sets a very high level of expectation for every consumer that walks through the front (or more accurately side) door.

Down to the food, we started out with the greenhouse tomatoes in sesame sauce, a hit for this restaurant as the cold large tomatoes taste very refreshing after a long day at the office. Interestingly, the tomatoes tasted quite sweet, which is a rarity given the large size.

For our second course we had the fried sichuan prime ribeye. I was a little worried when I saw the "Sichuan" name on it but the dish came out well with the beef tasting tender and it certainly was not overopwered by some spicy sauce.

Third on the menu was the baked stuffed scallops with beancurd. Coupled with flying fish roe, the large scallops were cooked just right with the juices oozing out of every bite. I could not taste the beancurd though.

Next was the stir fried shredded potatoes with belachan. Unfortunately I felt that this sour tasting dish did not mix well with the previous appetisers.

Having done with the appetisers, it was now time to try the main course and first on the menu was the stir fried lobsters with Shanghainese rice cake. This hybrid east-west dish had the use of mozarella cheese. I could not taste the kimchi element but the lobster was certainly succulent and a pleasure to consume.

The sixth course was the zhenjiang spareribs which had a nice sweet and sour combination. Unfortunately, I found the ribs to be a little hard (probably from excessive cooking) and after a few pieces I felt tired chewing on the meat.

The hakka marinated duck howevever was pleasant as the meat was tender and juicy. Marinated in five spices, the duck went well with the thick and salty dark sauce that came with the dish.

At this point I really could not eat much more, but the dishes kept coming. For the eight dish we had a whole shirmp paste grouper with pomelo salad. This was interesting because it tasted like a Thai Chinese combination due to the strong lemon tasting sauce with pamelo. Think of this as a "har chiong" fish cooked Thai style. The fish skin was also crispy. I could not taste the shrimp paste at all, which surprised me since the shrimp paste is generally strong.

Finally a break in the meal. We were served plesant and light intermezzo of water chestnut sorbet and sugargane crystals. The sorbet was light and did well to clear the palate.

The tenth item was he fruits and chicken soup. I may officially be a Hainanese but the Cantonese blood in me does not permit me to go for a Chinese meal without starting or ending in some nice warm broth. The soup was refreshing after such heavy items. I generally do not like fruit soups but this version had a nice blend of apple and papaya and I slurped it all down in a huff.

The eleventh dish was the stir fried mushrooms with picked cucumber. I found the dish rather ordinary and lack of taste since the pickled cucumber did not stand out.

Finally, the night comes to an end with the serving of the dessert - the xi yan signature tang yuan in old ginger soup. I did not like this at all due to the strong ginger taste.

Overall, my general comment on the food is that it serves an interesting branch of fushion foood, but I felt that a lot of the taste in the dishes did not come out very strongly. One would have noticed my comments on many of the dishes that I could not taste the stronger ingredients that I thought would have dominated the dishes such as the shrimp paste, the kimchi or even teh pickled cucumber. This does not make any of the dishes bland tasting though (except maybe the stir fried mushrooms) but other the greenhouse tomatoes many of these items could be whipped up by good Chinese chefs.

On the service, I really like how each staff takes pride in the explanation of each dish as it arrives. You can tell from the way that they speak that they are really proud to work here, and why not given all the rave reviews in the press. We arrved late but the crew was gracious, allowing us to stay until 1120pm when we finished the dinner. One improvement they could make though is that the tea served was lukewarm. A small adjustment in this are which have turned what was a good meal into a great meal.

After hearing so much about this legendary place, we decided to make a month-ahead booking for our parents' wedding anniversary.

True to expectation, the food was spectacular, but so was the price.

A tad disappointed that they charged $3 each for chinese tea for all 6 of us even though 2 of us had mainly cold tap water.

The large fresh sweet japanese tomatoes drenched with sauce that had a hint of wasabi was refreshing. The fois gras on top of a tiny bed of chinese noodles was my favourite. The five spiced duck was a family member's favourite. And the dessert of liquored ice cream was a lovely surprise too. The portions were not large, but we were adequately filled at the end of the 6 course meal.

As usual, the staff bothered to explain each dish, and answer our questions. The ambience was great that day since our table had the whole restaurant to ourselves. Loved the flowers and the decor.

I love eating out & trying various types of cuisines. However, my visit to Xi Yan was an extremely pleasant experience that surprised my jaded taste buds!

The first thing that stood out was the private location in a conserved shophouse, where the restaurant is hidden above a flight of stairs lined with tealights. Once inside, the area opens out into a cosy yet elegantly designed dining hall. The warm colour tones complimented the low lighting, which made all the art pieces on display pleasing to the eye.

The food served were all very unique pairings of east & east cuisines. The Chef's forte must be in his creativity with sauces. The food is full flavoured & every dish was as interesting & as different from one another.

Most memorable were the lobsters stir fried together with kimchi, leek, shanghai rice cakes, chicken broth, & topped up with mozerella cheese. As a Singaporean crustacean lover who's used to having it done 'chilli', 'pepper' or 'butter', I must say that this is definately a better 'fantastical' way to have my lobster... with mozerella & kimchi! The gravy was so good, I could have scooped it all up pieces of fried buns.

I also enjoyed the foie gras that was lightly pan fried on the outside, yet soft & moist inside, & drizzled with chinese plum sauce. This was served on a bed of japanese somen noodles prepared with shabu sauce. The combination of tastes and textures made this the best foie gras I've ever had!

The dessert was equally satisfying. The humble tang yuan as you thought you knew, was bursting with flavours you never knew existed in tang yuan. This is because instead of 1 ingredient, the Chef has skillfully mixed 5 ingredients to make the filling.

The marvellous cuisine was also patiently explained to us by the knowledgeable service staff, who also recommended some boutique French wines to us. One of the wines recommended was Chateauneuf Du Pape Costier 2004, which was a perfect balance with the rich tasting food, with a long velvety finish.

Overall the group of 12 of us were totally stuffed, but we consider this experience as calories well invested. And would like to thank the chef & service staff for their attentiveness!

Having tried Xi Yan some time ago as a guest over dinner...I was indeed curious what is its lunches like. I do remember in my first visit at dinner....we had a ball of a time....i could still remember we enjoyed the lobster with its wonderful mint sauce, shishamo with XO sauce, the pork cheek with lime, the braised beef with sweet potatoes/dough sticks and the crab glutinous rice. Not bad memory after such a long time. It was indeed v good and refreshing. We also drank alot then.

This time, at $68 per pax, i thought it would be quite a simple lunch...but as it turn out...quite a sumptious one and we ended up spending quite a while enjoying the tea and once again soaking in the ambiance with a new set of lovely contemporary paintings. Most of all my guests and friends. I must comment on the surprises Xi Yan seem to produce with its cuisines ...imagine Kim Chi Crab with Mozarella cheese ! Initially we all had a lot of apprehension with the name of the dish but the taste was indeed amazing and wonderful. In particular the shanghai nian gao (rice sticks) that goes with the gravy....wow ! The other dish that blew me away was the drunken chicken with dried plum....i have tried drunken chicken but with the plums it added a twist to it....the chicken was smooth and very nice. We had grouper with olives....another refreshing dish...the thing i noticed most of all is that Xi Yan dishes are never too heavy in the use of corn starch...making it light and easy over lunch.

Anyway....at the end of it all....we agreed that we should come again soon to try the rest of the many dishes which apparently they have served and we have not tried. That's really the unique thing about Xi Yan that we liked most.

Decisions, decisions, decisions... ever had one of those days when you just wish that you don't have to make any? I know I do... Yet, when it comes to something as important as the stomach (which we all know is the way to the heart), it takes a brave soul to leave it to the chef.

But, Xi Yan is one of the few places where I am contented to be at the mercy of the chef. Just make your reservation, and turn up on time to be surprised. I made my return trip on Friday for lunch, and was not disappointed. The food was just as good.

Lunch started with the Japanese tomatoes in a sesame/ wasabi sauce, which complemented the natural sweetness of the tomato. Next was somen topped with a delectable piece of juicy pan fried foie gras. Zhejiang vinegar pork ribs was served next - it was a melt in the mouth texture, with a wonderful balance of sweet/ vinegary taste. Beautiful. The dish was followed by a braised citrus beef shin, it was also a lovely dish, but to be honest, serving the 2 dishes one after another was a little too "jelat"... both were delicious, but they were really a little too heavy in taste. Still, being the carnivore that I am, it was only a minor point. The olive fried rice was an interesting mix of all ingredients appealing to a pregnant lady (which explained why the dish was named Pregnant Ladies' fried rice). This was followed by a very nourishing abalone chicken soup, and lunch was capped by an interesting lotus root paste dessert, which was yummy.

Service was great, prompt (being a business lunch) and non-intrusive. My colleague declared that she would be back, and indeed, was spreading the word when she got back to the office. Certainly a nice homely place to bring clients to, but book early, they only have 6 tables, and the word is spreading.

If you have time, and are the type to enjoy a nice leisurely dinner, do make your dinner reservations. Be prepared to spend about 3 hours to enjoy the extended menu.