Madame Fan By Alan Yau has now descend upon The NCO Club. In case you have no idea who Alan Yau is. Here is a short introduction about him. He is the man behind Wagamama chain of eateries, that make the waves in Britain through bowls of noodles and including my favourite international Cantonese Restaurant Hakkansan.
Ambience is theathrical due to the red and black colour theme. The neon-coloured lights reminds me of Hakkansan in Shanghai. Vibrating elegance and classy air.
At Madame Fan, they offer 2 different menu; one for lunch with a focus on Dim Sum, the other for dinner which has various items from soup to Seafood and Mains.
As my aunt birthday is in June and she loves Chinese food, so I thought Madame Fan would be the perfect restaurant for the occassion for lunch.
Instead of ordering the usual Har Gau 冬笋鲜虾饺 ($9) though Madame Fan version consists of Bamboo Shoot and Shumai 传统烧卖 ($7.50), we opted for the Chinese chive dumpling 韭菜鲜虾饺子 ($8), chiefly, a prawn dumpling but with lots of chive. Due to the amount of chopped chives, dominating chive’s aroma complemented the prawn. Next was the Duck & Pumpkin Puff 金瓜火鸭球 ($7), a personal favourite. The sweetish pumpkin flavour on the crust augmented the tender fatty duck.
However the Siew Long Bao 上海小笼包 ($8) was mediocre. Chicken Feet, black bean, chilli 老干妈酱蒸凤爪 ($6) isn’t the soft and melt in the mouth version but a chewy with more texture rendition with the essence of the sauce absorbed well into the collagen.
Serving 3 sauces; Chilli oil, Prawn Paste Chilli and Soy Sauce. I love the Prawn Paste Chilli, similar to our Hia Bi Hiam.
Crispy Aromatic Duck 香酥鸭 ($38 half duck) similar to the Peking Duck, it is served with pancake, baby cucumber, Thai spring onion, duck sauce expected. Instead of roast, it is deep-fried.
Service crew will help to de-bone and fork-pull the tender duck. Highly aromatic with crispy skin with a good layer of fats under the skin, however, the meat was a little too dry.
Hence I would recommend eat it as a wrap with the duck sauce to provide some moist to the meat.
Last 2 items before dessert was the Braised E-Fu Noodle with dried shiitake, Hokkaido dried scallop 瑶柱鲜菇干烧伊面 ($16) and Nai Bai with Garlic ($16). The braised noodle absorbed the seasoning and yet not overwhelming or briny. The shredded Hokkaido dried scallop elevated the flavour.
For sweets, we have Custard Bun 咸蛋流沙包 ($6). I love this recipe which is savoury and was with intense salted egg flavour, however, a pity, the lava didn’t flow.
Since we were there for a birthday celebration, I made a comment at the reservation page and we received a Complimentary Birthday Cake, a Pandan Chiffon Cake. It was surprisingly delish.
Lastly, please take note that there is a dress code at Madame Fan By Alan Yau; smart casual with no shorts and flip-flops. And for dinner, diner minimum age is 12 years old.
NAHMJ Verdict
Madame Fan By Alan Yau is the substitute for my first love, Hakkasan.
Madame Fan By Alan Yau
32 Beach Road, Level 2, The NCO Club, Singapore 189764
Tel: +65 6818 1921
Website: http://madamefan.sg/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/MadameFan/
Opening Hours
Tuesdays – Sundays 1200 to 1500, 1800 to 2300 (including public holidays) | Closed on Mondays
Getting There
By MRT:
- Circle line – Esplanade (Exit E)
- North-South or East-West line – City Hall
By Bus:
- Opp or at Raffles Hotel along Beach Road 56, 57, 100, 107, 961
- At Raffles Hotel along Bras Basah Road 14, 14e, 16, 36, 77, 106, 111, 128, 130, 131, 133, 162, 162M, 167, 171, 502, 502A, 518, 518A, 700, 700A, 850E, 857, 951E, 960
- Opp or at Suntec City along Nicoll Highway 10, 10e, 70, 70M, 196
Rating: 8/10