If you have watched some MediaCorp productions at some point in time, you would recognise Ben Yeo 杨志龙, quite a well-known local host and actor.
Maybe you would also know that he has a penchant for opening F&B businesses in the past, a list of names including Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat Restaurant, Playground, and Geon Bae Lok Lok.
Not forgetting the co-creation of McDonald’s Crispy Hainanese Chicken Burger, and his SG Chee Cheong Fun sold online.
(Though being a local celeb going into F&B, can be a double-edge sword. Pros: good publicity; cons: just read the online comments.)
This time, I visited Tan Xiang Yuan (stylised as 炭香YÚAN) as I was curious about the food, located at Dickson Road near Jalan Besar MRT station.
Its co-founder is Chef Cao Yong – also a regular on local food variety shows.
The concept hopes to spread warmth through the notion of “Home” or “园”, “reunion” or “圆”, and “fate” or “缘”.
You would find a heritage building tucked in between shophouses and across the famous Wanderlust Hotel.
The food journey begins right there at the entrance to the restaurant. The property is a conservation house, which is basically a historically and culturally significant building.
This really means that renovating it cost a fortune, to bring it a fresh look that is both retro and chic at the same time.
But my friends and I were too sure about the white tentage that reminded us of…
The restaurant is a contemporary Cantonese concept, and Tan Xiang Yuan alludes to the aroma that charcoal imparts to the food.
Most of the dining spots are alfresco. As we wanted to try the signature TXY Signature Seafood Hotpot ($98, $188), that means we got to sit outdoors.
It would be a little hot outdoors (may need a portable fan), but the ventilation is good for some of the dishes that are served with open flames.
This brings me to the food: prices are steep – not like your typical zi char restaurant, best saved for large gatherings or special occasions.
Other than the TXY Signature Seafood Hotpot ($98, $188), signature dishes include TXY Cream Milk Crab (price by weight), TXY Hand Drizzled Roast Chicken ($26 for half, $48 for whole), TXY Signature Beef Cubes ($26, $39, $52), TXY Signature Sauce Prawn Balls ($28, $42, $56), TXY Signature Fried Rice ($22, $33, $44), and TXY Signature Yin Yang Seafood Hor Fun ($22, $33, $44).
The highlight would be the TXY Signature Seafood Hotpot ($98, $188), luxuriously decked out in prawns, abalones, clams, scallops, fish, and more.
The broth, which was cooked over many hours with old hen, pork bones and prawn shells, was flavourful and tasty.
Somehow the pot helped kept the soup warm (and comforting) throughout the meal.
A novelty appetiser is the TXY Mao Shan Wang Durian Chilli Crab Ball ($12 per piece). Think durian and chilli crab centre encased in a deep-fried ball. (Unsurprising, since Ben Yeo owns an online Mao Shan Wang store too.)
My friends who loved both items were surprised how the combination actually worked, though I still found it a tad strange.
One of the signatures is the TXY Roast Chicken ($26 half, $48 whole), available in limited quantities daily, as its crispy skin is created by painstakingly pouring hot oil over it ladle by ladle.
Worth an order too.
There were some dishes we thought were more ordinary for its price, such as the TXY Signature Handmade Artisanal Tofu with Golden Superior Crab Meat ($38).
While it came with a trio of colours, the layers didn’t taste very much differentiated, and wished for more umami-ness in the sauce.
The bottom line at Tan Xiang YUAN: there is some innovation in the presentation of its Cantonese food, set in a location with unparalleled ambience, just a tad expensive.
Tan Xiang Yuan 炭香YÚAN
1 Dickson Road, Singapore 209493
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 11pm (Mon – Sun)
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