The main dining hall (left) can be hired for events, while private rooms are available for smaller gatheringsReinventions by three generations of celebrity chefs have given fiery Sichuan cuisine a delicate touch, while the dining experience is elevated by an elegant environment. Karen Yue reviews the venue
Two things crossed my mind when I first encountered Shisen Hanten By Chen Kentaro. First, wow, what a gorgeous entrance and interior; second, why is a Japanese chap whipping up Sichuanese food?
My second thought was a silly one, of course; anyone can make a good business out of foreign cuisine. But the answer to that question is one that tells an inspiring tale of business success over three generations, and now I am just glad that third-gen chef Chen Kentaro had expanded his family’s business empire by opening the first Shisen Hanten restaurant outside of Japan.
MICE application
The restaurant’s interior, the work of Indonesian design firm BOBOS, is exquisite. A row of sparkling crystal chandeliers bring light to an elegant dining hall that is dressed in black and gold hues, plush fabrics and beautiful oriental art pieces.
Booth seats along the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling glass windows are perfect spots for intimate business luncheons, and a cosy lounge is available for guests to enjoy their favourite tipple before or after the meal.
Shisen Hanten exercises great flexibility for private events, and the restaurant can be hired entirely for functions (a minimum spend of S$12,000 [US$8,900] for lunch and S$16,000 for dinner is required) and its layout can be customised. It can take on banquet, buffet, cocktail and classroom configurations, and has hosted many corporate events, including D&Ds and lunch meetings, since opening in January 2014. One of its first corporate events was the Singapore Press Club’s Ambassadors Speak Series luncheon for 80 pax.
The dining hall can accommodate 12 to 15 10-seat tables for banquets, and more for cocktail setups. Should the banquet require a stage, the space can take up to 140 guests.
There are also four private dining rooms – two of which can accommodate eight pax each, another can take 12 diners, and the largest is good for up to 24 guests.
Shisen Hanten chefs will customise menus to suit clients’ budgets.
F&B concept
Take the obsession Japanese chefs have over the quality of ingredients they use in their cooking and marry that with the feisty flavours of Sichuan cuisine, and you will have one big party on your tongue and in your belly.
When grandfather chef Chen Kenmin opened the first Shisen Hanten in Japan in 1958, he tweaked his dishes to suit the Japanese palate. His creations were then fine-tuned and further reinvented over the years by his son chef Chen Kenichi of Iron Chef fame and who grew the chain across Japan.
Sichuan favourites here are well executed to offer the characteristic spice but without the lip numbing effect, and I love how some of the usual suspects are elevated with Japanese ingredients. For example, the common lazi ji, or chicken sautéed with chilli pepper, features bite-size chicken chunks coated in a batter made with Hokkaido potatoes, giving them a light, crunchy texture. Another common dish, fried pork with sweet & sour sauce in black vinegar scores with a gooey, fragrant sauce painstakingly cooked daily using a sweet vinegar specially imported from Japan.
Service
I’ve dined here thrice in a month (that’s how much I enjoy Shisen Hanten!) and restaurant manager Kelvin Tan and his colleagues are always as friendly as family and ever ready to make recommendations. Once, when a particular dish took longer to arrive, Tan made an effort to explain the cooking process and came around a few more times to update us on its progress.
Contacts
Level 35, Orchard Wing, Mandarin Orchard Singapore, 333 Orchard Road
Tel: (65) 6831-6262 / 6831-6266;
Email: shisenhanten.orchard@meritushotels.com
Website: www.shisenhanten.com.sg
Function hours
Monday to Sunday
Lunch: 12.00 to 15.00; dinner: 18.00 to 22.00
