SIN: Shin Yeh {CLOSED}

Oh-so-luscious prawns with pineapples!

UPDATE (14/07/2020): The restaurant has closed down.

From a humble beginning in 1977 in one of the alleys of Taipei, Taiwan, Shin Yeh has seen a steady increase in reputation and evolved into a brand serving contemporary Taiwanese cuisine. Having outlets in not only its city of origin, but also Beijing, China and Singapore, Shin Yeh is something not to be missed out.

I chanced upon the outlet at Liang Court with my eating buddy. I was prepared for a heavy dinner, especially since I only ate a little bit for lunch. As you can see in the picture above, both of us had already eaten the egg and the beef. The waiting time for the rest of the dishes to come was a bit long, I must say.

Appetiser S$3.00

Taste: 8/10

A rather expensive appetiser to have for a start, the sliced cucumbers were delightfully crunchy. They were soaked in sweet and salty sauce typically found in canned preserved vegetables.

Marinated Beef Tendon S$9.00

Taste: 4/10

The cold appetiser I ordered from the menu, however, was (not even) half as good as the cucumbers. While the soy sauce was pretty flavourful with a bit of sweetness, the slices of beef tendon weren't juicy or tender at all, to the point of being hard for some of them. Despite that, I still finished them as they were still edible.

Pan-Fried Turnip Cake S$10.00

Taste: 8/10

Being one of their signature dishes, the pan-fried turnip cake is a must-order according to many. While the one that arrived on my table didn't look as airy as some food bloggers had, it was nonetheless fluffy. Filled with crunchy dried turnips, it wasn't too oily.

Sautéed Prawns with Pineapples S$20.00

Taste: 9.5/10

I was fascinated by not only the vivid colours of the dish, but also its lipsmacking taste. Laden with mayonnaise, the prawns were truly juicy and succulent, as well as bearing crispy coatings. The pineapple cubes lent a sour delight to the dish. Kudos to them for sprinkling a bit of black sesame seeds for a better presentation!

Sweet and Sour Sea Bass S$26.00

Taste: 9/10

For such a price, the sea bass is truly value-for-money which I feel can feed three people. The fish was undoubtedly fresh, and the clean sweetness of its flesh was very much welcomed. The sauce had a nice sweet and sour balance too.

Taiwan-Style Rice with Soya Sauce Lean Pork S$5.00

Taste: 8/10

The portion of the perennial favourite lu rou fan was pretty small for a huge eater like me, but I quite like the neat arrangement of the pork, half a braised egg and preserved vegetables around the rice. The oily goodness of the pork was well-balanced by the savoury preserved vegetables, although the overall taste could be slightly sweeter.

Taiwan-Style Mango and Milk over Shaved Ice S$8.00

Taste: 7.5/10

The dessert of mango shaved ice didn't really shine, but it was good enough. In my opinion, it wasn't milky enough. The mango cubes on top were sweeter than they were sour.

Melon's Rating

Taste: 8/10

Ambience: 8.5/10
Service: 6.5/10
Overall: 7.5/10

Except for the truly disappointing beef tendon, I'd give thumbs up for the food. As I said, service that day was a bit slow, but I noted that the restaurant was almost fully occupied. FYI, iced water is charged at $0.30 per person. Pika's advice: If you come during lunch hours from Mondays to Saturdays, you can opt for the Taiwanese Set Lunch which gives you complimentary free flow sweet potato porridge, as well as a dessert dish per person!

Shin Yeh

177 River Valley Road

#02-19 Liang Court Shopping Centre

Singapore

(Daily: 11.30am - 2.30pm, 6.00pm - 10.30pm)

http://www.shinyeh.com.sg/

*Prices quoted are subject to 10% service charge and 7% GST.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)