TWN: YEN Chinese Restaurant (紫艷中餐廳)

Jumbo mushrooms for 'dim sum' lunch?

Located on the 31st floor of the chic W Taipei (5*), YEN Chinese Restaurant offers delectable Cantonese dishes. It's helmed by Chef Wo Hoi Ming, a renowned chef who has previously worked in big restaurants, such as Lei Garden in HK and Crystal Jade Golden Palace in Singapore.

My BFF and I went there for lunch. Dim sum items aren't available for dinner.

Appetiser

We started off with crunchy pickles with dried shrimps, which were enough to whet our appetite as we waited for the rest of the dishes to come to the table.

Formosa Mushroom Dumplings NT$180.00 (~S$8.10)

Taste: 8/10

The steamed dumplings featured local ingredients of wild mushrooms and some greens, going well with the accompanying chili oil. The translucent skin was of adequate thickness, having an enjoyably chewy texture.

Barbecued Pork Pastry Puffs NT$180.00 (~S$8.10)

Taste: 7.5/10

I was having quite a high expectation of the baked barbecued pork puffs. As I sank my teeth into one, I found that the pastry could be more crumbly. The barbecued pork filling was adequately sweet.

Fried Turnip Shreds with Cheese NT$210.00 (~S$9.45)

Taste: 9/10

Don't be alarmed when you see 'lotus roots' served to you when you don't seem to order any. The cutely shaped turnips were deep-fried, allowing the cheese inside to melt. Being my favourite dish for the lunch, they were light on the palate without being greasy at all.

Braised Chicken Feet and Peanuts with Abalone Sauce NT$180.00 (~S$8.10)

Taste: 6/10

Despite the glistening appearance, the braised chicken feet weren't impressive as they were too thin. The abalone sauce was mildly sweet, but it wasn't distinctive as far as I can recall.

Rice Noodle with Clams and Luffa in Superior Braised Lobster Stock NT$580.00 (~S$26.10)

Taste: 8/10

We decided to share an item outside the dim sum menu that bears such a long name and relatively expensive price tag. The lao shu fen (lit. rat noodle) was swimming with juicy clams and the cooling cucumber species in an orange-coloured broth that was mildly sweet with a tang of the sea.

Black Panda Buns with Black Sesame NT$180.00 (~S$8.10)

Taste: 7.5/10

I felt sad having to tear open those black panda buns, which didn't quite look like the adorable animal in real life. The buns were pretty soft, while the filling was quite runny. They weren't as delicious as those served at the original Din Tai Fung though.

Custard Buns with Egg Yolk NT$180.00 (~S$8.10)

Taste: 7.5/10

Those weren't mushrooms, but buns with egg yolk custard filling. I had a bit of an issue with the cocoa-dusted buns as they weren't that soft. The filling was creamy enough, although it could be richer.

Melon's Rating

Taste: 7.5/10

Ambience: 8.5/10

Service: 8.5/10

Overall: 8/10

Pika's advice: You may want to consider one of the set menus available for a more substantial meal. The cheapest lunch set menu costs NT$1,180.00 (~S$53.15) per person. As we made an online booking two weeks prior to the lunch, we managed to secure a table near the window.

YEN Chinese Restaurant

(紫艷中餐廳)

10 Zhongxiao East Road Section 5

31/F W Taipei

Taipei

Taiwan

(Daily: 10.00am - 00.30am)

*Prices quoted are subject to 10% service charge.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)