My first encounter with Chef Maksym Chukanov or Max, who now helms QIN Restaurant & Bar at The Clan Hotel, was during the pandemic when he was brought in to Ce La Vi. That stint was quite a tall order. Coming from Cure, which earned a Michelin star while he was helming the kitchen, the guys from MBS wanted to replicate some of that same magic and turn Ce La Vi into a dining destination at a time when tourists coming for drinks at the rooftop bar were few and far between.
Having also been to QIN prior to this transformation and seeing how the current concept differs so much from the usual style of Tung Lok Group, it is perhaps safe to say that the same magic is being sought with Chef Max’s tenure here. In QIN, he is joined by Chef Karleen Kasim who came from Caviar, Naeum and also Cure.
Visiting QIN after a long absence, I noted how the little change in the restaurant’s already remarkable interiors actually belied the total overhaul in the food menu. QIN now mostly serves set menus, both for lunch (which starts at S$58++) and dinner (starting from S$148++). They also have a lounge menu for the bar upstairs and the alfresco space that they are developing as of this writing.
During my visit to QIN, I tried their 6-course dinner menu which goes for S$198++. While a 6-course may seem relatively moderate to some, many of the courses actually come in ensembles of 2, 3 or even 4 items so there’s no doubt that the degustation menu is filling.
The snacks come in a quartet of contrasting items – from the Milk Bread glazed with gula melaka to the crunchy White Asparagus, Chervil, Yuzu. The east meets west concept is evident even from the beginning.
I also appreciated the juxtaposing textures and flavors of each snack. I was quick to relegate the Kueh Pie Tee, Smoked Petuna Trout, Horseradish creation into a heightened version of the local snack but all similarities ended with the shell, as this kueh pie tee also came with a prominent wasabi-like aftertaste.
On the other hand, the Hamachi Toro, Wasabi, Ginger Crisps tartlet featured a mishmash of soft and crispy, creating a well-balanced ensemble of textures and complementing flavors.
The mains at QIN really showcase Chef Max’s and Chef Karleen’s imaginations with dishes and interplay of ingredients that are truly distinct to the venue. Of the 4 mains, the Kagoshima Yellow Tail, Kohlrabi, Cucumber Ponzu is probably the most mainstream of the lot – raw yellowtail cured in kombu and topped with sliced radish. One can’t really go wrong with this tried and tested combination.
The “Xing Ren Dou Fu” is a play on the classic Chinese dessert – and we know that Chinese almonds aren’t really almonds but apricot kernels. Anyway, I digress. Here, the body of the previous asparagus course is used. It also comes with almond milk acting like a soup plus a sprinkling of hazelnut oil sauce. Although this dish references a dessert, the whole ensemble was wonderfully rich, savory and slightly nutty.
The visually striking Tom Yum, Danish Langoustine, Calamansi is one of Chef Max’s most beguiling creations. The dish is presented two ways – first with langoustine still soft and lightly grilled over a binchotan while the second component is a thick tom yum-inspired broth made with langoustine essence and a glass with delicate flowers along the rim. I don’t really do well with spice so I could not appreciate the tom yum as much but I liked the soft and sweet langoustine.
That being said, my favorite main of the night was probably the Aged Quail, Spring Alliums, Scallions “Hua Juan”, Szechuan Pepper. There were 3 components to this course. The first was a plump and succulent piece of quail breast which was aged in-house for a week. The second – which was my favorite – consisted of deboned quail legs dipped in kecap manis and covered in puffed quinoa for a delightful crunch and explosion of flavors. The quinoa coating reminded me of one of Chef Max’s creation back in Ce La Vie – the Thai Baby Corn which unsurprisingly was also one of my favorite dishes there. Finally, the third component of this dish consisted of scallion buns or hua juan meant to be dipped in the sauce accompanying the quail.
Finally, the sweet endings here also come in threes. The pre-dessert was a refreshing combination of Ice Kachang, Rhubarb and Mascarpone with the crushed ice served manually from a traditional machine.
Desserts came in the form of the Japanese Strawberry, Hokkaido Milk, Soya Sauce – a Hokkaido milk sorbet paired with strawberry jam. This was quite a wholesome dessert, both sweet and creamy. There’s a bit of soy sauce added into it as well although I am not exactly sure what purpose it served.
The last dessert, and exclusive to the 6-course menu was the Pineapple Tart Cloud where pineapple purée is transformed into frozen orbs using liquid nitrogen, with a texture not too dissimilar from frozen meringue.
If you have not been to QIN lately, I would recommend popping over to try the latest menu. The set can be best described as imaginative and a bit daring. The new Qin has developed into what is now Tung Lok’s boldest concept yet.
QIN Restaurant and Bar
5/F The Clan Hotel
10 Cross Street
Singapore 048417
+65 6980 3535 / 9459 2388
Opening Hours:
Weekdays: 6:30AM to 10:30AM / 11:30AM to midnight
Weekends: 6:30AM to 11:30AM / 12PM to midnight
