Wanted to make our visit to QIN Restaurant & Bar previously with my folks; pretty unfortunate how the previous reservation made fell on the very same day that dine-in restrictions was reverted back to two pax which led to the cancellation of the reservation eventually, so we have decided to head there again now that dine-in restrictions are limited to a maximum of five pax now. Being a brand that is part of the TungLok Group, QIN Restaurant & Bar is situated at the 4th level of The Clan Hotel at Cross Street — the restaurant does give a pretty good view of the Telok Ayer neighbourhood, the Central Business District and Chinatown, and serves up fusion cuisine that attempts to “give one a peek into the culinary culture of the past while boasting exemplary cooking methods”.

Case in point, the ‘Sang Mein’ is a very good example of the fusion cuisine that QIN Restaurant & Bar attempts to serve up to their patrons. Also one of the signature dishes here, the dish is essentially Tiger Prawn, Crustacean Oil, and Truffle Scent in Casserole — probably one of the dishes that would strike with fans of crustaceans here. While the usual Sang Mein features fried noodles, the one here comes instead with capellini. The combination of the ingredients for this dish is especially contemporary, considering how prawns, capellini and truffle tend to be a common feature in some menus where angel hair pasta is served (case in point would be the C&C&C&C Pasta at The Masses). Here, the capellini is simmered in crustacean oil — almost that of a bisque; seemingly helps the capellini to absorb all of that flavour as the bisque reduces while it simmers in the claypot; results in an especially umami note that will captivate those who loves crustaceans, while the truffle provides for a slight whiff of that aroma that just tickles the palate. The choice of capellini keeps the dish rather light despite the full-on umami bang that is going on here, while the tiger prawns here are big, fresh and came with a distinct sweetness.

Having tried a couple of dishes from different parts of the menu, we can say that we are pretty impressed with QIN Restaurant & Bar’s dishes for the most part. That being said, the more memorable dishes aren’t the ones from “Booze Bites” section — seemingly more simple fare that caters to the drinking crowd more akin to a twist to some classic tapas dishes. Also, don’t miss out on the Rose Love Letters here for dessert while at it — while they seem simple being love letters stuffed with rose-flavoured cream, we really enjoyed how the inclusion of rose cream (which tasted like Bandung) and the sprinkle of freeze-dried berries for a tartness gave such a textural twist to the love letter like we never had before. QIN Restaurant & Bar is pretty much an eye-opener to the possibilities of fusion cuisine by the TungLok Group, which is better known for their concepts that serve classic Chinese fare — probably a destination for dates, and a step towards more adventurous dining experience for those who are following closely to what the TungLok Group has to offer.