Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro is the only Chinese restaurant in Singapore to have awarded two Michelin stars. The restaurant is famous among Japanese people because of Kentaro’s grandfather, known as the “Father of Szechuan Cuisine” in Japan, and his father, celebrity Iron Chef Chen Kenichi, who have served great Szechuan cuisine in Japan since 1958.
We visited here for the first time recently, suspecting that Chinese people might not find the Chinese cuisine that Japanese people prefer to be authentic. While there maybe some truth to this, when we visited, we found the Dan Dan Noodles fantastic. Since then, this has become our favorite spot during shopping day on Orchard Road.
You can also usually get a walk-in table here. As a disclaimer, this restaurant is often mentioned for basic and favorite Szechuan flavors such as Mapo Doufu, Fish Fillet in Spicy Szechwan Chili Pepper, and Deep-fried Chicken in Spicy Szchwan Chili Pepper. While these are great, the top must-try dish is definitely the Dan Dan Noodles, you can then order other dishes if you still have room!
Try both the soup and dry dan dan noodles
They serve two types of Dan Dan Noodles – Chen’s Original Spicy Noodle Soup and Chen’s Original Spicy Dry Noodles, which are equally great.
The Noodle Soup has a stunningly rich taste of sesame, which I really like. Although I rarely appreciate the salty taste of ramen soup (for health reasons), this one is an exception.
The Dry Noodles are amazing for the perfect way they coat them with sesame sauce.
Both dishes have a great pinch of Szechuan pepper (Sichuan pepper), although this is not so strong that it overpowers the flavor of the other spices.
Choose a main dish carefully so you still have room for the noodles
We tend to choose an appetizer and a main dish first, and then order rice or noodles. However, at this restaurant, it’s best to do this the other way around. Choose your main dish carefully, ensuring that you leave yourself enough room for the dan dan noodles.
If you’re a spice lover, Mapo Doufu would be a good choice. This is one of the chef’s signature dishes and is fried tofu with hot Szechuan pepper-flavored meat sauce served with white rice. The flavor of Szechuan-pepper and chili paste goes very well with the rice.
Stir-fried Prawns with Chili Sauce is another good choice. It consists of fried prawns served with “chili crab” sauce and is an iconic local Singaporean dish. The prawns are stir-fried to perfection to give them a nice springy texture. The sauce is not too spicy and has a mild sweetness, which means it could be enjoyed by someone who finds the extreme spiciness of Mapo Doufu a bit too much.
Fried buns complete the dish and are good for dipping into the chili crab sauce.
As a two-starred restaurant, such a simple and basic Chinese dish will never disappoint you. While they do change the menu from time to time, there is always something like sauteed meat and seasonal vegetables. Each ingredient is cooked at the right level and has the best texture.
Finally, one more great thing about this restaurant is its staff. They’re experienced and courteous when compared to some of the other Chinese restaurants in the city. We’ve never felt hurried or pushed out, and they always anticipate what we need or don’t need.
All of which means we always enjoy a lunch time after the busy Orchard Road crowds.
Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro: Level 35, Mandarin Orchard Singapore, 333 Orchard Road, Singapore 238867
Getting there: It’s a 5-min walk from Somerset MRT Station or a 7 to 10-min walk from Orchard MRT Station.