The best Chinese restaurants in Singapore

Since it opened in 1988 this fine-dining restaurant's focus on Cantonese dishes has garnered acclaim, with its dim sum deserving special mention. The contemporary restaurant is designed with the welcoming nature of a Chinese courtyard in mind, with the circular dining room providing a glimpse of the lush greenery beyond its windows. Come during lunch for a spread of bolo bao, chee cheong fun, fried carrot cake, har gow and more. Dinner is a more extravagant affair with dishes like Sri Lankan mud crabs steamed with egg whites, lobster mee sua and Peking duck.

First opened in 1982 at Goodwood Park Hotel, Min Jiang has long been a stalwart of Chinese cuisine in Singapore. Its second outlet has traded the lush compound of Rochester Park for fresh digs on Dempsey Hill. In the kitchen is chef Goh Chee Kong, who's spent the past 32 years cooking at Min Jiang. He specialises in both Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine, producing beautiful plates of dim sum as well as other highlights such as the braised sea treasure soup in pomegranate egg white parcel ($48).

This three-in-one concept pays tribute to three distinctive Chinese cuisines: Cantonese, Huaiyang and Sichuan. Get your dim sum and congee fix at the MRKT or have a longer meal at the DINING portion of the restaurant. On the menu are new creations such as the Sichuan chicken ($22) and Eight Treasures Tofu Pudding ($18) as well as signatures from its sister restaurant, Shang Palace at the Shangri-La Hotel. This includes the indulgent deep-fried whole boneless chicken filled with fried glutinous rice ($78) that's great for sharing.

Jiang-Nan Chun evokes the artisanal culture and rustic livelihood of the Jiang Nan region’s river villages through its decor and authentic Cantonese cuisine. Its Peking duck ($94) undergoes special preparation methods for 14 hours before it's roasted in the mesquite wood-fired oven. Popular mains include the baked sea perch on egg white ($26) as well as claypot dishes like the wagyu beef oxtail with lemongrass-infused oil ($32) cooked for over 30 hours, soon hock with pork belly ($85), and king prawns with glass noodles ($32).

Old-school Chinese restaurant Kia Hiang at International Plaza has been a long time favourite among those working in Tanjong Pagar. Its sister restaurant, Myo Restobar is looking to make a similar impression at Oxley Tower downtown. Serving dim sum and other home-style Cantonese dishes, Myo does comfort food right. Don't miss the signature Kia Hiang Claypot Spring Chicken ($18) that's made using a recipe that's been passed on for generation. The chicken is wrapped in a layer of Chinese cabbage and stewed for hours in a herbal gravy resulting in meat that simply falls off the bone, best eaten with a plain bowl of rice.  

Treading a fine line between modernity and tradition, Yellow Pot dishes out familiar favourites like hot and sour soup ($12) and roast duck ($32) with a twist – and no, we don't mean incorporating European techniques or ingredients. Yellow Pot prides itself in creating its sauces from scratch in house. The soup is prepared with a housemade hot bean paste made from fermented bean paste and chillis while the duck is marinated for two days with fermented bean curd, herbs and spices before it's roasted in a traditional Apollo oven till its skin is shatteringly crisp. Other must-tries include the braised sweet and sour eggplant ($14) and stir-fried mee sua ($18) that has plenty of wok hei goodness and fresh seafood.      

Helmed by chef Cheung Siu Kong, Summer Pavilion is the only hotel Chinese restaurant to receive a star in the Michelin Guide Singapore 2016. The Cantonese joint offers lunch and dinner sets (from $88), which feature some of Cheung’s signature dishes like barbecued Iberico pork and marinated South African abalone. For dim sum fiends, come during lunch to try creations like the abalone, conpoy and mushroom dumpling in clear broth ($18.80), and pan-fried shredded yam and pumpkin ($5.40).

Jade is probably the prettiest place in the city for dim sum and other Cantonese delicacies. Take in picturesque views from Jade’s floor-to-ceiling windows, or be entranced by its recently refurbished interiors featuring pastel jade hues and specially commissioned wallpaper printed with birds that are native to Singapore. An à la carte dim sum menu is available during weekday lunch. Expect staples such as siew mai with abalone and shrimp dumplings, as well as unique creations like deep fried taro paste wrapped in truffle and mushroom.

With humble roots as a coffeeshop along Kitchener Road, Putien has come a long way. Specialising in cuisine from the Fujian province of China, the restaurant regularly imports ingredients native from its namesake city, Putian. Try the fried Heng Hwa bee hoon ($8.90) that’s made with sun-dried bee hoon or, when they’re in season, the Duo Tou clams ($20.90) from the Hanjiang district. Despite having ten outlets in Singapore, the quality of the food served at Putien is always consistent, making it a safe bet even for the pickiest of palates.

Fancy a cocktail with your dim sum? At this modern Cantonese restaurant draped in light and glass, that’s par for the course. Hit up the weekend brunch ($68) to sample a range that runs from har gao to the more uncommon black pepper cod dumpling, then add another $60 for free flow beer, wine, Veuve Clicquot or cocktails. From Mitzo’s à la carte menu, pinch your chopsticks around the barbecued pork ($18) and crispy roast pork belly ($18) – they’re elevated, elegant versions of your average kopitiam fare. The refinement demonstrated in those appetisers continues in the mains: a braised lobster arrives with the fragrance of truffle ($120), while grilled cod is slathered in a champagne and honey sauce ($36).