ASIN

Booked a table as I heard great reviews, and decided to celebrate a girlfriend's birthday for this occasion. Pleasantly surprised at the cozy interior, and service was just right - it was warm, genuine, and comfortable. The menu at 7 courses came with a surprise dish but we did do the add ons. Highly recommend all diners to do the same as they were some of the highlights of the experience! The Assam Hoko from the Chapter 1 menu was stunning. Bright and refreshing, it paired exceptionally well with the fried conger eel - every bite felt like we needed more of it ✨ I would happily pay for a tub of that sauce. The tomato was also a delightful palate cleanser with its sweetness. Other standout dishes included the noodles, black emperor fish, hanwoo (supplement) and duck. I'm glad Chef Ace and his team are adding to our vibrant dining scene - it's truly a worthwhile visit and I look forward to what they'll serve in their next iteration. Thank you to our wonderful server as well, did not get her name but she had a cute bob haircut and was exceptional throughout our evening 😌.

Chef Ace Tan’s New Chapter at Asin • Chef Ace Tan is back with Asin, bringing his progressive approach to Asian cuisine into a new space and a menu that feels distinctly his own. • The Summer tasting menu explores familiar flavours through a much broader Asian lens, drawing on Southeast Asian produce, traditional techniques and seasonal ingredients while keeping balance at its core. • The meal moves through a range of dishes that constantly shift between familiarity and reinterpretation. From the Oyster Bite and Tori Luffa Bao to the Japanese aji Summer Roll, each opening course brings a different take on flavours we know. The Assam Hamo was one of my favourites, pairing delicate Japanese pike conger with tamarind, asam spices and roasted fish bone for a distinctly Southeast Asian expression. • The Yangpu Mai noodles bring together Teochew marinated Japanese hairy crab, Chinese vermicelli, Thai rice noodles and a bright Vietnamese inspired dressing, while the Black Beauty showcases East Malaysian Black Emperor fish through its belly, loin and prized skin, accompanied by three contrasting sauces. • The mains continue with Jiangmu Duck, where old ginger, sand ginger and galangal shape the dish around Irish duck, mountain yam rice and watercress consommé. The Hanwoo Tenderloin follows with Sarawak white pepper, black garlic, fermented kumquat and grilled leek, balancing richness with spice, acidity and umami. • Desserts take the same regional approach. Biwa Honey Sago brings together fermented coconut and glutinous rice, chrysanthemum poached loquat, bird’s nest and tart madu kelulut, while Gula Apong Caramel explores the smoky sweetness of Bornean mangrove palm caramel with sour plum marinated cherries, coffee, shoyu and coconut. • The experience ends with an off menu Love Letter Biscuit layered with Japanese shiso, orange cream and citrus shiso compote. • What stood out to me was how Asin doesn’t simply recreate familiar Asian dishes. It takes the flavours, ingredients and memories behind them, then gives them room to travel across the region. • A new chapter for Chef Ace, but one that still feels unmistakably his.

I am so excited about dining at Asin, the new venture of Ace Tan, chef of now defunct ASU restaurant, where I had an awesome and memorable meal. And yes, an outing here proves to be exceptional and unique. The dishes here features that distinctive tastes of Asian and Southeast Asian, yet very different at the same time, being lighter, more complex and more well-balanced. And at here, I get to experience Malaysian fishes in a different way that actually impresses me. I also love the calm, upmarket Chinese interior dotted with artistic vibe from the plants, the “specially for summer only” painting behind the open kitchen counter and the cards with Chinese watercolor paintings of the ingredients used in the dishes drawn by commisioned artist. This little thoughtfulness makes the experience so special and I can feel the passion chef has for his craft. Service here is stellar too, with the chefs coming up to introduce each dish, and the service being so professional and friendly. Definitely look forward to coming back here again! Oyster Omelette features a warm sweetness with hint of spicy umami that immediately silently wows over my palates. The oyster is creamy and slightly springy, unlike any other oyster, in a good way. Tori Luffa Bao, packed with chicken, luffa and Dong Qu yellow wine, speaks of textures that amaze me. The taste is distinctively Chinese, yet at the same time more refined and more balanced. Assam Hamo features this distinctive Southeast Asian taste with the slightly spicy tamarind assam, which is the magic to cut through the creamy briny sweetness of the pike coungar eel to elevate the taste. I never know that I can like fish curry until I try this dish. NGOR HIANG 6.0 is made with Japanese Yuba skin, Tiger Prawns, 5 Spiced Jeju Pork. This has the lovely ngor hiang taste with a touch of lux, made even better with the crunchy bits added to the filling. Yum Pu Ma Noodles is oh-so-fantastic. Two types of fern noodles are mixed together and tastes so refreshing, in a mild balanced way, which accentuates the sweetness of the hanasaki crab. The smooth texture of the noodles, with the essence of crab thoroughly absorbed, this is like the perfect summer dish. The creamy texture of crab also complements the springy smooth texture of the noodles so perfectly. FTQ Dumpling makes me go, "Wow, this is the first time that a dish tastes so bitter yet so good!" Because the bitterness actually highlights the nourishing herbal taste. Black Beauty Black Emperor Fish with Japanese spinach presents fish in such a unique way that I am impressed. The gelatinous fish skin complements the texture of the fish so well. Jiang Mu Ya dish's core ingredient is Irish Duck soaked in ginger brine for ten days before being aged for a unique sweet meaty flavour. And three kinds of gingers plus Taiwanese peppercorn that tastes like lemongrass dial down the gamey taste of the duck for a balanced sweet meaty taste. Pepper Hanwoo Beff is so tender and juicy. Korean beef is only available in few places in Singapore, so I'm happy to be able to try it here Biwa Honey Sago tastes so cooling due to the honey water. And the creamy coconut adds an iota of creaminess to the refreshing dessert for complexity in the taste. There are lots of textures due to the coconut, starchy glutinous rice and gelatinous goodness of the bird nest. Thoughts: Refined, Delicate and Amazing Asian Cuisine reinterpreted

Brought my partner here for his birthday meal, and we had the best time. We were seated at the chef's table and could see Ace and his whole team work, and they came to talk to us throughout the meal. As for the dishes, there are several things that I really liked about them: (a) the presentation was very thoughtful — each dish looked like a piece of art (accompanied by actual cards with amazing illustrations that we were offered to take home); (b) while other restaurants justify their price tag by piling on expensive ingredients that often don't tell a cohesive story, I appreciated that Chef Tan's approach was more about elevating the ordinary ingredients. In the end, some of the things I enjoyed the most was the tomato jelly and yam rice — which I typically don't even think about. All in all, we had a really great. Thank you, Chef! We hope to be back soon.

Each dish was a surprise and flavor bomb! Chef uses seasonal ingredients to create familiar yet different food. I.E 佛跳牆 姜母鸭 We added 2 more supplement items as we were rather hungry and also greedy to try more. The summer sake staff recommended was sweet fruity and refreshing. Pace of service was good too. We completed the meal under 3hrs and left with happy bellies. Menu changes every 3 months so keeping our eyes on next!

Tldr: Looks better than it taste - overpriced for the taste - can find better/cheaper tasting menu elsewhere. Food was above average and only one dish blew our mind. Considering the price of 300+/pax (after 2 optional add ons), not a place I would recommend. What I like: - Assam sauces for the fried fish dish is deeply rich - ngoh hiang has unami prawn reduction - Duck was very smoky yet tender and crispy skin - IMO the star of the show. Though unsure how the yam rice and a chinese-tasting consommé come into the picture? Individually tastes great, but just... confusing conceptually? Others: - oyster omelette has nice crispy shell and sauce but that's about it. other dimsum appetizers felt average. Mostly looks > taste. - summer roll - I don't understand the flavour intention it's gunning for - fish tastes like... fish? No offence but is just fresh and is a slightly better wedding banquet fish - hanwoo beef has really great texture but the 4 pairing sauces and sides don't add much to it - it's not worst off but also, not better off? - dessert feels like an after thought - temperature was perfect though Had high expectations with all the reviews but left disappointed (and hungry)

Asin has been on my list of restaurants to visit since they first opened earlier this year, and I finally got to dine there last week. I have to say, I was pretty impressed. The restaurant’s menu changes with the seasons, using ingredients that best reflect and suit each time of year. They are currently serving their Summer menu (which will run till end August if I am not wrong), each course was beautifully prepared and well executed, with flavours that felt refined yet balanced. The dishes here lean more nuanced and layered rather than bold or heavy, allowing the ingredients and details to come through more subtly. This may not be everyone’s preferred flavour profile, but I personally appreciated the subtlety behind the menu. Since the menu is seasonal, I opted for all the add-ons so I could try every dish. 😋 Some of the courses that stood out to me the most were the Ngor Hiang, Yum Pu Ma Noodles, Jiang Mu Ya, Pepper Hanwoo and Gula Apong Caramel dessert. Service was exceptional throughout the meal, I also appreciated how Chef Ace and his team explained each dish as it was served, adding more context to the experience. The pacing of the dining experience felt just right as well — my friend and I had the full menu with add-ons, and the entire meal took around 3 hours (I also spent a lot of time taking photos and videos if that counts). Overall, it was definitely a memorable dining experience, and I’m already looking forward to returning for their Autumn menu. Highly recommend ASIN for anyone looking to celebrate a special occasion!

Tried this new restaurant which just opened in early May. Helmed by Chef Ace Tan, I was pretty excited to dine at this restaurant because you rarely get fine dining restaurants serving progressive Asian cuisine. I initially started with just 1 out of a total of 4 add ons (only ordered the hanwoo based on the online reviews raving about it), but decided to add on the remaining 2 savoury add ons 3 courses in because I loved the flavours of the first 3 dishes and was very curious to try the rest. Overall, I loved the flavours and presentation of the food. The dishes were flavourful, and I was pleasantly surprised by the combination of ingredients the team put together. My only 2 gripes are that the dishes were on the smaller side, hence (1) for the all-in price of $355 per pax (after service charge and gst) for the 3 savoury add ons and no additional drink/alcohol), I felt it was pretty expensive, even with the 2 surprise complimentary dishes, and (2) most people would probably end off the meal still hungry. Nonetheless, still worth a try! I’d recommend to skip the ngoh hiang and dumpling add ons and stick to just the hanwoo. Pictured (Chapter 1: Home / Season: Summer 26): - Oyster Omelette: hyogo oyster, egg, chilli holy basil sauce 👍🏻 - Tori Luffa Bao: chicken, luffa, dong qu yellow wine 👍🏻 - Assam Hamo: pike conger, amela tomato, tamarind assam 👍🏻 - [Complimentary] Summer roll 2.0 👍🏻 - [Add on] Ngor Hiang 6.0: tiger prawn, 5 spiced jeju pork, tuhau sauce 👌🏻 - Yum Pu Ma Noodles: hanasaki crab, banbangan seeds, fern noodles 👍🏻 - [Add on] FTQ Dumpling: spiny sea cucumber, abalone, scallop 👌🏻 - Black Beauty: black emperor fish, jungle garlic reduction, hokkigai 👍🏻 - Jiang Mu Ya: irish duck, trio ginger, mountain yam rice 👍🏻 - [Add on] Pepper Hanwoo: korean beef, sarawak pepper sauce, lily bulb 👍🏻 - Biwa Honey Sago: chrysanthemum loquat, bird nest, coconut glutinaus rice 👌🏻 - [Complimentary] Dessert 👍🏻 📍: Asin @ Carpenter Street