Upmarket Zi Char at Clarke Quay? It’s available at VLV Riverside

Remember Indochine at Clarke Quay? It has been replaced by VLV Singapore, a modern Chinese dining and club lounge.

VLV Singapore recently launched their newest dining concept, VLV Riverside, featuring more seafood and zi char fares to be enjoyed, al fresco by the Singapore River.

Crafted by Executive Head Chef Martin Foo, the new menu offers a spread of delectable modern zi char offerings, ranging from Crispy Bull Frog to Roasted Truffle London Duck.

Here are some of the dishes we sampled during a tasting:

Verdict?

I would recommend the chairman’s crab, the truffle duck and the three stir-fried dishes because of their unique factors. The chairman’s crab is particularly delightful. I was told that the chef would add extra crab roe to the dish if the crab served is found to be lacking in roe quantity. The dish is so named because it is the favourite dish of the VLV chairman.

The roasted London duck served with truffles sounds opulent from the description alone and it is. Tuck into the thick layer of fat beneath the duck skin, enjoyed with a slice of black truffle.

As for the three stir-fried dishes, these form the foundation of any good zi char restaurant and since VLV is charging a premium price, they need to deliver on the quality and dining experience to match. I like the use of petai beans with sambal, adding an extra crunch when eaten with the prawns. The chef seems to favour a generous sprinkling of salted white baits as garnish on the stir-fried dishes and they bring the savoury note up a notch. For those who prefer lighter flavours, you may find the stir-fried dishes a little heavy, but they go well with rice.

The congee and XO noodle are nice comfort food to have if you are looking to fill up your belly without causing too much of a dent to your wallet dining at VLV.

Overall, the menu is on the pricey side compared to zi char stalls, but reasonable for restaurants in the Clarke Quay riverside location. You get to enjoy upmarket zi char while enjoying a view like this:

Reservations:
Tel: +65 6661 0197
Email: [email protected]

Address:
Clarke Quay, 3A River Valley Road, #01-02, Singapore 179020

Opening Hours:

Restaurant
Lunch: 12.00pm to 3.00pm (Weekdays)
Dinner: 6.00pm to 11.00pm (Daily)
Brunch: 11.30pm to 3.30pm (Weekends)

Club Lounge
6.00pm to 3.00am