The idea of steam-cooking your food is catching on in Singapore, perhaps with the added benefits of being able to savour the natural flavours of the dishes. Furthermore, steaming makes for a healthier option when cooking your food.
Opened in September 2016, Yu Pin Steamed Seafood has entered the market providing a premium offering of fresh seafood delicacies that are caught to order, as well as a variety of meat and vegetable dishes served without any MSG seasoning.
The restaurant exudes a rather grand ambiance, when walking in I felt as if I was in for an afternoon of pampering. Spotting an interior reminiscent of a modern Chinese palace, furnished with yellow-gold marble table tops and adorned with antique-looking Chinese frames which create separate areas of space within the restaurant.
Classic Chinese paintings are hung on the walls showcasing the restaurant’s Chinese heritage influence. We couldn’t resist getting down to sample some of the fresh seafood that was prepared for us.
Beneath the steampot, uncooked pearl rice grains, wolf berries and lotus seeds are laid below the metal grill. This would be the surprise at the end of the meal as the seafood ingredients cook in the unique and innovative steaming pot, resulting in the juices and aromas condensing on the surface before dripping down into the bottom of the pot, making for a flavourful and intense broth after all the steaming is completed.
Apple Vinegar Beverage – $8.80 per bottle
Our meal started with the Apple vinegar drink which has a slight sour-ish tinge to balance with the sweet flavours of the seafood. Apparently this brand of Apple vinegar (Tian Di No.1) is quite popular in Guangzhou to be eaten with seafood.
French Oysters – $12/pc (Ala-carte)
The plump juicy oysters are garnished with spring onions and quickly steamed for two minutes. Pick up the oyster shell and slurp the oyster flesh, savouring the fresh tasting natural juices and chunky flesh. Truly an amazing start to our meal here!
Hokkaido Scallops -$16/4pcs, Clams – $18/500g, Mussels – $8/200g, Fresh Tiger Prawn – $12/6pcs
Each Seafood dish is steamed for a optimal period of time to maintain its juiciness. The Hokkaido Scallops were my favourite of this lot, the scallop meat was garnished with garlic, parsley and some tang-hoon for a contrast of textures. The creamy roe and succulent flesh was a delight to have when eaten in one mouthful.
For those who prefer heavier tasting flavours, the restaurant has a platter of three sauces for you to dip your seafood in. One can choose from a sweet thai chilli sauce, a garlic soya sauce or a lime chilli sauce with garlic. The natural sweetness of the seafood is truly amazing.
Fresh Crab with Crab Paste – $22/300-350g
The crab is no stranger to the dining table especially at a seafood feast. The mud crab that is served here comes from Indonesia which has a slightly less firm bite to it. The flavours of the flesh however are on point and are extra juicy after steaming.
American Special Beef – $36
Steaming beef is rather uncommon and we were intrigued as to how it will affect the texture and mouth-feel of the dish. Also known as American Snow Beef, the meat slices have a high content of fat in them. Grab a slice and dip it in some soy sauce for that savoury buttery goodness in your mouth.
Seabass – $26/550-650g
Imagine an entire sea bass being steamed right in front of you. The fish is nicely filleted into slices which allow for easier eating after it’s cooked. Grab some ginger and spring onion slices and add them to some soy sauce before dipping the fish slices into it.
The salty flavours of the soy sauce go really well with the delicate and fresh tasting slices of the sea bass, which are steamed perfectly.
Assorted Grains & Vegetables (Sweet Corn, Purple Sweet Potato, Taro, White Raddish) – $15
For a restaurant that prides itself on providing healthy and natural ingredients, this platter of vegetables and grains are the perfect addition of lightness and sweetness after the heavier flavours of the seafood and meat.
After all the steaming was done, this was the moment that we all had been waiting in anticipation for throughout our entire meal. As the final course of the meal, a waitress would come by to your table and mix in an egg together with some Chinese chives in the porridge that has been collecting the essence of all the steamed ingredients.
We imagined the broth to be more flavourful, but it really required more seasoning. It’s a healthy, simple porridge and perhaps its taste would be more intensified if more seafood ingredients were cumulatively steamed – if dining with a 6-8 pax, the resultant porridge would taste better as noted by the restaurant.
Maybe the restaurant could consider adding additional broth to enhance the taste for those who prefer heavier tasting flavours.
Overall, we enjoyed the texture of the pearl rice grains which were soft and had a ice bite to it.
Do check out Yu Pin Steamed Seafood if you want to enjoy the natural tasting flavours of fresh premium seafood, that would make for a healthy, natural and delicious meal for friends and family to enjoy together.
It’s a tad pricey with minor tweaks to work out, but overall the natural seafood makes for a great meal. You can even get to enjoy 12% discount when you visit from now till 28 October 2016.
Expected Damage: $40 – $60/pax
Yu Pin Steamed Seafood: 470 North Bridge Road, Bugis Cube, #01-05, Singapore 188735 | Tel: 62649266 | Website
Operating Hours: Daily: 11.30am – 3.30pm (Last order – 3pm), 6pm – 11.30pm (Last order – 10.30pm)
*This post was brought to you in partnership with Yu Pin Steam Seafood Pte Ltd
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