The prestigious Hai Tien Lo continues to woo new diners twenty years on, as well as satisfy the regulars. And, with a spanking new decor, a new chef at the helm, and new menu offerings, it looks set to continue to do so. Classic Chinese dishes are given a western twist, such as the classic, and very complicated, “Buddha Jumps Over The Wall” soup, this one made with a luxurious - but perhaps a touch misplaced - addition of aromatic black truffles, and is plated very elegantly in a western style. Some things never change though; the breathtaking views of the Singapore skyline, and the heart of the cuisine here, which remains Cantonese. Like any self-respecting high end Cantonese restaurant, the menu includes shark's fin soup, Imperial Swift's bird's nest soup and many other dishes featuring expensive luxury ingredients: but the humbler dishes are in my view better, and, of course, much cheaper: go for some of the roast items like barbecued pork, or the less common dishes like the roasted crispy chicken flavoured with nam yee (preserved taro curd) – much better than ropy old dried shark’s fin. Also recommended is the fragrant fried rice served in a young coconut - the fruit imparted a delicious, exotic note and a tender texture to the dish: delicious.


WINE: An adequate selection of wines, with nine by-the-glass offerings. Bottle choice is skewed towards reds, but there is also a respectable selection of yummy champagne if you’re feeling flush.

This is an amazing place for chinese food. Hai Tien Lo is a staple monthly dining place for my family. A lil' costly but I must say good things don't come cheap.