VLV Singapore: An Opulent Chinese Restaurant, A Romantic Courtyard Under The Stars & A Wild No-H

Standing ostentatious and magnificent, overlooking the Singapore river and pulsating with a mercurial energy within the heart of Clarke Quay stands VLV Singapore – a one-stop lifestyle establishment that caters to the effervescent human desires of enjoying the finer things in life, socializing with creature comforts and, when night falls, letting loose and unleashing the animals inside. Everything that you require for an eclectic night out chock full of pleasures and festivities is contained within VLV itself. VLV occupies an oriental mansion once home to a wealthy Southern-Chinese gambier trader a long time ago. The mansion itself is entrenched in history, culture and soul. RESTAURANT An opulent Chinese restaurant housed on the second storey serves up gourmet dishes of the East. Natural sunlight streams in through the giant windows overlooking the river and illuminates the luxurious space, imparting a cozy homeliness to the restaurant’s grandeur furnishings.

The restaurant seats a maximum capacity of 140 within the dining area, and 36 in its three private dining chambers. The kitchen is helmed by the talented Executive Chef Martin Foo who is chiefly responsible for creating a spectrum of fine modern Chinese cuisine with touches of traditional Cantonese flavors. The dishes will strike a chord especially for aficionados of fine cuisine and prevail over any other gourmet cuisines of the world.

The restaurant boasts a variety of dining options that you can select from the a la carte restaurant menu, the dinner set menu, the dim sum champagne brunch menu, the lunch set menu, and the wine and drinks menu. During the weekends, the restaurant also offers a buffet spread with a generous myriad of its exquisite signature dishes. Weekend Dim Sum Brunch, $68++

VLV's Weekend Dim Sum Brunch is inspired from the buzzing street food stalls of Hong Kong. Featuring a wide selection of wholesome, hearty, comfort food made with premium ingredients, diners have the privilege of selecting their favorite dishes and trying a whole range of others in the buffet. Adult: $68++ per person Child: $34++ per person (6 – 11 years old) Brunch with Free Flow Drinks

$118++ per person Includes: Bauget Jouette Champagne, Red Wine, White Wine, Suntory Premium Malt Draft, Brunch Cocktails, Juices, Soft Drinks, Chinese Tea

$138++ per person Includes: Charles Heidsieck Champagne, Red Wine, White Wine, Suntory Premium Malt Draft, Brunch Cocktails, Juices, Soft Drinks, Chinese Tea

Some noteworthy dishes in the buffet include the Beef Brisket, Tendon and Daikon in Clear Broth.The soup is light yet robust and full-bodied. The daikon gives the soup a sweet, crisp and mild flavor that perfectly balances out the slight peppery kick. The chunks of beef bisket and tendon are soft and tender yet retaining a nice bite instead of disintegrating into a mush.

A hot favorite among the Chinese is the Pork Trotter with Black Vinegar & Ginger which packs an intense acidic kick due to the vinegar with a warm, spicy flavor from the ginger. The salty, acidic and sharp sauce has thoroughly permeated into the pork trotter and quail eggs, infusing them with the same potent flavors and giving rise to chunks of pork meat and gelatinous skin bursting with juices as you bite into them.

The Pan Fried Oyster with Egg (or Orh Lua / Orh Jian as we have come to affectionately call it) is prepared fresh from scratch in the live cooking station right in front of you as you order it. It triumphs over all the other buffet dishes that we had tried, seducing us with the sweet and musky brininess of the plump and fleshy oysters that have incorporated its delicious juices into the crispy yet fluffy omelet.

The buffet also presents extravagant dishes such as the Classic Peking Duck. We like our peking duck wrap to contain a large and thin crispy piece of duck skin, however, VLV's peking duck roll consisted of more meat than skin, and was more meaty than crispy. Nonetheless, this version is still extremely delicious and the duck meat oozes with its lovely, fatty and savory juices, beautifully juxtaposed with the thick and rich sweet hoisin sauce slathered on the pancake wrap with a refreshing crunch from the cucumber and baby leek tucked away inside. The buffet is a great introductory tasting to VLV's signature dishes, and is also the perfect option for diners who can't decide on what to order from the a la carte menu less they order everything. Other premium items on the Weekend Dim Sum Brunch menu comprise of Grouper Congee, Crackling Pork Belly, Steamed Kurobuta Pork Bun, Crispy Salad Prawn Dumpling, Double-boiled Sakura Chicken with Pearl Abalone & Peach Gum, Singapore Signature Chilli Sauce Soft Shell Crab, Sautéed Japanese Scallops with Honey Peas in XO Sauce, Steamed Fish Head & Belly with Black Bean & Black Garlic, Braised Kurobuta Char Siew Noodle with Ginger and Scallion, and many more yummy delicacies along with a dessert table. Crackling Pork Belly, $18

The skin of the pork belly is thin, light and crispy. Your teeth will easily cut through the crispy and savory skin with a crunch before your taste-buds are inundated with a rich, thick and sinful layer of gooey fat and juicy meat. This dish is served with dollops of mustard, spicy miso and tubes of carrots wrapped in daikon on the side to add more flavor and texture, complementing the heavenly cubes of meat. Crispy Seafood Rice Roll, $8.80

The flavors of the Crispy Seafood Rice Roll is almost entirely derived from the seafood bits scattered over the bite-sized rice rolls which are springy and chewy. With a small taste of something hearty, it is a great appetizer to whet the appetite and open up the palette. VLV Beggar's Chicken, $58

VLV's Beggar's Chicken exists in a whole class of its own. Ordering it is an extraordinary dining experience that goes hand-in-hand with unparalleled culinary finesse. This rendition of beggar's chicken came served encased within a ceramic ball. The ceramic ball is then lit on fire and the diner is given two wooden sticks to drum at the ceramic shell and crack it open. After it has been sufficiently cracked, the rubble is dusted away, and the lotus leaf is peeled back to unveil a steaming crock of tender juicy chicken cooked so well that it falls right off the bone and melts in your mouth into a delicious viscous consistency. If you dig into the bottom of the pot, you will unearth chestnuts, bamboo shoots, ceps and aged hua diao that gives the chicken its gentle, woody, herbal flavor. COURTYARD

Located by the water edge spans a lush urban courtyard under the stars. The pristine al fresco courtyard bar is the perfect venue for unwinding and chilling over some tipples with a couple of friends as the live music carried by the soft breeze soothes the worries of the day away.

Pair your rejuvenating tipples with some delicious nibbles from the courtyard’s complete menu of bar snacks ranging from light crispy shrimp to a plate of sinful crispy pork belly.

Pick your poison from a collection of exclusive Charles Heidsieck labels, bespoke cocktails, craft beers, wines, whiskies and many more exciting alcoholic drinks as you settle into a calm and collective state during sundown. CLUB LOUNGE

Release the party animal caged within and dance the night away at the pumping club situated within the mansion on the ground floor. The club features a stylish space with nuances of glitz and glamour peppering the interior that occupies a vast 20,000 square feet. Plush leather VIP booths and premier table service will make your night a memorable one for the ages, while state-of-the-art visual and Pioneer Pro audio technology teleports you to a realm where music reigns supreme and the beats course right through your limbs.

Under the command of Creative Director Mass Ramli who formerly hailed from Armani / Prive Dubai, a stellar clubbing experience is practically guaranteed with many exciting themed nights featuring a pleasantly eccentric mix of performers who bring a quirky party charm and actively engages revelers on the hopping dance floor pumped with an open format range of music headlined by rising and established DJs.

The theme was Pink Saturday when we headed down to the club. Celebrating women and the LGBT community, the event was graced by fabulous drag queens who were the lives of the party, and fluidly transitioned shy Singaporean bystanders to wild party people.

It was liberating letting go of all our inhibitions and insecurities to live it up for one night. The night was nothing short of spectacular and we made many wonderful, drunken memories with new friends that we would treasure for life. This was a great opportunity for us to throw off some of the weight we have been carrying around, let loose, set ourselves free, dance like no one is watching and just embrace life at VLV. VLV Singapore

Address: 3A River Valley Road #01-02, Singapore 179020 Restaurant Opening Hours: Lunch: 12.00pm – 3.00pm (Weekdays) Dinner: 6.00pm – 11.00pm (Daily) Brunch: 11.30pm – 3.30pm (Weekends) Courtyard Opening Hours: 12.00pm – 3.00am