Zing by Xi Yan- Conscious Dining in the Heartlands
Xi Yan Culinary Group has recently launched a new concept Zing by Xi Yan, a conscious-dining concept which collaborates with The Social Kitchen to provide employment for disadvantaged communities. This casual concept caters to everyone in the family as they do not only serve Xi Yan's contemporary Chinese cuisine but also salads, grain bowls, steaks and pastas, and even croffles!
I must admit that i was skeptical when browsing through the menu which seemed schizophrenic. But after tasting the dishes, i can see the charm and appeal of having such a varied menu. Most importantly, i enjoyed every dish i tried and that says something.
We started with Yum Som O Kung Salad ($15) which is a refreshing mix of pomelo, prawns, and sakura ebi. You wouldn't be faulted for thinking it's a Thai salad as fish sauce was definitely at play here, along with the perk-me-up calamansi and yuzu. We hear that this sauce based is also used on one of the fish dishes.
Do not miss The Squid Game ($14), which is as popular as the Netflix series. Octopus tentacles are used here actually and we loved the light tempura batter which is tossed in chilli, celery and parsley and lemon and a bit of peppercorns for that light numbing sensation. This was perfect with Xi Yan's blend of shrimp sambal, which they also bottle and retail.
There's also Korean dishes at Zing??! Well the Bossam Crispy Pork with Kimchi and Garlic ($15) is Korean in presentation but the flavors are actually Chinese, with the use of fermented red beancurd as marinade. I liked that the meat wasn't too fatty and was still very tender despite the crisp.
Zing also offers a decent Western menu with pastas and their Zing Legit Wagyu (250g $48). The founders tried all the steaks around Paya Lebar and legit could not find a legit one, so they decided to make their own. The MB7 Australian Stockyard Wagyu has been grain-fed for 400 days before they're presented on your plate. The marbling was just sufficient to yield a tender and juicy bite without it clogging your arteries. Two dipping sauces of sesame and mint citrus provides you with varied flavors but i'm happy with it plain.
Lest you think Zing has lost their roots, you also get your Xi Yan staples here. Not to be missed is the Hakka Niang Do Fu (6pcs $12) generously filled with a solid fish paste and pork mince. You could have it in a flavorful anchovy and soy broth or dry with gravy. Definitely add on the bouncy Hakka Noodles with Pork Mince ($5) to go with. While it may seem like it's very porky/lardy in flavor, it was not. Instead, a lovely sweet and savory sesame sauce coats the noodles. Absolutely stunning.
The Hakka Abacus ($18) was another absolute stunner. The yam has been steamed and meticulously hand kneaded into springy little mochi balls, which yam abacus seeds. We enjoyed the robust flavor from the pork mince, dried shrimp, and Chinese mushroom. Black fungus strips also added to the textural experience.
For desserts, we were wowed by the complexity in the signature Xi Yan Custard Tang Yuan which has been making its rounds even before salted custard was a thing. Winter melon, sesame, peanut, salted egg, and butter make up the salty-sweet filling of these balls. They are a perfect pair with the spicy ginger soup.
For something more contemporary, Zing has Xi Yan's very first ice cream counter with 9 homemade artisan ice creams, and you could have them with their croffles and sea salt brownies. The Superberry Goji ice cream was definitely a wholesome and interesting one and they also have coconut and pumpkin salted yolk. A perfect tea time snack don't you think?
Zing by Xi Yan really surprised us with their variety and quality of food and it's perfect for multi-generation families looking to dine together because everyone would be able to find something that they enjoy. Also a no brainer for working couples who can't decide where to go for dinners.
2 Paya Lebar Road, Singapore 409053
PLQ Park Place #01-06/07/08
Tel : +65 6530 3548
Daily: 11.30am - 10pm
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