The Place Duxton Hill is one of my favourite food street in Singapore and I am so glad I discovered a quaint Russian restaurant along this street, all thanks to the Palate card which allows diners up to 50% off their dining bill. Buyan joins the ranks of other participating restaurants under the Palate card such as Violet Oon’s Kitchen and Tung Lok Seafood. Personally, I have absolutely no regrets in making my way to Buyan for dinner, as this is easily one of the best dinners I had in Singapore for the longest time.
I totally adore the ceiling of the restaurant, embellished with Russian motif.
Opened about two years ago, it is a shame that I only discovered Buyan this year. It has the modern concept of a bar at level 1, while the restaurant is at level 2. I like the seating capacity of Buyan, with its tables spaced apart for decent privacy while the limited tables also promote some extent of exclusivity. Therefore, reservations are highly recommended. The dining ambience is relaxing as it is not too noisy, with soothing light Russian music playing in the restaurant.

The Food The Caviar is one of the famous dishes at Buyan but sadly I did not manage to try it that day. However, the food I ordered can be aptly described in three words – awesome, delicious and amazing.
As a start, we were served complimentary home-made Russian bread prepared by the kitchen as we waited for our food to be served. The bread is a good start to our meal, as it has successfully whetted my appetite. 
It is a sin not to order the Borscht soup ($13) at a Russian restaurant, which is very apt after having the bread. The serving of the soup is generous with ingredients such as beetroot and cabbage. It is no doubt one of the best Borscht soup I have ever had.
For our mains, we heeded the recommendation of the service staff and ordered one of the restaurant’s specialty, the Shqmeruli ($45). It is basically garlic oven Roasted Chicken and I swear that it is one of the nicest I have ever had. The chicken is succulent enough and very well marinated as well. I was especially overwhelmed by the serious culinary effort of Buyan in serving their customers the best cooked dish. The service staff narrated to us that the chef actually re-prepared the roast chicken the second time due to some imperfections the first time round.
Other than the Shqmeruli, we also tried the Beef Stroganov ($30) which is served on a bed of mashed potatoes with creamy mushroom sauce. The tenderness of the beef is close to perfection, which is so well complimented by the creamy mushroom sauce. It is probably the best mushroom sauce I have come across.
Even though I was quite full at this point, I decided to try the Napoleon Cake ($15) as desserts. As expected, it was a very satisfying treat to our palate. The sweetness of the Napoleon Cake is just right and it does not make me feel too overwhelmed. The pastry puff of the cake is very crispy and the vanilla sauce over the cake adds further to making this dessert the sweetest deal of our meal.
Rants The steep prices for some of the dishes is definitely a huge rant factor, such as the Shqmeruli ($45). However, the high quality of the food more than makes up for it and with the Palate card, I was able to enjoy 50% off my meal.

Will I return again? I could not recall the last time I had such a wonderful dining experience in Singapore and I am glad that I had one of my best dinner at Buyan. Look out for a Russian service staff at Buyan who delivers one of the best service I have ever come across – sincere, helpful and most willing to share about the unfamiliar Russian dishes should you have any doubts. For the high quality food, there is no reason not to be back again!

Make your reservation instantly at Buyan here.

Note: Buyan has changed its restaurant layout and no longer occupies level 2 of the shophouse. My recent visit in March 2015 was not as impressive as my review here back in 2013.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4.5/5
Hole in the pocket: 4.5/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Overall Experience: 4.5/5

Buyan
9/10 Duxton Hill
Singapore 089593
Tel: +65 6223 0027