The Place I have not stepped into Yue Hwa Building for decades and my recent encounter was to check out Eclipse, a new fine-dining restaurant located at the rooftop of Chinatown’s landmark Yue Hwa Building. Firstly, I was impressed by the skyline view of Singapore from this angle with the iconic red rooftops of the low-rise heritage buildings contrasted with the skyscrapers in the backdrop. 

The interior of the restaurant is split into the outdoor space suited for drinks, bar seats, and an indoor dining space with a view of the skyline. There are some references to the solar system from the design of its ceiling lights and bar, which very well takes reference back to its name, Eclipse. Eclipse is also the first concept by Bespoke Dining Club (BDC). 

The Food Eclipse is helmed by Chef Samuel Quan, and the cuisine here is inspired by his roots in European cuisine and his own Asian background. The cuisine here leans towards a east-meets-west fusion concept with creations from Chef Sam’s own favourite ingredients. I had the the 5-course Chef Tasting Menu (S$168++), and there is also an ala carte menu to choose from. For lunch, 3-course is priced at S$52++ and 4-course at S$65++.

The meal started with some complimentary Bread with paprika kombu butter. 

Some Pre dinner canapé were served next – Amaebi with Nori cracker, Avocado cream and Crispy Amaebi head; Crispy flatbread with Asian salsa and Mint emulsion; Salmon with Green apple foam, Ikura and Fritter crumbs; Tomato tartare in Charcoal cone with Mustard dressing. 

The first course is the Hamachi. A refreshing starter, the hamachi served with kimchi sauce, pickled ginger flower, fresh nashi pear, lime and topped with Kaluga caviar.  

Next up is the Pumpkin Laksa Soup, an interesting combination which I have not come across before.  The pumpkin is cooked with laksa rempah, and there is seafood tortellini within the soup which consists of tiger prawn and scallop. There is also puff rice for some added texture, along with laksa leaf. Surprisingly, the soup is not that cloying given that I thought pumpkin and laksa are both very heavy components. 

The next course is a protein dish, Chicken. The combination of ingredients is also very Asian and unique, where the chicken breast is served with spiced mousse made from lime leaves and lemongrass. There is green curry foam by the side, along with Asian slaw of pineapple, pickled cucumber and shallots. Personally, I feel that having chicken breast on a fixed course menu is a bold decision as it is challenging to execute it well. While the chicken meat is quite tender, I do find the combination with green curry not as harmonious. 

The last savoury course is the Duo Beef. This is Beef done two ways where there is the Braised short rib with hoisin glaze and Tajima wagyu cooked over charcoal grill. There are accompanying sides like crispy potato Mille Feuille and garden vegetables cooked with anchovies butter, along with Kampot pepper sauce.

I am bias towards Japanese beef, so the succulent Tajima wagyu works better for me. 

Up next is a palate cleanser, Roselle granita with fizzy grape. 

Dessert is a locally inspired Orh Nee Mille Feuille where the puff pastry is filled with taro mousse along with whipped coconut cream, coconut crumble and coconut ice cream with popping candy by the side. It is quite a successful local rendition of the classic French pastry as the texture is good, while the orh nee flavour is not too heavy at the end of the meal. 

Last but not least, the Petit four is a mix of Butterscotch Truffle, Black sesame Yuzu financier and Tropical tartlets with pink peppercorn crémeux. 

Rants Relatively steep pricing for the fixed course meals at Eclipse. 

Will I Return Again? A lovely rooftop restaurant in the heart of Chinatown, Eclipse injects a new lease of life to Yue Hwa Building and the dishes have a strong Asian angle to its fine dining approach. Head here for the view, and enjoy the dishes with an open mind. It is also a nice rooftop spot for casual drinks and bar grubs. 

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 3.5/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Overall Experience: 3.5/5

Eclipse 
70 Eu Tong Sen Street  
06-01 Yue Hwa Building 
Singapore 059805 
Tel: +65 6908 0880 

Opening Hours 
Tuesday to Sunday: 12pm to 2:30pm; 6pm to 10:30pm 
Closed on Mondays  

Ranted by The Ranter