The Place Located at the basement of Paragon Shopping Centre (near Din Tai Fung), the newly opened Chen’s Kitchen is the latest concept by Chen’s, the sister concept of Michelin-starred Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro, and a four-time awardee of the Michelin Bib Gourmand. 

Chen’s Kitchen is a casual family-dining concept where the wide variety of dishes showcase the same ethos of Shisen Hanten by blending Japanese techniques with Szechuan flavours. The main difference between Chen’s Kitchen and Shisen Hanten is that the new concept is more casual, and you can think of it as a family style ‘Zi Char’ in a comfortable setting. Of course, Chen’s Kitchen is also a different branding as Chen’s where the latter is positioned as a more fuss-free and even more casual dining concept. 

The space of Chen’s Kitchen is contemporary and casual, where there are limited cosy booth seats in addition to the regular table setting. 

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The Food Other than namesake dishes like Mapo Tofu and other sharing dishes on the menu, there is also a dedicated kids’ menu where milder options are available. 

I started with the Chen’s Pork Shumai (S$9.90) where the steamed dumplings are filled with minced pork, conpoy, and onions and topped with mala radish paste. I like the plump texture of the Shumai though the mala taste is almost negligible. 

The XXL Szechwan La Zi Ji (S$17.90) is destined to be a crowd pleaser for me. The Szechwan popcorn chicken here features crispy karaage topped with soy puffs, garlic chips and cashews. I like that it is not too spicy in flavour which makes it more palatable for the masses. 

On to the highlight of the menu, it has to be Chen’s Mapo Tofu (Choice of Red, White or Jade). Interestingly, you get white or Jade versions here too other than the signature red. You can choose the level of spiciness for the mapo tofu.  

The Red (S$16.90) Mapo Tofu is expectedly good – Savoury minced pork with fermented broad bean paste, Szechwan pepper and fermented chilli bean paste. 

Alternatively, the White (S$28.90) is a milder version with seafood like Prawns and Hokkaido scallops paired in a rich white broth. It is definitely less spicy and ‘ma’ than the red. 

Other sharing dishes I had included the likes of the Poached Fish Fillet in Golden Broth (S$24.90) which is served in a golden broth made of Japanese pumpkin, with mushrooms, asparagus, and sansho pepper. It is quite a mild version (in a good way) as compared to other restaurants. 

There are also dishes like the Szechwan French Beans & Mushrooms (S$13.90) – Wok-fried in Szechwan spices with minced pork; as well as Szechwan Spiced Chahan with Sakura Shrimp (S$13.90). I like that the fried rice has a nice shrimp aroma, and it is not too greasy.

For desserts, expect the likes of the soothing Double Boiled Pear (S$6.90) with red dates and snow fungus and Mango Pudding (S$5.90). 

Rants The flavours of the dishes are definitely not your typical heavy Sichuan flavour profile as it is ultimately all about Chūka Szechwan Ryori, a form of Szechwan cuisine adapted to Japanese tastes. Therefore, dishes like the poached fish fillet and ‘la zi ji’ are not that spicy and numb (‘ma’).

Will I Return Again? Chen’s Kitchen is great if you have been wanting to try Chef Chen Kentaro’s food as it is a relatively casual concept as opposed to Shisen Hanten. It is also not too overly casual like Chen’s, along with a wider range of dishes to order which suit group dining.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3/5
Overall Experience: 4/5 

Chen’s Kitchen 
290 Orchard Road  
Paragon Shopping Centre #B1-43 
Singapore 238859 

Opening Hours 
Monday to Sunday: 11am to 9.30pm  

Ranted by The Ranter