Marvas Ng 黄凯翔

Great to be back! Been busy running around the past few months meeting with like minded farmers, producers and fisheries around Singapore and Malaysia! For the launch of my inaugural menu in Qin, I am proud to say almost 90% of the product uses in the menu are sourced from the straits of Singapore!

15days dry aged US Maple leaf duck crown with 8 prosperity Auspicious, Luck, Fortune, Generosity and bringing Joy are usually aspect that came to my mind when thinking about Chinese food. During my time in Hong Kong, most old chinese restaurant name and dishes always have deep meaning associated with luck or fortune. What better way to showcase our main course than using the number 8 which mean 發 in Chinese for Fortune and Rich, topping up the fortune, luck and prosperity for all our guest🤭🤭. 8 different elements for this dish which is diversified into Asian and Western inspired. Asian inspired • House-made Oba Leaf kimchi • House-made Fermented teochew chili encapsulated with cucumber • Classical pekin duck cucumber daikon roll • Sour mustard and pineapple salsa • Soy reduction Western inspired • Spinach Purée • Brandy Cherries • Crispy Kataifi of duck leg

15days dry aged US Maple leaf farm duck crown. Our signature main course for dinner, this delicious process take about 15days to achieve the texture and taste we want to showcase. Maple leaf farm exclusively breed White Pekin Duck which is renowned for tender and mild gamey flavor as compare to others breed of duck, and the meat and fat ratio are very well distributed.

(Hosted) Having really enjoyed my first meal at @qinsingapore a few months ago, I already knew I wanted to return. Thus, when news reached me that Executive Chef @marvasng was doing a collab with One-MICHELIN Starred @8020bkk ’s Head Chef Thav (@topspinking ), it provided the best reason, because this restaurant in Bangkok had also been on my wishlist for some time. #QINsingapore is really gorgeous at magic hour. We had visited for lunch previously, so had missed out on seeing how gorgeous the place looks in the evening. Being seated on the mezzanine level where the bar is, was another first for @huatkaliao and I. The collab menu was a thoughtful curation of Chefs Marvas and Thav’s creations. Dinner opened with the “Jewels of Nature”, a trio of appetisers by the former that consisted of chewy strips of caramelised mermaid fish “soy”, refreshing marinated cherry tomato “yuzu” and the moreish crispy Hokkaido pork belly “har cheong” which was tastiest dipped in the housemade tangy Teochew chilli sauce. I skipped the alcohol pairing that night but @huatkaliao commented that those small bites went really well with the white wine selected by the Sommelier. ⬇️ Caption continues below in 2 parts ⬇️

𝐀 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 👀✨ Just a quick glimpse of what Chef Marvas Ng and Guest Chef Thav Phouthavong of Bangkok’s renowned 80/20 have been preparing at QĪN Restaurant & Bar over the past few evenings. From bold flavours to artfully plated dishes, each offering has been a delight to present and share with our guests. A sincere thank you to everyone who joined us for this special collaboration, and of course, to Chef Thav and his talented team for infusing their creativity and energy into QĪN ❤️ Here’s a quick showcase of some of the dishes everyone’s been talking about ✨ QIN Restaurant & Bar | RAS Epicurean Award 2024 & 2025 .sg/ Level 4 & 5, The Clan Hotel Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer MRT Station Nearest Carpark: Far East Square Carpark

Rounding up my posts here with the final stretch of the menu, which is the most comforting. The Straits-caught threadfin, or 午鱼, is lightly steamed and served with a fermented black bean white soy sauce enriched with shallot oil. The sauce reminds me of the classic Chinese restaurant style where hot oil is poured over spring onion and coriander, except Chef Marvas turns that entire idea into the sauce itself. I really liked how clean the fish tasted, and how the savoury sauce added depth without overpowering the natural sweetness of the threadfin. The Iberico pork ribs are braised for 24 hours until tender, then served with a chu hou sauce loaded with shallot and garlic. The meat pulls apart easily, but still holds structure. I liked the richness of the sauce and how the long braise gives the pork a deep, rounded flavour. And next is everyone’s favorite, apparently, according to Chef Marvas. The chicken uses GG French Poulet from Toh Thye San, dry-aged for five days before being roasted until the skin turns crisp. Served with ginger scallion and a more vinegary Teochew chilli sauce, it immediately reminded me of his signature chicken at Path, except crispier. I liked the contrast between the crisp skin and the juicy meat underneath. Dessert shifts the mood back to something playful and familiar. Chef Marvas’ take on milk tea uses Cameron Highlands black tea in three layers. A milk custard sits at the base, followed by a tea slush in the middle, with tea boba for texture. On top is a 奶盖 foam made from condensed milk and cream, finished with buckwheat and sea salt. I liked how the tea flavour stayed clear even with the creamy elements. Alongside it is a warabi mochi made with gula Melaka and coconut, soft and gently chewy, like kueh kosui. The cooking at QIN began with something familiar, then reshapes it through technique and ingredients from the region. This final course brings that idea full circle.

Mala noodles, orh kueh, and kaya toast with eggs - but not in the way you expect. Chef Marvas takes these familiar references and translates them into three very different dishes. The mala inspiration appears in the cold noodle dish paired with South African abalone. The noodles are tossed in a sauce made from wild mountain green peppercorn and nori, giving a gentle numbing spice and savoury depth, while the abalone remains tender and springy. Elegant with a mala zing! The memory of orh kueh shows up in the braised Kinta Valley yam from Malaysia. Soft and earthy, topped with very yummy and crispy pork lard croutons (bak you pok), sakura ebi, and fried shallots. Love how soft the kueh is and how those condiments on top add fragrance and crunch. Then comes the breakfast-inspired dish, interpreted through Shanghai hairy crab. Silken tofu made from local soy milk sits beneath a rich roe sauce made from hairy crab, pickled chilli, and local brown crab. Dip the toast into the mix, just like how we dip our kaya toast in eggs. Still as good as before, deservedly Chef Marvas’ signature. Three dishes built from flavours we already know, just expressed through a different lens.

Lap Mei Fan 臘味飯 — the comforting claypot classic, layered with aged lap yuk pork belly and Cantonese liver sausage, alongside dried scallop, Iberico pork, and dried shrimp. Finished with salted fish and a rich, umami-packed XO sauce. We also explored several new additions from @marvasng ’s latest menu at @qinsingapore Menu Prestige ☀️Prosperity "Mantou Okinawa Brown Sugar, Soba Cha, Red Date Honey, French Butter ☀️Caramelized Mermaid Fish Hokkaido Snow Pork Belly Pickled Celtuce Wagyu Beef Beignet ☀️Jejudony Pork Belly Cucumber, Garlic, Soy Vinaigrette ☀️Shanghainese Hairy Crab Hairy Crab Roe, Brown Crab, Pickle Chilli, Kyoto Soy Curd ☀️Iberico Mogote Toast Oriental-style Sambal, Gherkin, Sourdough, Gruyère Cheese ☀️Straits Wild Caught Threadfin Yellow Chilli Ragu, Pickled Baby Lotus Root, Garlic Sprout ☀️Sesame Choux Sesame Moelleux, Vanilla Ice Cream, Nuts, Mochi ☀️Gula Melaka "Ma Shu" Brown Sugar, Coconut flakes #LapMeiFan #臘味飯 #QINRestaurant #TheClanHotel #ModernChineseCuisine

⭐️ NEW MENU A new expression at QIN. Defined by clarity, balance and depth. Chef Marvas Ng presents a refreshed line-up, where restraint leads, and flavours unfold with quiet precision. From business lunches to evening drinks and intimate dinners, QIN offers a setting that moves seamlessly through the day. Now ready. We invite you to experience it. Reserve your table today. QIN Restaurant & Bar | RAS Epicurean Award 2024 & 2025 .sg/ Level 4 & 5, The Clan Hotel Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer MRT Station Nearest Carpark: Far East Square Carpark

When local ingredients meet local memory. After the tomato dish sets the tone for local produce, this course turns toward Singapore itself. Wild-caught sea bream from the Straits of Singapore, served simply as a sashimi, so the flavours is clean, gentle, and understated. Underneath is a vegetable maki made from locally grown hydroponic vegetables, adding crunch and freshness. Then the sauce arrives, poured tableside. Chef Marvas describes it as inspired by Hainanese chicken rice. You can taste the ginger, the savoury depth, and the light pandan aroma that lingers at the end. A flavour familiar to most Singaporeans, just expressed differently.

The first dish tells you what QIN is about. At QIN, one of the ideas Chef Marvas is exploring is working closely with ingredients from the Straits region. About 90% of the menu uses produce that is local or sourced from nearby Southeast Asia, and this dish focuses on heirloom tomatoes from Cameron Highlands. The tomatoes are marinated with citrus and honey, which brings out their natural sweetness while keeping their acidity bright. Then a warm tomato infusion is poured tableside, which opens up the aroma. I liked the chrysanthemum tea jelly here too, which came as a surprise while I was having one heirloom tomatoes after another. That contrast was apparent, for its soft floral note and chewy-springy texture. A light start, but a clear signal of how ingredient-focused the cooking at QIN is.

Three cuts of pork, three techniques. This dish that introduces Chef Marvas Ng’s new chapter at QIN. Chef Marvas first became known to many of us as the Chef de Cuisine at Ocean Restaurant RWS, after years working in French fine-dining kitchens across Hong Kong and China, and later Executive Head Chef of Path at Marina Bay Financial Centre. He also represented Singapore as part of the National Culinary Team, winning gold at the Culinary World Cup. That background shows in his cooking today, At QIN, that experience shows up clearly in one of the opening courses: 猪三宝, where Chinese flavours are expressed through fine-dining discipline and technique. This course explores three different cuts of pork from three regions, each prepared using a distinct technique. The Pork Ear Terrine uses Sarawak pork ear that is braised for hours, pressed, then sliced thin. The texture is springy and gelatinous, while a cucumber pao liao gastrique brings acidity and freshness. I’ve always loved the pig’s ear, but never imagined it could be expressed so well in this manner. The Crispy Pork Belly is made from Hokkaido snow pork, sliced thin, marinated, and deep-fried until crisp. The fat is well-rendered, while the surface stays brittle, with shrimp-paste seasoning adding savoury depth to this crunchy snack. The Iberico Pork Jowl “腊肉” is cured with Sichuan spices and 二锅头, then dry-aged for 14 days. The flavour is concentrated and aromatic, with a firmer bite and deeper pork sweetness. Served with lettuce, if you wish to pair them together to allow its refreshing crunch to mellow its strong flavours. Three cuts, three textures, three techniques. It’s a dish that reflects Chef Marvas’ cooking philosophy - grounded in Chinese tradition but shaped by fine-dining techniques. And that’s just one dish out of many that impressed me that night, I’ll talk about each of them next.