What is Yi Qian Private Dining?

Yi Qian Private Dining is a full-service Chinese restaurant in Singapore serving Cantonese and Teochew fare.

What are the opening hours?

Yi Qian Private Dining is open daily, Monday to Sunday. Lunch is served 11:30am to 3pm (last order 2:30pm), and dinner is served 6pm to 10pm (last order 9:30pm).

Are walk-ins accepted at Yi Qian Private Dining?

Walk-in guests are welcome, subject to table availability. Booking ahead is encouraged to guarantee seating during peak hours.

How can I make a reservation at Yi Qian Private Dining?

Reservations can be made via WhatsApp at +65 8170 6208, by phone call at +65 6513 6377, or through online reservation via Inline.

Does Yi Qian Private Dining offer a customised menu?

Yes. In addition to an a la carte menu, Yi Qian offers customised menus for special occasions. Customised menu requests must be placed at least 3 days in advance.

Do I have to pre-order dishes at Yi Qian Private Dining?

The Pig's Stomach and Chicken in Pepper Soup requires pre-order one day in advance. Pre-ordering popular dishes such as cold crabs is also recommended to avoid disappointment.

Is there a corkage charge at Yi Qian Private Dining?

Corkage is waived on a 1-for-1 basis for one bottle of each wine purchased, and waived entirely with spending of $100 per person. Otherwise, corkage is $30 per bottle.

Does Yi Qian Private Dining accept bulk orders for corporate or private events?

Yes. Guests can message Yi Qian Private Dining on WhatsApp at +65 8170 6208 with their event date, estimated headcount, and dish preferences to arrange corporate or private events.

Sweet & Sour Pork on Ice: A Cantonese Classic Gets a Show-Stopping Twist

Name: Yi Qian Private Dining
Address: 2 Leng Kee Rd, #01-04, Thye Hong Centre, Singapore, 159086, SG
Telephone: +65 6513 6377
Price range: $$$ [FILL IN - e.g. $$ or $$$]

Sep 5

3 min read

TLDR: Sweet and sour pork is a centuries-old Cantonese dish with a murky, contested history, most likely evolved from pork ribs braised in sugar and vinegar. This version takes it further by plating the hot, freshly glazed pork directly onto ice, which causes a sudden temperature shock that hardens the sugar into a thin, crisp, candy-like shell. Served with berries, it's a striking, temperature-contrasting spin on a beloved classic, crispy and warm on the inside, cold and refreshing all around.

What Is Sweet & Sour Pork?

Known in Cantonese as gu lou yuk (咕嚕肉), sweet and sour pork consists of bite-sized pieces of pork, battered and deep-fried until golden and craggy, then tossed in a glossy, tangy-sweet sauce. The dish is Cantonese in origin and is typically made with fried pork coated in sweet and sour sauce, often served alongside vegetables and pineapple.

At Yi Qian Private Dining, we serve this beloved classic in its traditional form, and we also offer a less common, more theatrical take: sweet and sour pork on ice. While the flavors stay rooted in tradition, plating the dish this way transforms the eating experience entirely.

Texture: Not just about the presentation

The soul of a great sweet and sour pork is not just the sauce, it's also the crust. A proper batter should fry up light and craggy, almost bubbly in places, so it holds onto the sauce without going soft. The best versions stay crisp for as long as possible even after saucing, giving you that all-important crackle before you reach the tender pork inside.

In this ice-and-fog presentation, that contrast is pushed even further and not just for show. Setting the hot, freshly sauced pork straight onto the ice triggers a sudden temperature shock. This quick cooling instantly firms up the sugar in the glaze, forming a thin, crisp shell around the pork, almost like a candy coating. It's a small piece of kitchen science that sets this version apart from the standard plate of sweet and sour pork: instead of a soft, sticky glaze, you get a delicate, glassy crackle that shatters on the first bite before revealing the tender, juicy pork underneath.

That extra layer of crunch is really what elevates this presentation from a familiar takeout favorite. The hot, crisp-glazed pork sits atop a mountain of ice, framed by cool, juicy fruit. The result is a dish that plays with temperature as much as texture: warm and crackling against cold and refreshing, sweet-savory pork against tart, bright fruit. It's a modern, restaurant-style reinterpretation of a very old dish, one designed as much for the table as for the palate.

Fun Facts About Sweet & Sour Pork

The original had bones. The very first version of this dish used bone-in pork ribs, the boneless cubes we know today only came later, reportedly to suit Western diners who preferred to eat without bones.
Ketchup wasn't always the base. Long before ketchup entered the picture, the dish's tangy-sweet sauce was made from fruit and vinegar, closer to a traditional Chinese braising liquid than the tomato-based sauce popular today.
It has cousins all over Asia. Korea's tangsuyuk and Japan's subuta are both direct descendants of Cantonese sweet and sour pork, each adapted to local tastes.
It's considered the "ultimate unifier" dish. Sweet and sour pork is often cited as one of the few dishes almost universally loved, regardless of a diner's background or familiarity with Chinese cuisine.

Finding us

2 Leng Kee Road, # 01-04 Thye Hong Centre, Singapore 159086 — tucked inside Thye Hong Centre building. Find us on Google Maps.

Nearest MRT: Redhill, about 5 minutes on foot.

Parking is available at Thye Hong Centre. Open daily. Lunch 11.30am to 3pm, last order 2.30pm. Dinner 6pm to 10pm, last order 9.30pm.

Booking

WhatsApp +65 8170 6208 with your name, date and time, number of people, and anything you'd like pre-ordered. You can also call +65 6513 6377. Walk-ins are welcome subject to availability.