A Culinary Journey Through Tradition and Innovation

328 North Bridge Road, #03-02 Raffles Arcade, Singapore 188719
 Reviewed: February 2026
 ★★★★½ (4.5/5)

Nestled within the storied corridors of Raffles Arcade, Yi by Jereme Leung stands as a beacon of contemporary Chinese gastronomy, where ancestral wisdom converges with avant-garde culinary artistry. As the Year of the Horse gallops into view, this establishment—helmed by the celebrated chef Jereme Leung—transforms the reunion dinner from mere sustenance into a multi-sensory odyssey that honors both heritage and innovation.

My experience on a crisp February evening revealed not merely a meal, but a meticulously choreographed performance where each dish serves as both verse and chorus in an epicurean poem spanning centuries of culinary tradition.

Ambience: Where Heritage Whispers Through Modern Design

Upon crossing the threshold, one immediately senses the restaurant’s commitment to spatial storytelling. The interior architecture speaks in hushed tones of old Shanghai glamour—jade-green lacquered panels catch and refract the warm, amber-hued lighting, creating an atmosphere simultaneously intimate and grand. Delicate screens of latticed rosewood partition the dining room into contemplative alcoves, affording privacy without isolation.

The color palette is a study in restraint: deep charcoal walls serve as canvas for strategic splashes of crimson and gold—auspicious hues that nod to the Lunar New Year without descending into kitsch. Overhead, contemporary chandeliers cast a soft, diffused glow that flatters both faces and food, their design echoing traditional Chinese lanterns through abstract geometry.

Table settings display thoughtful curation: porcelain bearing subtle cloud motifs rests upon linen the color of moon-bleached silk. Chopstick rests carved from dark jade provide weight and gravitas to each place setting. The acoustic environment deserves particular mention—despite the restaurant approaching capacity, conversation remains possible without raised voices, suggesting meticulous attention to sound-dampening materials and spatial planning.

A subtle soundtrack of contemporary instrumental compositions—guzheng melodies reimagined through modern production—provides an aural backdrop that enhances rather than dominates the dining experience. The overall effect is one of refined festivity: celebratory yet sophisticated, traditional yet thoroughly contemporary.

The Culinary Journey: An Eight-Course Meditation

Course One: Fortune Salmon Yu Sheng—A Ritual of Abundance

The evening commences with Yu Sheng, that most theatrical of Chinese New Year traditions, reimagined through Chef Leung’s contemporary lens. Arriving at the table as separate components, the dish becomes performance art—servers enumerate the symbolic significance of each ingredient before the ceremonial tossing.

Visual Architecture: The platter presents as an edible mandala. Norwegian salmon, sliced with surgical precision into translucent ribbons, forms the foundation—its coral-pink flesh glistening with a delicate sheen. Surrounding this piscine centerpiece: julienned vegetables in a rainbow spectrum. Carrots provide vibrant orange, white daikon offers stark contrast, cucumber contributes jade-green notes, while pickled ginger adds blush-pink accents.

Textural Complexity: The genius lies in the textural interplay. Crispy golden crackers—thin as parchment yet sturdy enough to provide substantive crunch—contrast magnificently with the supple salmon. Roasted peanuts offer secondary crunch, their nutty earthiness grounding the fresher elements. The vegetables, cut to matchstick uniformity, provide tender-crisp bite, while pomelo segments burst with citrus sweetness, their membranes offering slight resistance before yielding.

Flavor Profile: Chef Leung’s proprietary plum sauce—thick, glossy, and the color of burnished mahogany—provides the flavor foundation. Unlike pedestrian versions, this iteration achieves remarkable balance: sweet without cloying, tart without aggression, with whispers of five-spice complexity. Sesame oil adds nutty richness, while lime juice brightens the ensemble. The salmon itself, pristine in quality, offers clean, oceanic flavors that anchor the more assertive elements.

The Toss: Post-ceremony, the dish achieves magnificent cohesion—each forkful delivers multiple textures and flavors simultaneously, yet nothing dominates. It sets an auspicious tone: complex yet harmonious, traditional yet fresh.

Course Two: Double-Boiled Spiky Sea Cucumber Soup—Liquid Gold

The soup arrives in individual covered bowls—white porcelain vessels that, when unveiled, release aromatic steam carrying whispers of the sea and earth. This course represents Chinese culinary philosophy at its apex: nourishment achieved through patience and premium ingredients.

Appearance and Clarity: The broth itself is crystal-clear, possessing an almost supernatural transparency that catches the ambient light and glows with amber luminescence. Within this liquid jewel, components hover like artifacts in a museum case: sliced sea cucumber displaying its characteristic bumpy exterior, wild termite fungus offering earthy brown tones, sea whelk providing ivory-white contrast, and Hokkaido conpoy—dried scallops—contributing golden highlights.

Textural Meditation: Sea cucumber—that most polarizing of ingredients—here achieves textural perfection. The double-boiling process renders it simultaneously tender and resilient, offering gentle resistance before yielding. The texture walks a fascinating line between firm and gelatinous, each piece releasing savory essence with every bite. Wild termite fungus contributes earthy chew, while sea whelk provides springy, almost elastic bite. The Hokkaido conpoy, partially dissolved into the broth, offers occasional tender fragments.

Flavor Depth: This is umami in its purest expression. The broth—achieved through hours of gentle simmering in a double-boiler—captures the essence of land and sea without muddiness. Each sip reveals layers: initial sweetness from the seafood, followed by earthy minerality from the fungi, finishing with lingering salinity. The clarity of flavor mirrors the visual clarity—nothing obscured, nothing excessive, just pure, concentrated taste.

Philosophical Note: In Chinese medicine, sea cucumber is prized for its supposed rejuvenating properties. Whether or not one subscribes to such beliefs, this dish undeniably provides profound satisfaction—warming, nourishing, and deeply comforting.

Course Three: Stir-Fried Green Asian Lobster—Wok Breath Perfection

The appearance of the lobster signals a shift from contemplative courses to more dramatic presentations. Arriving on an elongated platter—slate-grey ceramic that emphasizes the vibrant hues of the dish—the lobster lies halved lengthwise, its meat glistening with sauce.

Color Symphony: The visual is arrestingly vibrant. The lobster meat—snow-white with translucent qualities—contrasts against its coral-red shell. A sauce of deep amber coats the flesh, punctuated by emerald scallion segments and scarlet chili slices. Black beans provide dark punctuation marks throughout, while ginger offers pale-yellow highlights. The overall effect suggests a painter’s palette: vivid, varied, intentional.

Textural Excellence: Lobster texture is notoriously unforgiving—overcook by seconds and it becomes rubber; undercook and it’s unpleasant. Chef Leung’s kitchen demonstrates mastery. The meat offers initial firmness that gives way to tender succulence, each piece releasing sweet oceanic juices. The high-heat wok cooking creates subtle caramelization on some surfaces, adding textural variation—tender interior, slightly crisp exterior.

Flavor Intensity: This dish showcases wok hei—that elusive, smoky essence achieved only through expert high-heat cooking. The sauce, based on fermented black beans, provides savory depth with subtle funk, balanced by aromatic ginger and scallions. Chili adds gentle heat rather than aggression, creating warmth that builds gradually. The lobster’s natural sweetness stands prominent, enhanced rather than obscured by these supporting players.

Technical Observation: The timing required for such execution cannot be overstated. Everything must align: wok temperature, ingredient sequence, stirring technique. That this dish arrives consistent in quality speaks to kitchen discipline and skill.

Course Four: Steamed Spotted Garoupa—Minimalist Mastery

Following the intensity of the lobster, the garoupa provides welcome restraint—a palate cleanser that nonetheless commands attention through sheer quality and technique.

Visual Purity: The presentation embraces minimalism. A pristine white oval platter cradles the fish, which arrives whole, steam still rising from its surface. The flesh—snowy white with pearlescent sheen—is barely visible beneath a precise arrangement of garnishes: silk-thin ginger julienne, scallion threads, and cilantro sprigs. A shallow pool of soy-based sauce, clear as amber, surrounds the fish.

Textural Delicacy: Garoupa, when properly handled, offers one of the finest textures in the piscine kingdom. Here, it achieves near-perfection: flakes separating cleanly along natural muscle lines, each morsel silky yet firm, moist without being wet. The flesh yields to chopsticks with minimal pressure, practically melting upon contact with the palate. Skin, left on, provides subtle textural contrast—tender and gelatinous rather than crispy, contributing collagen richness.

Flavor Subtlety: This course demonstrates the Chinese culinary principle of enhancing rather than masking ingredient quality. The fish itself offers delicate, sweet flavors—clean ocean taste without any fishiness. The sauce, likely a combination of premium soy, Shaoxing wine, and stock, adds savory depth without overwhelming. Ginger provides gentle warming spice, scallions contribute fresh bite, cilantro adds herbal brightness.

The Philosophy: In a multi-course feast featuring bold flavors and rich ingredients, this dish serves as respite—proof that simplicity, executed with precision, can equal complexity in delivering satisfaction.

Course Five: Braised Pork Knuckle—Tradition Elevated

The pork knuckle arrives as edible theater—a massive joint, mahogany-dark, glistening with reduced braising liquid. This is comfort food elevated to ceremonial status, a dish whose preparation requires hours of patient simmering.

Color and Composition: The exterior presents deep caramel tones ranging from amber to near-black, the result of soy sauce, rock sugar, and Maillard reactions working in concert. The skin—thick and gelatinous—catches light like lacquered wood. Cross-sections reveal stratification: dark exterior layer, pale subcutaneous fat rendered translucent, rosy-pink meat within. Accompaniments include baby bok choy (jade-green with white stems) and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms (ebony caps with cream-colored gills).

Textural Complexity: This dish offers a masterclass in textural variation within a single protein. The skin provides the first sensation: glutinous, sticky, requiring gentle chewing to break down its collagen-rich structure. Below, a layer of fat—rendered but not entirely dissolved—offers unctuousness. The meat itself, having undergone extended braising, achieves fork-tender consistency, nearly disintegrating upon contact. Each bite combines these textures, creating mouthfeel that is simultaneously rich, tender, and substantial.

Flavor Depth: The braising liquid—reduced to syrupy consistency—coats every surface, providing concentrated flavor. Star anise contributes licorice notes, cinnamon adds warmth, ginger provides subtle heat. Soy sauce and rock sugar create the foundational sweet-salty balance that defines classic Chinese red-cooked dishes. The pork itself, having absorbed these aromatics over hours of cooking, tastes deeply savory with underlying sweetness.

Cultural Significance: Pork knuckle appears at Chinese New Year tables as a symbol of strength and wealth. This version honors that tradition while elevating execution to restaurant-worthy standards—homey yet refined, familiar yet special.

Course Six: Wok-Fried Glutinous Rice—Studded with Luxury

The penultimate savory course arrives in individual clay pots, their lids lifted tableside to release aromatic steam. This is Yi’s interpretation of lo mai gai—traditional glutinous rice elevated through premium additions.

Visual Richness: The rice itself presents as a cohesive mass, its grains so tightly bound they appear almost solid. The surface glistens with rendered fat and oil, catching light like polished stone. Studded throughout: ruby-red Chinese sausage slices, mahogany-brown preserved duck pieces, ivory-white Canadian foie gras fragments. Dark soy sauce creates marbled patterns, while scallion provides green punctuation. A final flourish: shaved black truffle creating ebony accents, and a drizzle of white truffle oil adding golden sheen.

Textural Journey: Glutinous rice achieves remarkable texture when properly prepared—sticky without being gummy, each grain distinct yet cohesive. Here, it provides the foundation for textural exploration. Chinese sausage offers firm chew and slight snap. Duck, preserved through traditional methods, provides tender, almost yielding bite. Foie gras—the luxury addition—practically dissolves on the tongue, contributing silky richness. Truffle adds no textural contribution but transforms the mouthfeel through its oil content.

Flavor Opulence: This is arguably the most decadent course—a study in umami and richness. The rice, having absorbed the rendered fats and seasonings during cooking, tastes deeply savory. Chinese sausage provides sweet-savory contrast with its distinctive fermented notes. Duck adds gamey complexity. Foie gras contributes buttery, mineral-rich flavors. Truffle—both shaved and as oil—provides earthy, almost funky complexity that somehow unifies the disparate elements.

The Indulgence: This dish represents Chef Leung’s philosophy made manifest: respect tradition but don’t be constrained by it. The base is pure Cantonese comfort food; the additions are unabashedly luxurious. The result is greater than its parts—tradition meeting innovation, East meeting West.

Course Seven: Seasonal Vegetables—A Breath of Freshness

After the richness of the preceding courses, the vegetable dish arrives as palate restoration—simple in concept, masterful in execution.

Visual Vitality: The platter showcases baby bok choy, arranged like a flower’s petals radiating from center. The vegetables display vibrant coloration: jade-green leaves transitioning to ivory-white stems, each piece uniform in size, suggesting careful selection. A light sheen of oil catches the light, and minced garlic provides textural contrast—golden-brown specks against the green canvas.

Textural Refreshment: The vegetables achieve that ideal state of tender-crisp—cooked just enough to soften cellular structure but retaining substantial crunch. Stems provide the primary textural interest: yielding surface with crisp interior. Leaves offer softer bite, almost silky when chewed. The garlic adds occasional crunchy bits, its texture mellowed through quick frying.

Flavor Clarity: This course demonstrates restraint after indulgence. The bok choy tastes of itself—mild, slightly sweet, with mineral notes. Garlic provides aromatic depth without overwhelming. A touch of oyster sauce adds umami complexity, while Shaoxing wine contributes subtle fermented notes. The overall effect is cleansing, allowing the palate to reset while still delivering satisfaction.

Strategic Placement: In the meal’s architecture, this course serves crucial purpose: providing relief from richness, preparing the palate for dessert, proving that vegetables, simply prepared, deserve equal reverence as luxury ingredients.

Course Eight: Almond Cream with Red Date Paste Glutinous Rice Ball—Sweet Conclusion

The meal concludes with Chef Leung’s interpretation of tong yuen—traditionally glutinous rice balls in sweet soup, here elevated through technique and presentation.

Visual Serenity: Individual bowls arrive, their porcelain whiteness providing canvas for the dessert’s subtle palette. The almond cream—pale ivory with slight translucency—fills the bowl like morning mist. Floating within: a single glutinous rice ball, pristine white and spherical. A drizzle of red date paste creates dark-amber swirls through the cream, like calligraphy in liquid form.

Textural Comfort: The almond cream provides the base texture: smooth, slightly thick, coating the spoon and palate alike. It’s neither heavy nor light, achieving perfect viscosity. The rice ball offers the course’s textural highlight—its exterior provides initial resistance, slightly chewy, before yielding to reveal the filling. Inside, red date paste offers different texture: dense, slightly grainy, with natural fruit fiber creating subtle resistance.

Flavor Harmony: This dessert achieves remarkable balance for something fundamentally sweet. The almond cream tastes nutty and subtle, with gentle sweetness that doesn’t overwhelm. Red dates—traditional Chinese ingredient prized for their supposed health benefits—provide deeper, almost caramel-like sweetness with subtle fruity notes. Together, they create comforting rather than cloying sweetness, warmth rather than heaviness.

The Ending: In Chinese dining philosophy, desserts serve less as spectacle and more as gentle denouement. This dessert embodies that approach—soothing, warming, satisfying without overwhelming. It signals the meal’s conclusion while leaving diners content rather than overstuffed.

Service and Execution: Orchestrated Excellence

Throughout the three-hour dining experience, service maintained consistent excellence. The team demonstrated comprehensive menu knowledge, offering detailed explanations of ingredients and preparation techniques without pretension. Courses arrived with remarkable timing—neither rushed nor languishing, allowing proper digestion between plates.

Wine pairings, though not detailed here, showed thoughtful consideration. The sommelier navigated between Chinese tea service and Western wines with equal facility, respecting both traditions while acknowledging personal preference.

Table maintenance occurred with near-invisibility—crumbs swept, plates cleared, water glasses refilled without intrusiveness. This level of service requires not just training but genuine hospitality culture, evident throughout the team.

Final Reflections: Tradition, Innovation, and the Year Ahead

Yi by Jereme Leung’s Lunar New Year offering represents contemporary Chinese cuisine at its finest—respectful of tradition yet unafraid of innovation, grounded in technique yet open to creativity. The set menu navigates skillfully between comfort and sophistication, familiarity and surprise.

The restaurant succeeds in its mission: creating a reunion dinner experience that honors the holiday’s significance while elevating expectations. Each dish demonstrated technical mastery, premium ingredients, and thoughtful composition. The progression from light to rich to light again showed careful menu architecture.

At S$278++ per person, the experience represents significant investment. However, the quality of ingredients—from Hokkaido scallops to Canadian foie gras, from wild termite fungus to black truffle—justifies the premium. This is celebratory dining in the truest sense: special occasion cuisine that creates memories beyond mere sustenance.

For those seeking a reunion dinner that transcends the ordinary, Yi by Jereme Leung delivers comprehensively. It proves that Chinese cuisine can be both traditional and contemporary, that luxury need not mean pretension, and that celebration can be sophisticated without sacrificing warmth.

As the Year of the Horse begins its gallop, this restaurant offers a worthy send-off to the previous year and an auspicious welcome to the new. The meal doesn’t just feed the body—it nourishes tradition, honors heritage, and reminds us why food, at its finest, transcends mere eating to become art, memory, and connection.

Practical Information

Location: 328 North Bridge Road, #03-02 Raffles Arcade, Singapore 188719

Phone: 6412 1816

Lunar New Year Menu: Available February 1 to March 3, 2026

Price: From S$278++ per person

Reservations: Essential; book well in advance for prime dining times

Dress Code: Smart casual

Note: On Chinese New Year Eve (February 16), restaurant open for dinner only with Opulent Set menu exclusively