Restaurant review: Eclipse offers fine-dining fusion atop Chinatown's Yue Hwa Building

Chinatown’s iconic Yue Hwa Building has quite the storied history — once the tallest building in Chinatown, it was the glittering haunt of well-heeled Chinese and cabaret girls in the 1940s.

Today, its rooftop plays host to a no-less-glamorous tenant: Eclipse, Chinatown’s newest fine-dining destination. Perched elegantly on the sixth floor of Yue Hwa Building, this concept by chef-founder Samuel Quan boasts sweeping alfresco balconies, private dining rooms, and an exclusive wine chamber and lounge bar.

Dreamy. That’s the word that might pop into your head as you step out of the lift into the restaurant. The ceiling is textured with wispy, gauzy light fixtures that drift like a sea of clouds over the striking red-and-black furnishings and cascade over the marble bar counter. Step out onto the balcony and you can drink in Chinatown's heritage buildings from above, with towering skyscrapers as the backdrop.

The only thing rivalling the opulent interior is the luxury presented by the food dishes.

Formerly at the helm of Spanish-influenced restaurant Element on Tras Street, Chef Sam has stints at Les Amis and Joel Robuchon under his belt. He brings his expertise in European techniques to bear at Eclipse, woven in with flavours from his Asian heritage. Multi-course menus here start at $88, and Chef Sam and his team are constantly innovating on their menus — so you can count on surprises each time you visit the restaurant.

Eclipse’s pre-dinner canapé sets a rich and savoury tone for the meal. The starter nibbles — Amaebi with nori cracker, Crispy Flatbread with Asian salsa, Tomato Tartare in a charcoal cone — appear bite-sized, but each explodes like a flavour bomb in the mouth thanks to unexpected twists, from mint emulsion to green apple foam.

Chef Samuel clearly has a flair for the theatrical — our Hamachi comes topped with Kaluga caviar and served on a plate of bubbling dry ice. Following that, the Pumpkin Laksa Soup has us washing our starters down with laksa rempah-soaked seafood tortellini, puffed rice, and deliciously thick broth.

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The mains at Eclipse take things to the next level. The Chicken Breast with Green Curry Foam comes bathed in mousse spiced up with lime leaves and lemongrass, jazzing up the typically humdrum chicken breast. Beef fans will swoon over the Braised Short Rib with hoisin glaze and the fork-tender Tajima Wagyu, carefully sizzled over the charcoal grill and served with Kampot pepper sauce.

Desserts hit the sweet spot with a cross between nostalgic Asian and Western flavours. The Orh Nee Mille Feuille steals the show with its silky blend of taro mousse, whipped coconut cream, and coconut ice cream sprinkled with popping candy. Petits fours like Butterscotch Truffle and Black Sesame Yuzu Financier are perfectly easy to polish off too.

Eclipse is located at #06-01, Yue Hwa Building, 70 Eu Tong Sen Street, Singapore 059805, p +65 6908 0880. Open Tuesday-Sunday 12pm-2.30pm & 6pm-10:30pm. Closed Monday.

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This article was first published in City Nomads.