At a time when even heritage restaurants must evolve to stay relevant, Hai Tien Lo’s new Executive Chinese Chef Edden Yap is steering Pan Pacific Singapore’s iconic Cantonese dining institution into a new era — one that honours the past while reimagining the future of fine Chinese cuisine.
Hai Tien Lo in Pan Pacific Singapore has stood as one of Singapore’s most enduring temples of authentic Cantonese fine dining. For nearly four decades, this restaurant has witnessed generations of diners gather around its tables for everything from dim sum lunches to elaborate banquets.
But in a culinary landscape as restless as Singapore’s, even heritage institutions must evolve. The appointment of Chef Edden Yap as the restaurant’s new Executive Chinese Chef marks a thoughtful new chapter — one that bridges the comforting gravitas of tradition with the creative pulse of modern Cantonese cuisine.
Chef Edden brings with him to Pan Pacific Singapore a career laden with three decades worth of experience. The native of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has worked across some top kitchens in Dubai, Nanjing, and Macau, shaping some of them into award-winning culinary institutions recognised by Meituan’s Black Pearl Guide and SCMP’s 100 Top Tables.
But what will he bring to the table at Hai Tien Lo, exactly?
Plenty, it seems.
Chef Edden champions absolute freshness at Hai Tien Lo. The restaurant prepares house-made fish stock and hand-crafted dim sum daily, and butchers meats in-house instead of relying on factory pre-cut meats. This commitment is seen also in the sourcing of ingredients, as Hai Tien Lo gets its supply from local farms for ingredients like Soon Hock (Marble Goby). Also commendable is the attitude towards managing food waste, where excess vegetables and meat trimmings aren’t thrown out, but used for sauces and marinades.
With a strong foundation in Chinese cuisine techniques such as the delicate art of steaming premium ingredients such as dried abalone, and preparing double boiled soups, Chef Edden delivers beloved comforting classics like Braised South African Fresh Abalone and Sea Cucumber stuffed with Shrimp Paste in oyster abalone sauce and Double-boiled Dendrobium Chicken Soup with fish maw, dried scallops, and sea whelk.
The true test of any Cantonese restaurant is how they execute steamed fish, and Chef Edden’s Steamed Sea Perch Fillet with Aged Teochew Preserved Radish does not disappoint. Perfectly tender and flaky, the buttery perch literally melts in the mouth, and the freshness of the fish enhanced by the umami notes of the aged “chye poh”.
And then there’s nostalgia. “I cook with the taste of home, so that guests feel a sense of comfort and connection each time they return,” says Chef Edden.
While a huge proponent of preserving the heritage of traditional Cantonese cuisine, Chef Edden’s international experience has undoubtedly influenced his food as seen in the modern twists he adds to his signature creations. His Deep-fried Ibérico Pork Spareribs in Creamy Sauce for example, is topped with shredded lime, a combination that’s not usually found in Chinese cuisine. And his Stewed Japanese Rice Vermicelli with Pan-fried Lobster Meat and Scallop is served in house-made sour tomato broth which seems almost Thai-inspired.
That reverence for heritage balanced with a hunger for innovation now defines his approach at Hai Tien Lo. His dishes are grounded in classical Cantonese principles of clarity and restraint, yet reinterpreted with nuance.
You also see that duality in the restaurant’s extensive beverage programme. Alongside its exclusive Chinese teas and familiar Old World wines are more exotic options, ranging from Goalong Brandy Cask whisky from Hunan and Lao Dao ginseng wine from Jilin, to Tiansai Vineyard “Skyline of Gobi” Chardonnay Muscat from Xinjiang.
Hai Tien Lo remains a masterclass in how to respect heritage without becoming bound by it. With Chef Edden on board, the flagship Chinese restaurant of Pan Pacific Singapore is fully poised to redefine what a “classic” Cantonese restaurant can be in modern Singapore: not a museum of recipes past, but a living, breathing expression of culinary evolution.
Hai Tien Lo
Address 7 Raffles Blvd, Pan Pacific Singapore, Level 3, Singapore 039595 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10.30pm everyday
Tel (65) 6826 8240
Web www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pp-marina/dining/hai-tien-lo.html
Facebook panpacificsingapore
Instagram @haitienlo
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