With its reopening at 313@Somerset, TANYU ups the ante by launching Singapore’s first interactive Chinese skewer experience, adding even more reason for fans to return. Known for its signature grilled fish and bold Sichuan-style flavours, TANYU now invites diners to customise their feast with over 40 freshly grilled skewers, alongside premium grilled fish and new wok-fried creations. It’s a lively, choose-your-own-adventure dining format that’s casual, affordable, and dangerously addictive.
Ambience & Atmosphere
Nestled in the basement level of 313@Somerset, TANYU’s refreshed space captures the energetic spirit of modern Chinese dining. The moment you step in, you’re greeted by the theatrical sizzle and aromatic smoke rising from the open skewer station—a sensory invitation that sets the tone for the entire experience. The restaurant embraces a contemporary casual aesthetic, balancing industrial touches with warm, inviting elements that encourage lingering and sharing.
The interactive skewer counter becomes the focal point, where diners can watch their selections being grilled to order, flames licking at marinated meats and vegetables, creating an engaging spectacle that transforms ordering into part of the entertainment. The atmosphere hums with a convivial energy—conversations punctuated by delighted exclamations as skewers arrive at tables, the clatter of chopsticks against bowls, and the communal joy of discovering favourite combinations. It’s unpretentious dining at its finest, where the focus remains squarely on bold flavours and good company.
Skewer Station 4/5
The new skewer station is where the fun begins, and where restraint goes to die. With prices starting from just $0.80, the psychological barrier to experimentation vanishes, making it dangerously easy to accumulate a small mountain of skewers before you’ve quite realized what happened. This is not fine dining—it’s gleeful, hands-on eating that rewards curiosity and adventurous ordering.
The Squid emerged as an immediate standout, arriving as a skewer of freshly grilled tentacles that had been expertly chopped into bite-sized medallions. The char provided a smoky foundation, while the spicing delivered that characteristic Sichuan ma la heat—numbing peppercorns mingling with chilli oil in a way that’s simultaneously punishing and addictive. The texture oscillated between tender and pleasantly chewy, each piece glistening with a burnished amber-red sheen from the chilli-laced marinade. This is the kind of dish that demands you reach for another piece even as your lips tingle.
The Pork Collar showcased the kitchen’s understanding of temperature and timing. The meat arrived with a gentle char on the exterior, creating textural contrast against the succulent, almost buttery interior. Each slice revealed pale pink meat marbled with just enough fat to keep things juicy, the edges caramelized to a deeper mahogany. The seasoning remained simple and effective, allowing the natural sweetness of quality pork to shine through the smoke.
Teriyaki Chicken Thigh with Northern Scallion offered a departure from the spice-forward profile of other skewers, delivering savoury-sweet comfort instead. The chicken maintained its moisture admirably, the teriyaki glaze forming a glossy, deep brown lacquer that caught the light. Scallions, charred until their edges blackened and their natural sugars emerged, provided aromatic punctuation, their sharpness cutting through the glaze’s sweetness. The interplay between caramelized skin and tender meat created a textural satisfaction that justified multiple orders.
Perhaps the most unexpected pleasure came from the Black Pepper Shrimp Paste with Mushroom—an umami bomb that punched well above its modest price point. The mushrooms, likely king oyster or similar, had been grilled until their surfaces developed a blistered, golden-brown char while their interiors softened to a meaty, almost creamy consistency. The shrimp paste coating added a complex, funky depth, amplified by aggressive cracked black pepper that left a warming tingle on the palate. Visually, these skewers presented a rustic beauty—irregular char marks, glistening with oil, flecked with black pepper that looked like volcanic rock against the pale mushroom flesh.
Overall, the skewers demonstrate consistent execution: well-seasoned, properly smoky, and designed for the communal joy of sharing. The colour palette alone—burnished reds from chilli oil, charcoal blacks from the grill, amber glazes, pale pinks of meat—creates an appetizing visual symphony that makes ordering with your eyes an entirely sensible strategy.
Grilled Fish with Fresh Green Peppers 4/5
A trip to Tanyu wouldn’t be complete without their signature grilled fish, the dish that built the brand’s reputation. We were particularly glad to see the Grilled Fish with Fresh Green Peppers ($28.90) now offered in a smaller portion suitable for one to two diners, a thoughtful adaptation that acknowledges the appeal of variety without demanding you commit your entire stomach capacity to a single, albeit magnificent, fish.
The presentation commands attention: a whole fish, butterflied and grilled until its skin achieves a crackling, blistered texture, then bathed in a vibrant, oil-slicked bath of fresh green peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and aromatic spices. The visual is almost painterly—the fish’s white flesh peeking through a verdant landscape of sliced green peppers and chillis, the entire composition swimming in an amber-red oil that glistens under the lights, dotted with the darker specks of peppercorns and the occasional splash of spring onion green.
The green pepper flavour profile remains comforting rather than confrontational, offering a punchy, aromatic heat that builds gradually rather than assaulting immediately. The peppers themselves soften in the hot oil, becoming silky and almost sweet, their grassy brightness mellowing into something more complex. The fish—tender, flaky, yielding easily to chopsticks—soaks up the flavoured oil while maintaining its delicate texture. Each bite delivers multiple sensations: the crunch of skin, the softness of flesh, the slippery texture of cooked peppers, and the numbing tingle of Sichuan peppercorn that makes your tongue feel pleasantly alive.
This dish exemplifies why Tanyu has cultivated such loyalty. It’s consistently satisfying, offering enough complexity to remain interesting across multiple visits while never straying so far into extremes that it alienates less adventurous palates. The smaller portion proves ideal for those wanting to experience this signature while still leaving room for skewer experimentation.
Fiery Chicken with Green Peppers 4/5
One of the new additions to the menu, the Fiery Chicken with Green Peppers ($19.80), proved that the kitchen’s talents extend beyond the grill to the wok. This stir-fried creation arrived in a wide bowl, a tumble of golden-brown chicken chunks interspersed with ivory cubes of lotus root, all glistening with a light coating of sauce and scattered with vivid green pepper slices and the occasional red chilli for visual punctuation.
Despite its “fiery” billing, the dish exercises admirable restraint with heat, allowing the distinctive aroma and flavour of fresh green peppers to take center stage. The chicken, cut into generous chunks, maintained excellent moisture—each piece revealing pale, tender meat that had absorbed the wok’s breath without drying out. The exterior showed the telltale signs of proper wok technique: golden caramelization where the meat had kissed the hot metal, creating pockets of concentrated flavour.
The true revelation, however, was the lotus root. These diced cubes provided a textural counterpoint that elevated the dish beyond typical chicken stir-fries. Where the chicken offered tenderness, the lotus root delivered a crisp, almost crunchy resistance that snapped cleanly when bitten, its pale flesh spotted with characteristic holes that created an almost lace-like appearance. The starch from the lotus root helped bind the sauce lightly to all components without creating heaviness.
Visually, the dish presented a harmonious composition of earth tones—creamy whites, warm golds, fresh greens—that looked as nourishing as it tasted. This is comfort food with refinement, the kind of dish that pairs especially well with a bowl of steamed rice, the grain soaking up the subtly spiced sauce while the vegetables and meat provide textural interest. The balance struck here between bold flavour and approachability makes this an excellent entry point for those building confidence with Sichuan-influenced cuisine.
Water Chestnut Boba Drink 3.8/5
Popping pearl boba drinks have achieved ubiquity in Singapore’s dining scene, and Tanyu’s Water Chestnut Boba Drink ($3.80) positions itself comfortably within this trend without attempting to reinvent it. Served in a tall glass, the drink presents a pale, translucent appearance—almost milky white with a subtle cloudiness—punctuated by darker boba pearls settling at the bottom like tiny obsidian marbles.
The water chestnut base provides a delicate, lightly sweet flavour that’s more refreshing than cloying, its gentle vegetal sweetness reminiscent of the fresh tubers themselves. The boba pearls, when captured with the wide straw, burst with a mild fruitiness that complements rather than overwhelms the base. The drink maintains a cool temperature throughout the meal, providing palate-cleansing refreshment between bites of more aggressively seasoned dishes.
While it won’t win awards for innovation, the drink fulfills its role admirably as a cooling companion to the restaurant’s spice-driven menu. The subtle sweetness and crisp, clean finish make it particularly effective at taming the numbing heat of Sichuan peppercorns, resetting your palate for the next round of skewers. It’s functional refreshment executed competently—sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
Double Taste Rice Cake 4/5
We concluded the meal with the Double Taste Rice Cake ($4.80), and the primary regret was not having the stomach capacity for additional orders. This dessert exemplifies the satisfying simplicity of well-executed fundamentals, proving that complexity isn’t always necessary for memorability.
The rice cakes arrived as golden-brown rectangles, their exteriors crisped to a delicate crunch through what appeared to be pan-frying or shallow frying. This created a textural duality that defines the dish: the outside shatters lightly when bitten, giving way to an interior that’s soft, pillowy, and beautifully chewy with that characteristic mochi-like resistance that makes rice cakes so texturally satisfying. The interior remained pristinely white, contrasting beautifully with the caramelized golden-brown exterior.
The “double taste” manifests in the brown sugar drizzle that adorns the cakes—a thick, molasses-dark syrup that pools around the base and creates glossy rivulets across the surface. This adds a deep, caramel-like sweetness with subtle bitter undertones that prevent it from becoming cloying. The warmth of the rice cakes causes the syrup to remain fluid, creating pockets of intense sweetness that balance against the relatively neutral rice cake itself.
Visually, the dish offers rustic elegance: the contrast between the pale rice cake and dark syrup, the irregular golden patches of caramelization, the glossy sheen of sugar catching the light. It’s comfort food that happens to be beautiful, the kind of dessert that feels both indulgent and wholesome—substantial enough to satisfy after a meal of bold flavours, yet not so heavy that it induces regret.
Final Thoughts
TANYU’s refreshed concept brings new energy to an already popular brand, transforming the dining experience into something more interactive and customizable. The skewer station adds genuine flexibility, allowing diners to construct their own flavor journey rather than committing to predetermined combinations. This democratization of choice, combined with the accessible price points, encourages experimentation and repeat visits—there’s always another combination to try, another skewer to discover.
The colour palette across the meal tells its own story: the fiery reds and ambers of chilli oil, the charred blacks and browns of grilled proteins, the verdant greens of fresh peppers, the pale ivories of lotus root and fish flesh, the glossy mahogany of teriyaki glaze. These are bold, honest colours that mirror the bold, honest flavours—nothing precious or overly refined, just confident cooking that delivers satisfaction.
Texturally, the meal offered remarkable variety: the crisp-tender snap of properly grilled squid, the yielding softness of butterflied fish, the juicy resistance of pork collar, the dual nature of the rice cakes with their crunchy exteriors and chewy cores, the unexpected crispness of lotus root against tender chicken. This textural diversity prevents palate fatigue even across multiple courses, each dish offering something different to engage with.
Combined with the reliable grilled fish that established the brand’s reputation and the genuinely affordable pricing that makes generous ordering painless, TANYU positions itself as an ideal destination for casual meals with friends—particularly those who appreciate bold flavours, communal eating, and the simple joy of choosing exactly what you want to eat. It’s unpretentious, energetic, and consistently satisfying. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
Photos and words by Jaslyn. An avid cook who lives to eat and travel for food.
Note: This is an invited tasting.
Tanyu (探鱼烤鱼)
313@Somerset
313 Orchard Road #B3-30/31/32
Singapore 238895
Tel: +65 6509 8887
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Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)
Opening Hours: [Contact restaurant for details]