A place where the high-rollers enjoy their leisurely lunches and lavish dinners, Jin Ting Wan is built on the idea that height can whet your appetite. You feel it before you taste anything: the lift ride up, the sudden hush when the doors open, the city pressed flat beneath glass.
Perched high above on Level 55 of Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Hotel’s Tower 1, the view from the dining room isn’t a garnish—it’s the appetiser before the first course. The scale is substantial too: The restaurant spans the entire floor and seats 162, complete with two private dining rooms (for 10 and 12), two private dining suites (for 10 and 14), plus a Chef’s Table for eight. The floor is even zoned by view—an “upper” à la carte area overlooking the city and a “lower” section overlooking the sea. It’s the kind of place you bring out-of-town friends to for a high-brow Singapore moment, or reserve for a family dinner when you have something big to announce.
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The modern oriental interiors designed by AvroKO are described as Song Dynasty–inspired, dressed in deep blue tones and gilded accents, with intricate latticework and dragonfly motifs that reference the name Jin Ting Wan, which means “Golden Dragonfly Bay”. Filled with ceramics, silks and artefacts, it photographs well, but more importantly it’s very comfortable with warm lighting, soft acoustics, and enough space that you’re not pulled into someone else’s celebration.
What makes Jin Ting Wan more than just a new Cantonese address with a view is its ambition to frame Yue (Cantonese) cuisine as fine dining without draining it of comfort. At the helm of this culinary vision is Guangxi-born Chef Albert Li, whose two-decade career includes leading Michelin-starred kitchens such as Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine in Shanghai. Under his guidance, the restaurant invites guests into a menu grounded in classical techniques like double boiling, poaching, braising, and steaming using premium seasonal ingredients.
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Start with a clear broth like the Hokkaido geoduck with seaweed in clear seafood broth ($48). Its earthy umami flavours come from a medley of kombu, chicken, pork, scallop, and regional fish varieties simmered for four hours. It tastes mildly sweet but the savoury mineral notes from the seaweed come through with every sip.
After that, awaken the palate with Poached Hokkaido Squid with peanut and garlic in chilli oil ($68), a Szechuan-
leaning dish where squid is “swiftly poached” to preserve its tenderness, then pushed with some mild heat from peanut-garlic-chilli sauce.
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For something very Cantonese in spirit, order the Simmered Homemade Fresh Beancurd Skin with baby spinach in a milky soy broth ($28). The beancurd skin is described as delicately separated using a time-honoured technique, with soybeans sourced from Heilongjiang for an “authentic character.”
For bigger groups, some lavish seafood dishes will give the table impressive range. Try celebratory dishes like Braised Dried Yoshihama Abalone with superior oyster sauce (from $888) or Teochew-style Dual-flavoured Alaskan King Crab ($38/100g)—tailored to diners who want that MBS-style grandeur.
The headline centrepiece is the Roasted “Pipa” Duck ($138), named after the Chinese lute. Apparently cooking on this instrument creates more surface area, helping with crispness and even cooking. It’s finished in a custom-built oven where the fire, smoke, and crispness are tightly controlled. When it’s done well, the skin is flavourful, crispy and the meat is juicy and tender.
Carnivores will enjoy the Angus short rib with preserved vegetables wrapped in straw leaves (from $78). The preserved mustard greens are made using the traditional “nine-steam, nine-sun” technique, which adds a deep, fermented savoury note that can stand up to beef.
At lunch, it’s worth ordering the dim sum items for quicker service. The Radish Puff with Chinese Ham ($18) arrives in the form of a mini handbag—a chic nod to the restaurant’s couture-level styling. Pair it with the Steamed Crispy Red Rice Roll with shrimp and pork ($16), which plays with colour and texture while still keeping that classic dim sum satisfaction.
The most natural drink pairing here is tea, presented as an immersive experience led by Head Tea Master Jacky Zhao Gang. There is a collection of more than 80 teas and a Gong Fu-style ceremony. If you’re ordering rich roasted meats, try a Feng Huang Dan Cong (from $68) for its aromatic lift, or an aged Pu’er (from $88) that cuts through fatty dishes. There are also a variety of refreshing tea-forward cocktails from the beverage menu.
The wine list here stakes its claim as the largest selection of fine Chinese wines in Singapore, led by Head Sommelier Joe Yang. Bottles from Ao Yun, Canaan, and Célèbre are good entry points if you want to savour the region’s terroir rather than defaulting to the usual labels.
In a city that’s never short on Cantonese dining, Jin Ting Wan’s pitch is clear: Come for the view, stay for the food—then let the tea (or a Chinese red you didn’t expect to love) make you a repeat customer.
Jin Ting Wan is located at Marina Bay Sands, Hotel Tower 1, Level 55, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956. The spring seasonal menu is available now; Lunch is served daily from 11:30am – 2:30pm and Dinner from 5:30pm – 9:30pm. Book a table here.