Yu Pavilion Restaurant

Yu Pavilion at Heartland Mall doesn’t look like much from the mall corridor, but once you step inside, it feels like a cosy spot for solid Chinese food with a twist. It’s especially notable for its Hakka rice wine chicken, a traditional dish you don’t see often in local restaurants — tender chicken in a richly aromatic, sweet-tangy rice wine broth that’s perfect with plain rice and leaves you wanting more.  The tasting experience also highlighted creative rice wine-infused dishes, from smoked duck with tangy sauce to fresh prawn dressed with mayo and rice wine — each showing off different depths of flavour and that unique rice wine character.  Beyond that, casual diners mention the restaurant’s dim sum and Chinese mains like sweet-and-sour pork and crispy fish tail as crowd favourites, and the vibe is relaxed and unpretentious — great for neighbourhood meals or catch-ups after the MRT ride from Kovan station. 

Our earlier reunion lunch for a family of 5 was settled here. A small Chinese restaurant but menu was extensive and some dishes were unusual. When we sat down, peanuts and picked vegetables were served but I had rejected. Tea is chargeable at $3/pax but will be served in a teapot. Pricing for this is a little steep but you can base on how many people would like to drink tea and they will charge accordingly. I would recommend pu-er + chrysanthemum tea. The combination is palatable and smooth to go with dim sum. We started off with dim sum which were pretty tasty and not salty. Dumplings were packed with prawns and meat that tasted fresh. Chicken feet and pork ribs were tender and meaty. XO carrot cake to my surprise - each piece had crisp to it and blended well with the still crunchy beansprouts. Steamed beancurd roll was a little too thiy wrapped to get some bite into it. Other than that, it was alright. Char siew bao, got me seated up as i bite into it. I enjoyed how light the outer layer which was fluffy and soft. I had others that were thick and doughy outer layer. Char siew was meaty kind unlike some had more fats to them. I feel can further reduce the sweetness of char siew. Pumpkin taro is fried but good to try to know the taste. Doesn't taste oily but I felt it didnt have much layered taste that i was expecting. I could taste more of the yam and very subtle of saltiness. Maybe can make it these special dish for CNY if they add nian gao and fry it. Savoury sweet! ½ peking duck was good with skin being crispy and duck meat being tender and maintaining its juiciness. Hor fun had the "breath of the wok" not only by smelling, taste too. Not sure what's the crispy cracker like that is on top but they went well. Total damage: $188 - no appetizers, no wet tissues, 4 cups of tea Would i be back? Yes sure why not!

Ordered the char siew bao, xo fried carrot cake, har gao, and pidan porridge. Overall, the food was very nice. Fried carrot cake was standout dish for me. Not mushy and not too salty. Portions were ok. Pricing was slightly on the expensive side, but still worth it. They had a classic Chinese restaurant ambience, and staff were friendly. Would return again!

Very nice mid size chinese restaurant. I thought all of them have been wiped out by big/franchised operators. Ordered some dim sum and was surprised by the good taste. Peking duck is average but the 腐乳油麦汁and 咕噜肉 is good. Highly recommended!

Excellent dining experience at Yu Pavilion Restaurant. The dim sum is fresh, delicate, and full of flavor, with high-quality ingredients and beautiful presentation. Every dish was well-prepared and tasted amazing. The restaurant is clean, comfortable, and perfect for family gatherings. The menu offers a wide variety of dim sum and Chinese dishes to choose from. Service is attentive and professional, making the whole experience very enjoyable. Highly recommended for anyone looking for quality Chinese food in Singapore