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2011-08-05
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Went there on a Saturday night having booked it 2 months ahead of time - it was definitely worth the wait. The head chef's food philosophy is to combine "simple, solid comfort food" with "haute-quality ingredients, preparation, and presentation so that my guests can enjoy their most familiar dishes in an exciting new way". It is something he has achieved very well with making simple everyday dishes special again. Guests only have the options of selecting the Tasting Menu where every course is pe
Guests only have the options of selecting the Tasting Menu where every course is personally introduced by Chef Dang himself.
First course: "Soup & Sandwich": Chilled Tomato Soup with Mustard Oil, Smoked Brisket Sandwich with Cucumber and Red Onion Relish
This soup really hit the spot. The mustard oil (it was actually wasabi oil as explained by the Chef) was not too strong to overpower the flavours of the soup. The highlight of this course was the "sandwich", which was actually a miniature burger. Unlike your everyday burgers, the beef brisket patty was chewy and really had a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The "bun" was also made out of pastry, which I thought was a very creative concoction!Second course: "Mac 'n' Cheese": Crawfish and Chorizo Macaroni and Cheese
I absolutely loved this dish, a simple dish turned sophisticated with the addition of crawfish and chorizo. The chorizo brought a slight smoky flavour which fared well with the cheesy texture. Yet, I was slightly disapointed to find a lack of crawfish in my Mac n' Cheese - or was it just muddled with all the cheesy goodness (but I could not taste the crawfish either)? Third course: "Summer Crab Cake": Crab Cake, Yuzu Compressed Watermelon, Jicama, Avocado Coriander Coulis
I was already excited to dig into this course when I heard the sound of the crab cakes sizzling. Once I cut open the cake, there was a generous amount of crab meat oozing from the shell. The refreshing yuzu compressed watermelon was a wonderful compliment to the soft buttery crab meat. *thumbs up*!Fourth course: "Down 'n' Dirty Baby Back Ribs": Citrus and Honey Glazed Baby Back Ribs, Cumin and Mustard Cole Slaw, Sweet Potato Purée
I am not usually a fan of baby back ribs as it requires messy fingers and forcefully extracting the meat from the bone with your teeth. This was not the case here as the meat was cooked to the bone, with it coming off the bone almost effortlessly. As the name suggests, the chef kept with the 'Down 'n' Dirty' concept of using traditional BBQ sauce to marinate the ribs. The BBQ sauce was not too heavy, leaving enough room for a hint of citrus flavour. Fifth course: "Sour Cherry Pie": Sour Cherry Pie, Almond Foam, Smoked Chocolate and Bourbon Ice Cream
This was my least favourite course, partially because I have a bit of a sweet tooth. The chocolate was far too bitter and the cherry was too sour for my liking as well. However, for those you adore dark chocolate; this is perfect for you as it was not too sweet nor heavy on the stomach.Finale: "Red, White & Blueberry" Strawberry Macaroons, Calamansi Ice Cream, Blueberry Macaroons
When this dish came, I was amazed at how the chef managed to keep the calamansi ice-cream in such a perfect cylindrical shape between the macaroon! The combination gave the perfect 'sweet n' sour' taste. The macaroon was crisp and not too sweet whilst the zest of the calamansi ice-cream was absolutely refreshing. The cute chocolate butterfly on the side of my plate was also a lovely and delicate add-on To conclude, I loved every bit of this 6-course menu and would recommend others to give it a try. The only downside to this place is the limited number of tables, forcing you to book weeks ahead of time, but it's definitely worth the wait!!
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