Antoinette Launches New Menu : When Hakka Meets French

Mod-Sin is not an unfamiliar term in Singapore’s gastronomical scene but talk about French-Hakka fusion, I am quite sure Chef Pang of Antoinette is the first to launch it in Singapore. On the savoury menu is a repertoire of new dishes—of which some pay tributes to Chef Pang’s own Hakka’s culinary heritage. For instance, the Hakka Gnocchi ($24) is a colourful variation of the usual yam balls with the use of beetroot, sweet potato and purple sweet potato. I was a bit worried that the foie gras might overpower the dish but fortunately it did not. The flavourful stir-fry of dried shrimps, cured pork and morels make this no less delicious than an authentic Hakka suan pan zi.  


The Spaghetti ($24) is a delicious spin off from the classic Hakka noodles with a robust pork belly ragout with cuttlefish and aromatic elements like the ebi sakura. I might be biased towards Chinese noodles but this dish appeals to me anytime better than a plate of traditional spaghetti. I can imagine myself finishing the entire portion with chilli padi. As a half Hakka who is being raised by my Hakka maternal grandparents, I grew up with a fondness for suan pan zi and niang dou fu. Although these can be found in some hawker centres, I always feel that Hakka cuisine is under-represented versus Cantonese or Teochew cuisine. As such, it is heartening to learn that Hakka food has been placed on the French menu, giving more people the chance to understand and taste what Hakka food is.

Bread and Butter ($5) : Satay Bacon Epi, Levain, Baguette, 5 spice escargot with butter in unique flavours like chye poh and sambal

But the menu goes beyond the love story of French and Hakka. There’s local inspired dishes like Chicken Rice or Kale Caesar Salad that has a funky salted fish dressing. I highly recommend the Chili Crab Arancini (3pcs) because it tastes just like having chilli crab but without the trouble of deshelling the crab. Think of a giant crab meat ball, deep-fried to a golden crisp exterior with a gooey cheesy core, served in a pool of homemade chilli sauce cooked with lobster bisque. The bonus is the nuggets of fried Chinese buns littered randomly in the dish. What a clever interpretation of the Chilli crab dish and I love this more than the real dish. 

Expect no less from the desserts section as it has always been Antoinette’s forte. The Misty Forest ($18) that makes a smoky entrance reminded me of Harry Potter’s movie; as dark and mysterious as the main grand cru dark chocolate cremeux that envelops the tastebuds. But if there’s one dessert that is bound to win Singaporean’s hearts, it will be Pandan ($14), a 2-part dessert comprising of pandan kaya butter toast served alongside a plated dessert of Pandan ice cream, coral sponge, caviar, coconut crumble, lime foam and salted gula Melaka.    

Pandan, pandan, pandan. I haven’t come across any Singaporeans who don’t like pandan. This dessert is almost like a dream come true for myself who loves every single element here. And now, I (secretly) wish that there’ll be a pandan entremet on the cake collection next year.

Penhas Outlet

30 Penhas Road Singapore 208188

Mon-Thur 11am-10pm

Fri/Eve of PH 11am-11pm

Sat 10am-11pm

Sun/PH 10am-10pm

Mandarin Outlet 

33A Orchard Road, Mandarin Gallery, 

#02-33/34, Singapore 238897 

11am-10pm daily

http://www.antoinette.com.sg/

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TONO Cevicheria : First Ever Peruvian Cevicheria in Singapore

With a jaunty logo of a turquoise dancing fish with hearts of scales, doing salsa with maracas in “hands” and chilli between the teeth, I can tell straight away that TONO is going to be somewhat special. But “special” is a too simplified word to describe the unique Peruvian dining experience here.

First, the menu isn’t categorized into your familiar territories like mains, appetizers or sharing plates. Everything looks Greek to me except for the English description, so probably the best (or safest) way is to start with the most recognizable or democratic dish of Peru called “Ceviche”, raw fish cured in a creamy marinade known as Tiger’s Milk. If any ceviche is missing of the seafood, chilli, lime and onions, you know it's not authentic.

Said to be the most conventional style found in almost every Peru household, the Clasico Ceviche, which is based in fish-broth Tiger's milk, metes out electrifying flavors of sweet, tangy and spicy. The Nikkei weaves a similar story but with raw yellowfin tuna, purple potato chips and a stronger umami taste due to hondashi and Mirin. 

From the ceviche to the Piqueos (sharing nibbling dishes), the dishes did what they are supposed to by perking up the palates with forthright flavors. Among the highlights: Jalea, an assorted plate of deep fried seafood, with salsa criollo and smoked chilli mayo. Solterito, an intensely flavorful pile of potato mash, Fava beans and deep-fried salted Peruvian corn kernels called Canchitas. Some call it a potato salad but it is more sophisticated than one and much tastier, of course.

But the more I eat, the more I realize that don't understand Peruvian cuisine. You've got Aguadito; long grain rice cooked in coriander and cumin soup with crispy fish that reminds of Indian or more precisely, Hainanese curry rice. Next was a plate of stir fried beef with tomatoes, onions and crispy potatoes, very much similar to a wok-fry beef dish in a Chinese restaurant. And the dark soy sauce, perfect to go with rice and taking that role here is Arroz Blanco, Peruvian-style garlic rice.

These beloved Peruvian specialties evoke a sense of deja vu and reflect the diverse influences of the immigrant communities (Spanish, Italians, Chinese, Japanese) on the Peruvian food culture. Who would have expected that the best Ceviche in Peru is made by a Cantonese chef? 

With such a brilliant combination of textures, flavors and colors across the dishes, it is not surprising to learn that TONO is the brainchild of Peruvian Chef Daniel Chafez, co-owner and chef of OLA Cocina de Mer at Marina Bay Financial Center.

Under the helm of executive Chef Mario Malvez, the team of Lima-trained chefs fly the flag of Peru high by delivering accomplished Peruvian dishes using sustainable ingredients, especially seafood.

Desserts such as Alfajores (think melting moments shortbread cookie sandwiches) and Combinado (vanilla rice pudding) belong to the conservative Latin American camp but the sugar levels are much reasonable and most importantly, they are tasty.

With the finest Peruvian cuisine, quality Pisco and cocktails, there's possibly one and only one rule that you must comply in this free-spirited, boisterous place--dance to the salsa music. #TONOmeansParty

Don't worry, I'm not going to judge you.

TONO Cevicheria
7 Fraser Street
#01-49/50 Duo Galleria
Singapore 189356
12pm-2.30pm (Mon-Fri)
6pm-10pm (Mon-Sat)
www.tono.com.sg

 

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Ninja Cut @ Seah Street : Scrumptious Protein Bowls with Cheeky Brunch

 You don't need to be a Ninja to make the cut here. Neither would you face a Ninja who cuts up your steak. Ninja cut is the latest venture by The Astronaut Groups who run Chillax Cafe, Ninja Bowl and the now defunct Babette.


The food is similar to the popular protein grain bowls these days but things here move faster like a Ninja because you don't have to pick and match the ingredients of your food like Grain Traders or Subway. Order from ten carb-free, protein-based mains and add-ons such as signature Ninja rice, sushi rice, brown rice with seaweed flakes, soba or greens are available at $2 each.

Out of the 4 mains I've tried, my pick would be the Oh My Cod! ($18) because the baked miso cod fish was full of umami from the use of saikyo shiromiso and sake marinade. In fact, the flavors were less prominent in the fish than the dressing itself, which helped to pull other ingredients such as honey-glazed carrots, edamame and pickled beetroot into the big picture.

But that's not the only thing Ninja Cut offers. From the list of all-day brunch items, the Polenta Mash ($18) was my favourite dish all thanks to the truffle polenta mash which was cheesy to my liking but yet not overpowering. So good that I think it stole the limelight from the Aburi chashu, which was fork-tender but could probably afford a touch of caramelized glaze to reinforce its presence in the dish.

Meanwhile, there's the Cheeky Cheese ($18) was a dish that's born to please the tastebuds with the pairing of grilled cheese in sweet brioche. The 24-hour Braised beef cheek was meltingly soft and delicious but I'm contented with the cheese sandwich alone. 

The only sweet option, Marvellous Matcha ($16), would highly satisfy visual appetites with its flowy deep-colored matcha lava. It was slightly too sweet for me but the taste of green tea was evident. This wasn't as marvellous as its predecessor, a Matcha lava cake, at Babette but probably makes the cut as one of the better matcha desserts in town.

#TheNinjaCut
32 Seah Street S188388
9.30am-7.30pm (Weekdays) 9am-6pm (Weekends)
*All prices are NETT without service charge

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Kumoya : Japanese-French Desserts As Light as Cloud

Kumoya is the latest artisanal dessert place in town that offers Japanese-French pastries such as eclairs, yoghurt parfaits and pancakes that are as cloud-light as its Japanese name (meaning "cloud" house) aptly implies. 

In fact, it is no coincidence that the presentation and concept reminds one of the now-defunct Karafuru because this place is opened by the same owner who has reshuffled the kitchen and management affairs. With a wider menu that includes savoury items, the owner hopes to to widen the appeal to the masses, including firms looking for a place to host its corporate parties and also halal customers in the near future after it received its halal-certification.

New highlights include the savoury pancakes with a Japanese twist such as Karaage Chicken pancakes and bite-size snacks. The tempura soft shell crab pancake was quite a sight to behold with lots of things going on in a plate; tempura capsicum, tempura soft shell crab, tempura cereal crunch, brûlée pineapples, mixed salad, with a triple stack of savoury pancakes buried all underneath. 

The moreish fritters went hand-in-hand with the wasabi mayo but I'm hesitant to say they were on good terms with the pancakes which could ranked as one of the few better executed ones in town. That said, I can imagine how delicious it would be if I had the Butter & Maple ($8.90) instead because the test-and-tried sweet savoury formula is hard to go wrong. 


New items aside, most people may still question the difference between the Kumoya and Karafuru. Recipes have been fine-tuned and the frilly elements are stripped off to showcase the theme flavors. For instance, the Matcha Yoghurt Parfait ($15.90), which formerly assumed the form of Matcha Jasmine, is now purely done in matcha. I missed the crispy Matcha Langue de chat which has been replaced by saccharinely sweet matcha macaron but the concept of a 和風-style matcha dessert is visibly reinforced with larger helpings of tsubu-an (coarse red been paste) and matcha financiers. 

Of course, this naturally implied that the sweetness has racheted up a few notches, but thankfully the tangy yoghurt soft serve placed it under well control. That said, a pure matcha syrup instead of matcha Creme anglaise might work as a better candidate because the taste of matcha here is as elusive as that of the iced matcha latte.

Those looking for something sweet but more substantial can opt the same buttery pancakes served with yoghurt soft serve. We had the Tiramisu ($15.90) which was kissed by a shot of cold espresso instead of the usual Baileys or other alcohol. But I didn't felt shortchanged at all because the interplay of flavors and textures in the presence of fudgy yoghurt brownie and crumbly chocolate sables made this a delightful treat especially for people like me who enjoy coffee in my desserts. 

The eclairs have now been downsized for customers to try more flavors in a sitting. As pretty as they used to be, I would prefer if the choux pastry can be more tender and less dry. With 12 regular flavors to choose from, I would recommend you to go with your personal favourite flavors.  

At $3 per piece, these dainty gems would make an impressive gift when you get them in 3-pc/6-pc/12-pc box. The size of the eclairs might draw some flak but on a positive light, you will less likely over-indulge and leave this place feeling as light as cloud.  

Kumoya
8 Jalan Klapa Singapore 199320
Tue-Fri/Sun 12pm-10pm 
Sat 12pm-10.30pm
Closed on Mon
FB: www.facebook.com/kumoyasingapore
IG: @kumoyasingapore

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Twenty Grammes Cafe : Yuan Yang Waffles and Salty Salted Egg Yolk

Waffles, soft serve, ice cream. 

The cafe menu here bears a striking resemblance to the Sunday Folks or Creamier but I say it's a combination of both. Probably one of the most popular items here is the Yuan Yang Waffles that come with Milk Soft Serve, Cookie Sticks, Granola and Chocolate Hazelnut Sauce ($15)


I prefer my waffles to have a little crunch on the edges while fluffy inside but these weren't exactly what I wanted. That said, the chocolate hazelnut sauce was thicker and richer than an average Nutella sauce--a good thing because it would have gave the impression that the shop was taking shortcuts. My only complain here is that the soft serve was too sweet and there is only one flavor of soft serve for this Yuan Yang Waffle. Presentation-wise, they might still need to put in some effort to catch up with the ones from Sunday Folks. 
To be honest, the menu sounded confusing because a "charcoal waffle with egg yolk sauce and a single scoop of ice cream" costs $12 but yet there is also another choice of "charcoal waffle with egg yolk sauce" at $8.50 (with a foot note that stated that any subsequent scoop of ice cream costs $3) But in practice, you need to order the $12 version if you want some ice cream along. 

I was curious to try the salted egg yolk sauce which was slightly grainy and intensely savoury. Sweet-savoury pairings usually work in desserts but I think the egg yolk sauce was too overpowering and easily overwhelmed the ice cream. That said, the ice cream was excellent and distinctive in flavor. I chose the Thai Milk Tea  and Taro after sampling some flavors and eliminating those that were too sweet. There was clarity in flavor and the texture was unctuously creamy. 

I left this place with a deeper impression of the ice cream than the waffles or soft serve. And I'm so glad this is just located in my neighbourhood. 

Blk 529 AMK Ave 10, Unit 01-2353
Sun-Thur 12pm-10pm
Fri-Sat 12pm-1am

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