Wine Fiesta this year was a bit of a special event because of their feature on natural wines. These are wines that have no additives, chemicals and preservat…
Wine Fiesta this year was a bit of a special event because of their feature on natural wines. These are wines that have no additives, chemicals and preservatives and could also feature organically grown grapes without pesticides. Basically, hipster wine, which is becoming sort of a trend. Anyway, I had the pleasure to attend Wine Fiesta at Clifford Square last month which had 350 wine labels from 70 winemakers around the world, with 9 of these labels as natural. I was there because of a special wine pairing menu with renowned restaurant in Singapore, Burnt Ends.
Here's the menu for the day. I am guessing it's called a 4x4 surprise pairing because not many people will think to pair natural wines with charcoal grilled food.
First course: Sweet, fresh scallop which went down so well, with a mouthful of CRFT's Gruner Veltliner Longview Vineyard 2015. There's a 2016 description on their website, which said "grapes are picked in a the cool of the morning," and "fermented cool and slow" with minimal additives. How's that for artisanal? Personally I thought it was quite a refreshing and easy-to-drink wine. I was expecting something rougher, I guess?
Thanks CRFT for bringing your wines to Singapore! Cheers.
The flavours got heavier as we went along, both the wines and the food.
Second course: Kingfish and Miso with BK Wines' Rosé 2016. This was probably my favourite food and wine combination. I loved how the scrumptious kingfish played with different textures, and the fruity rosé just elevated the fish to greater heights.
Third course: Jamaican Chicken, paired with Lucy M Noire de Florette 2016. This pinot noir from Australia is 100% natural - and provided an equally strong counterpoint to the smoky slightly charred Jamaican chicken. I wished there was a bigger portion of the food so I can chew on more of it!
Lastly, we tried the Burnt Onion and Bresaola Tart, which was paired with Ochota Barrels Texture like Sun 2016. Unfortunately, this was the most jarring pairing in the sense that the food made the wine taste more bitter than it should. The food itself was also perhaps a little too complicated for my liking, even though the tart base was yum. Still it was fun to experience how wine can be changed when you try it with different food.
It was indeed a surprising pairing after going through the 4 courses with Burnt Ends at the helm. I had a really fun time at this year's Wine Fiesta 2016, even if it was slightly humid and very crowded! I thought the food vendors at the event was well-curated (from Good Chance popiah to fine Italian risotto by MONTI, among others like Tin Hill Social and Cheek by Jowl) and of course the selection of wine labels. My friend bought so much Argentinian malbec because they were surprised to find it at the event. Till next year, can't wait to taste what it will be like.
Thanks to Straits Wine Company for the invite!
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I have a love-hate relationship with Sichuan food. I love the spices and its fragrant kick, but sometimes it feels like its a kick over a cliff and I'm free-falling from the spices as well. It is also surprisingly difficult to get good Sichuan food in Singapore that is not overly oily, even though oil is one of the essential components of the cuisine. That's why I am writing this review because Sichuan restaurant Si Wei Yan at Club Street is one of the best Sichuan restaurants I've been to in recent years and I have to recommend it to you!
We had an assortment of dishes such as the Cumin Flavoured Lamb Ribs (S$20 for four pieces), which had foil wrapped at the end of the ribs so you can enjoy it by tearing it into pieces with your teeth. I don't really like lamb but the cumin here really helped to mask or get rid of the lamb-ey taste, and the meat was tender and delicious. Probably one of the highlights on that table! 4/5
There's also this mushroom stewed with green beans (S$16) thing which is non-spicy, great for people like me who need a respite from all the heat. I think this is the dish, but I'm not too sure. 3/5
We had to of course try the famous Sichuan "水煮鱼", which in English is the boiled fish fillet in Sichuan Sauce (S$28). Pieces of white fish are in there somewhere, but you find it strangely addictive to keep having bits of the "water". Well done. 4.5/5
We also had the Kong Pao Chicken Cubes (S$16) or Authentic Sauteed Diced Chicken with Chili (S$14) I think. Again I am not 100% sure which is the dish since my friend ordered for us, haha. But this was yummy too. You can see the peppercorns sprinkled generously in there. 4/5
We also had the Si Wei signature BBQ pork ribs (S$48), which is quite pricey! But all my friends loved it, and its a good addition if you have a big table of diners to share this "bridge". Otherwise I'll say you don't have to get this since it is flavoured similarly to the chicken cubes.
We also had some simple stir-fried green vegetables (S$11) to add a counterpoint to all the redness and spices going on. This was actually quite delicious when paired with the rest. 3.5/5
The more famous side dish would be this Stir Fried King Oyster Mushroom (S$18) which is just a fun appetiser, much like crunchy chips with slight chilli flavour. The mushroom taste was hardly perceptible. Really addictive though! 4/5
Lastly, we had some Corn Fried with Salted Egg Yolk (S$18), which seems a little overpriced for corn and salted egg yolk. I find it a little too sweet, hopefully its from the corn and not added sugar! But its so fun to eat, it's worth it if you have 3 or more diners to share the sin with you. Otherwise between you and another diner, this is too much.
Overall, Si Wei Yan is a really decent restaurant for Chinese, specifically Sichuan "finer dining". Classic dishes are executed with care and perfection, bringing to Singaporeans the taste of how spices can be enjoyable while being an assault on your senses. I will recommend this place for business lunches or even dinner with friends if you're in the Chinatown area craving for some proper Chinese food.
Si Wei Yan
1 Club Street, Singapore
+65 62216836
Daily 11.30am to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 10pm
Closed on Sundays
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