Friends of mine will know that I am very much supportive and into sustainability, especially when it comes to sustainable food. Hence I was very much pleased w…
Friends of mine will know that I am very much supportive and into sustainability, especially when it comes to sustainable food. Hence I was very much pleased when I was invited to try out the special local edition menu at one-Michelin starred (congrats, again!) Alma by Juan Amador beside Goodwood Park Hotel. This modern European restaurant has always been one of the stalwarts of the local fine dining scene but I never got around to trying it out and what better way to be inducted than with a local sustainable lunch? The restaurant has that easy, relaxed vibe as well which I like.
Here's the menu, which is only available for lunch and has been extended till 3 November (this Wednesday)! There's also a vegetarian option (refer to the website). They have collaborated with Backyard Productions on the menu, which included getting some locally grown greens from them. It's great that we are eating stuff grown closer to home - smallest carbon footprint AND supports the local economy.
Started with a couple of snacks which was terrific. The Red Snapper had a salted egg foam while the smoked barramundi had a crunch with the tempura-ed kale.
There's also this. I knew I was having a 5-course lunch, but I couldn't help but finish BOTH potato buns which came warm and soft, like a friendly hug. The peppered butter was also so sinfully good slathered over the buns.
We started properly with this 28 types of greens called My Singapura Garden. The salad was pretty to look at and even more deliciously when all the different plants had their own bitter/leafy take that was complemented by a hidden layer of tomato jelly underneath. Apparently the greens are plucked from Packet Greens, MEOD, Archisen, Livfresh and Hydro Urban.
Next, the incredibly photogenic Threadfin. It's actually a ceviche of tiny cubed fish cured in citrus salt, with dollops of sour plum cream swimming in a seafood broth. This made a strong impression on my tastebuds and woke me up for sure, for the next course!
Which was this gigantic trio of Frog Legs in crispy garlic and balsamic batter with chilli padi and mala. Not overly spiced and in fact, looked and tasted like Korean fried chicken except much juicier with the frog legs! Seriously.. if only frog legs are more readily available outside of the typical porridge. This was probably my favourite so far.
But the Quail held its own too. All these non-chicken but like chicken protein making a splash! The quail's stuffed with glutinous rice, and roasted well. The hearty taste from the rice and use of Asian flavouring just makes this very palatable to my tastebuds for some reason. And I suspect, for the locals too! This was a great recommendation by the waitstaff when I was asked to choose between the pearl garoupa (which is technically challenging as a dish) and this, since I already had fish earlier.
Lastly, I didn't expect much but this Goat's Milk custard dessert blew me away as well with how delicate tasting it was without a strong goaty taste in the milk. The slightly funky edge was mellowed with the basil sauce and the lemongrass granita with the tiny cherry tomatoes.
I ended this superbly satisfying lunch with their signature Gula Jawa Canelé. Which apparently can be bought in 10s (pre-order, delivery). It's so good too and underrated! Caneles are really one of those hard-to-do dessert items if you compare the effort to bake them compared to like making a creme brulee, for exmaple. So kudos to chef, and for incorporating our region's gula.
I was genuinely very impressed with this 5-course menu which managed to be 80% local and sustainable by sourcing greens and proteins from our local producers. The dishes were executed with a sensibility to showcase the ingredients AND represent our local flavours, while retaining elements of surprise and fun in the sophisticated cooking methods. Hats off. I would 100% recommend anyone who is looking for a treat in November to book this lunch within the next 3 days!
Alma by Juan Amador
22 Scotts Rd, Singapore 228221 (beside Goodwood Park Hotel)
Lunch Tuesdays to Saturdays 12–2pm
Dinner Mondays to Saturdays 6–9:30pm
Closed on Sundays
Reserve on chope.co or quandoo.sg or call 67359937
Thanks Yong Chuen and Alma for the invite!
I went to Takeshi Noodle Bar recently by chance for a late lunch and was pleasantly surprised by the food and place so I thought I'll share it with you guy…
I was invited to try out 2 new local chef collaborations at Luke's Lobster's latest and largest branch at Great World City (the first at Scotts Isetan…
It really was quite the bummer when the 2-pax restrictions came back again, but at least we were still able to dine out! I recently went to Clos Pasoh for lun…
I was invited to try out a new pizzeria in town by The Cicheti Group called Wild Child Pizzette recently and I really enjoyed the dining in experience. Actually I had taken away a couple of pizzas during the nth no-dining in restriction, and they were good, but it just wasn't the same as having it fresh on the spot paired with some delicious wine and beverages. The Wild Child part of the name refers to the creative and free expression by the founders and I suppose the pizzette part refers to the size of the restaurant. It's quite a small seater but had a warm and cosy feel to it (can't wait for music to be back!). Right at the end of the shophouse you'll see the Italian oven that was shipped over and installed, which is a sure sign of awesome wood-fired pizzas, and you can feel the heat emanating from it if one's a bit close.
Here's the menu, which is also quite minute (yay) with just 7 starters and 7 10-inch pizzas to choose from, and 2 desserts. Prices are alright for the quality-assured food and drinks!
We started off with Cauliflower (S$14) which had roasted and charred cauliflower on top of labneh (Israeli greek yogurt) together with some coriander, mint and pistachio. This was a delightful appetiser for being light and bright with a hint of smokiness, and very unconventional as a Mediterranean dish (much like a Wild Child). 4/5
By the way, for each dish we also had a bit of a wine pairing, and each was carefully selected by sommelier and business partner Roland Kamiyama. They were exquisite!
Then we had some Kurobuta (S$17 for 200g, $31 for 400g) which again is not something that's regularly found in a pizzeria. Reminiscent of siew yok, the pork belly was crispy and tender all at once. The Crack Oil (housemade chilli oil) was also fantastic and great as a dip for EVERYTHING. 4/5
We also sampled the Bikini (S$18.50). The term refers to the ham and cheese sandwich from Catalan, Spain but here they have revised it using the slow-fermented pizza dough to encase slow-braised grass-fed beef cheek marmalade and layers of taleggio and provolone. It might not look like much here, but biting into a piece of it was like a umami explosion. So good, I think if not for the carbs, I would say this is the best starter!
Next, the wild take on the classic, traditional Margherita pizza by baking, deep frying and then baking the Crispy Fried Margherita (S$21) again for that extra crisp. It also had all the best ingredients IMO of a pizza - stracciatella, semi-dried San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil and aged parmigiana, working together to create an umami symphony in your mouth. I'd say this is still one of my favs of the night! 4.5/5
The Garage Project BEER (S$10) was also a fun one - it tasted exactly like the packaging - uncharacteristic of any style (actually a pilsner) but just beer.
Another pizza we tried was a kale pizza called the Cavolo Nero (S$18.50) made with Tuscan kale, lemon and pickled onions. This sounded wayyy too experimental to me (I can imagine an Italian man recoiling in horror) but strangely it worked. The kale added a green, intense element while the lemon and pickled onions gave it a sour breakthrough. 3.5/5
Funky (in a good way) pizzas should be paired with funky drinks and that's what happened! I especially liked this Motoshibori, Akishika Shuzo (S$16 for 90m), which is a Junmai Yamahai Muroka Nama Moto. That's a long string of words but basically it is unpasteurised and undiluted sake using a traditional yeast starter. Yet it wasn't raw or strong, just fizzy and light with a pleasant rice taste.
The last of our pizzas was something I tried and liked - the Spiniata Calabrese (S$19) that was named after the spicy salami from Calabria with a spicy pepperonicino flavour, and drizzled with Sichuan chilli honey. The pepperoni-salami actually had a bit of a bakwa taste as a result! The chilli honey wasn't spicy at all, nor numbing, so it didn't steal the show. This pizza was fiery, not from the spice, but the combination of heat, oil and char. It paired excellently with an organic rosè from Tavel, a wine-growing AOC in the southern Rhône wine region of France. You'll need to split this pizza with another! This and the Classic Margherita I think would be great for 2 pax.
We ended this delightful tasting with a Pecan Tart (S$13) that's freshly baked daily. I really liked the brown sugar-bourbon pecan pilling with the super boozy whisky gelato (such genius?) along with caramel and bourbon sauce. It's quite rich, and again made for sharing, but I appreciate the alcohol + sugar play. 4/5
We also paired it with some non-alcoholic Sparkling Tea
Overall, Wild Child Pizzette is a great new place to try out some delightful wood-fired, slow-fermented pizza dough with innovative, world flavours be it in the starters or in the drink pairings. I think the fruits of their labour in experimenting in something wild definitely paid off. I'll recommend everyone to drop by and try it for yourself!
🙅 Thank you, next
🤷 Try if nearby
💁 Bookmark this ✔️
Wild Child Pizzette
50 Circular Road, Singapore 049405
Monday to Saturday 12-2.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm
Closed on Sundays
Reservations on here
Reservations on here
Thanks Daniel and Wild Child Pizzette for having me!
I was invited to try out a new pizzeria in town by The Cicheti Group called Wild Child Pizzette recently and I really enjoyed the dining in experience. Actual…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
