The talk in town lately has to be the underground dining place, Maggie Joan's Dining & Bar at Amoy Street. It is physically located at Amoy Street but the main entrance is actually at the back alley via Gemmill Lane. The people behind Maggie Joan's is the father and son team behind Moosehead Kitchen, Glen and Daniel Ballis. The underground dining place also gets its name from Daniel's two grandmothers.
Homemade Garlic and Rosemary Bread, Hummus 4/5
The dinner at Maggie Joan's started with the Homemade Garlic and Rosemary Bread with Hummus ($5). The hummus made with chickpeas, cumin, garlic, olive oil, salt and lemon juice goes with the warm baked bread perfectly kick starting the night.
Poached Egg, Dukkah and Saffron Mayo 4.5/5
The presentation looks more like a muah chee in appearance rather than a Poached Egg ($6). The slow poached egg is rolled in dukka (sesame, corainder, cumin, hazelnut and panko) and then deep fried served with saffron aioli on the side. The execution impressed and enlightened me how the chef can elevate a simple egg to a whole new level, giving it a new life in texture and flavour.
Roast Jerusalem Artichoke and Manchego 4.2/5
Another name for Jerusalem Artichoke is known as sunchoke. The Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke with Manchego ($8) has a delightful crunchy texture excellently paired with the manchego cream and mixed seeds for a lift in taste and texture.
Hamachi Sashimi, Carrots, and Brandade 4/5
The Hamachi Sashimi ($23) is brushed with orange and lemon glaze for a tad of citrus sweetness. I find it weird to pair the raw hamachi with the creamy brandade mousse but it turned out rather pleasing on the palate.
Heirloom Tomatoes, Plum and Burrata 4.2/5
The Heirloom Tomatoes with Plum and Burrata ($21) may look simple on the plate but it is bursting with amazing flavours eaten together with the fresh burrata.
Scallop Carpaccio, Peas and Ham
The Scallop Carpaccio, Peas and Ham ($21) is an interesting combination. The combination of scallop and pea may turn some off but this is cleverly executed so that the pea is not very prominent on the plate. The scallop is marinated in sherry dressing, lemon juice, olive oil and sherry for lift in sweetness, together with the crispy ham for the well thought dish.
Roast Seabass, Pesto and Marinated Tomatoes 4.5/5
The highlight for the Roast Seabass, Pesto and Marinated Tomatoes ($28) is the green pesto sauce made from pine nuts, parmesan, garlic and vegetable stock. The piece of seabass seems to be swimming in joy in the pool of pesto broth and swimming joyfully down my satisfied tummy.
Grilled Iberico Secreto, Prunes and Cauliflower 4.2/5
The Grilled Iberico Secreto ($36) is brine for 4 hours and cook in water bath for 12 hours for a beautiful succulent consistency. The marinated prunes lend a nice sweetness to the meaty Spanish pork complemented by the smooth cauliflower puree.
Figs, Red Wine and Housemade Ricotta 4/5 and Orange Cake Yogurt & Pistachio 4.5/5
White Chocolate, Spiced Crumble and Passion Fruit 4/5
The dessert menu is rather small with only 4 items. Figs, Red Wine and Housemade Ricotta ($10), Orange Cake Yogurt & Pistachio ($10), White Chocolate, Spiced Crumble and Passion Fruit ($10) and Cheese ($12). Surprisingly, my favourite is the orange cake with yogurt and pistachio. The full flavour, denseness and tartness scored highly among the others at the dining table too.
The Mediterranean inspired restaurant with its distinct underground character, reflected in its edgy industrial decor, hidden in the back lane did not disappoint me with its modern take on Mediterranean cuisine and good food. It is worth embarking on an adventurous trail to seek out the underground dining place.
Maggie Joan's Dining & Bar
110 Amoy Street
#01-01
Singapore 069930
(Entrance from Gemmill Lane)
Tel: +65 62215564
Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line), Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 230pm, 6pm - 11pm
Sat: 6pm - 11pm
(Closed on Sun)
Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk down Cross Street towards Amoy Street. Turn left onto Amoy Street. Take the side lane beside the shop house and walk to the back. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]
2) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit G. Follow the covered walkway to the junction of Mccallum Street, Telok Ayer and Amoy Street. Turn left at the junction onto Amoy Street. Continue on Amoy Street to the end of the road. Take the side lane beside lane at the end of Amoy Street to the back. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]
No comments:
Post a Comment