Bonding Kitchen @ Orchard Gateway - Private Home Private Dining Chef Establishes Modern Peranakan Restaurant In Orchard

Bonding Kitchen is the new kid on the block in Orchard, located on level two in Orchard Gateway. Chef-owner Danny Chew helms the new Peranakan restaurant. Having plied his trade in the private dining scene in Johor Bahru, he ventures into opening his restaurant.

Kueh Pie Tie 4/5

We started with the Kueh Pie Tie ($12 for 4pc). Diners can have some fun piecing the kueh pie tee together. Chef Danny handmakes each crispy shell to how the braised turnips, prawns, quail eggs and crispy lard bits, topped with Chef's speciality chilli cuka sauce.

Pong Tauhu 4.2/5

A heart-warming soup on the menu is the Pong Tauhu ($10 per pax). The thick and rich broth is a concoction of superior stock and prawn stock. The addition of fermented soybean and rempah brightens the stock, giving it a rich umami. The highlight is the handcrafted meatball made from chopped pork collar, pork belly, pork fat, shrimps and soft tofu.

Nasi Goreng Buah Keluak 4/5

For the carbo intake, I would recommend the Nasi Goreng Buah Keluak ($15). The fluffy rice stir-fried in buah keluak paste gives it an aromatic, earthy notes complemented by the fragrant eggs and fried shallots. You can go for the Blue Butterfly Pea Rice for those that don't like the acquire flavour of the buah keluak.

Chap Chye 4.5/5

I love my Chap Chye, and this is one of the best I have tried. My criteria of a good chap chye, the vegetables still need to have a crunch, and I need to taste the fermented bean paste.

Hokkien Lor Ark 4/5

The Hokkien Lor Ark ($22) is not a dish I have seen at Peranakan restaurant. Chef Danny has adapted the recipe from his wife's mother. Simmered in a blend of spices and soya sauce, the braised duck is cooked to a fork tender texture and has an intense flavour.

Wagyu Beef Rendang 4.5/5

A crowd favourite is the Wagyu Beef Rendang ($32). The version here the dry style using a traditional cooking method without the addition of water. Using Australian wagyu beef ribs, it simmered over 5 hours, allowing the rempah flavours to be absorbed. It is then topped with fried crunchy coconut shavings for an explosion of flavours.

Udang Sambal Petai 4.2/5

Another beautiful dish on the menu is the Udang Sambal Petai ($22). It is a two in one dish where diners can enjoy the huge and crunchy prawn, as well as the acquire petai tossed in fragrant sambal.

Sotong Masak Hitam 4.2/5

One of my all-time favourite Peranakan dishes is Sotong Masak Hitam ($20). It has the characteristic flavours I love, but it has an elevated tanginess, almost as if lime juice was added.

Barramundi Fish Assam Pedas 4.5/5

The other dish I enjoyed a lot is the Barramundi Fish Assam Pedas ($26). The fish fillet is cooked in a spicy and tangy  gravy infused with lemongrass, ginger flower, and laksa leaf. You can also find brinjal, pineapple, cherry tomatoes and ladies' finger in the sea of red.

Chendol 4/5

For dessert, I have the Chendol ($7). A sweet and icy treat doused in fragrant gula melaka with handmade green pandan jelly, red beans and kidney beans.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Bonding Kitchen
Orchard Gateway
277 Orchard Road
#02-18
Singapore 238858
Tel: +65 88609087
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Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 1130am - 3pm, 530pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

FatFuku @ Upper East Coast Road - Private Dining By Singapore-based Food Writer, Annette Tan

Private dining has been one of the latest trends in Singapore. After my visit to Lucky House Cantonese Private Kitchen, together with a couple of foodies, we made a booking at FatFuku which we waited for about a month for our reservation. For $95 per pax, you get about 7/8 dishes.

Keropok with Green Chilli Ikar

While we wait for the rest of the group to turn up, Annette from FatFuku offer us some Keropok with Green Chilli Ikar to snack on.

Devil Curry Pie 4/5

I have to say I was not expected to be served the Devil Curry Pie as it is an Eurasian dish and not a Peranakan dish. Nevertheless, the recipe comes with generous filling (chicken, sausages, mushrooms and carrots) in a buttery pastry.

FatFuku Mee Siam 4.2/5

The signature dish at FatFuku which almost everyone is talking about has to be her Dry Mee Siam. As we have the full view of the kitchen, I can see her pan fried the mee siam to get that crispiness. It is then topped with prawns and quail eggs. I like the idea that she has more of the tangy sauce at the side, allowing the mee siam to remain crispy while those that prefer to have it more saucy can help themselves to it.

Pork Belly Buah Keluak 4.5/5

We all went wow when the Pork Belly Buah Keluak is served. On top of the fragrant buah keluak fried rice is huge pieces of wobbly and tender pork belly cooked in buah keluak. I usually have ayam buah keluak and it usually turned out rather dry. This is a good change from the usual.

Ayam Tempra 4.5/5

A simple and hearty Peranakan dish cooked to perfection is the Ayam Tempra. Besides the tender chicken, the highlight foris the braised onions with their sweetness complementing the poultry.

Beef Cheek Rendang 5/5

This is probably the best Beef Cheek Rendang I have ever eaten. The aroma of the rempah and the melted in the mouth beef cheek, just come together like a beautiful note in a song, that just keeping sounding over and over in my head.

Nanka Lemak 4/5

Do you know that the whole jackfruit can be eaten? Using unripe jackfruit, this is made into the Nanka Lemak. The texture of the nanka is quite similar to artichoke. The whole experience is like have a bowl of vegetable curry.

Kueh Bingka Ubi 4.8/5

Not to be missed is the Kueh Bingka Ubi. a favourite nyonya tea time treat. The baked tapioca cake so soft and delicious. We even asked for second serving.

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream 4.5/5

Wrapping up the dinner, Annette made us some Dulce de Leche Ice Cream and Cookies. She even offered us coffee and tea.

Cookies 4.5/5

Reservation at FatFuku takes about a month. If I am not wrong, Annette is not doing this full time, she only hosts dinner up to 3 times a week. Annette is a well known food writers and she is still contributing to many publications as well as conducting cooking classes. If you ever getting a seating at her private dining, you will be assure that you will be in for a tummy good time.


FatFuku
451 Upper East Coast Road
Singapore 466499
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Nearest MRT: Bedok (EW Line)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Bedok MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Bus Stop at Bedok MRT station (Stop ID 84039). Take bus number 137. Alight 6 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

Folklore @ Destination Singapore Beach Road - Singapore Heritage Food From The Soul

I am so happy to hear about the opening of Folklore at Destination Singapore Beach Road because the brainchild behind it is non other than Chef Damien D'Silva. Having tried his food when he was at Timbre+ and getting to know about his culinary philosophy, I am excite to know that I once again have the opportunity to find Singapore heritage dishes at his new restaurant - Folklore, which is like a losing art in Singapore.

4 Angled Bean Salad 3.5/5

4 angle bean is an ingredient seldom used in Chinese cuisine and the only time I had it was from a nasi padang stall. While it is rather tasteless, it has a nice crunchy texture. At Folklore, the 4 angle bean is made into a salad which has a fruity refreshing finish with a hint of spiciness. The 4 Angled Bean Salad ($12) is tossed in a mix of green mango, pineapple, green and red chillies, ginger flower, kaffir lime leaves and dried shrimp. It is then dressed in a sweet sour, sambal belachan sauce.

Chilled Tofu with Pidan 3.5/5

The Chilled Tofu with Pidan ($12) here is different from either the Japanese or Taiwanese version. The tofu is actually mashed up together with the century egg and topped with pickled radish and slivers of scallion. I personally prefer the century egg taste to be more prominent in the execution.

Babi Assam 4.2/5

I have tried babi pongteh but Babi Assam ($22) is new to me. The pork belly is slow braised in a tamarind gravy with cinnamon and star anise until tender. It is then fried before serving. It is actually not spicy at all. In fact the pork belly comes with a sticky coat of sweetness.

Singgang 4/5

A long lost Eurasian dish of wolf herring is the Singgang ($20). Wolf herring is a fish that is rarely used in the kitchen nowadays due to the numerous fine bones in it, making it a tedious chore for the chefs. Chef Damian painstaking de-boned the wolf herring and cooked in a non spicy paste which tasted like our local otah.

Sambal Juliana with Fried Brinjal 3/5

Among the dishes I had, the Sambal Juliana with Fried Brinjal ($14) probably is the least standout. The sambal was rather weak and it failed to add shine to the brinjal

Masak Lemak 3.5/5

The Masak Lemak ($14) is one of those dishes that I couldn't really put my finger to it whether I enjoyed it or not. The spinach, sweet potato leaves and kang kong are cooked in a lightly spiced gravy enriched by fresh coconut milk. I felt like I was having a bowl of prawn mee soup without the noodles. Or rather a plate of sambal kang kong but someone spilled a bowl of soup into it. In conclusion, I think I just didn't like how my vegetable is cooked in such a way.

Sambal Buah Keluak Fried Rice 4.5/5

The highlight at Folklore has to be Sambal Buah Keluak Fried Rice ($22). I first get to know about Chef Damien when I saw him on TV cooking the dish. It is understand that he created the dish back in 2001 and it is available either spicy or non spicy. In fact, the dish has gotten into the menu of many peranakan restaurants nowadays. I like the fact the it also comes with a fried egg and an extra serving of buah keluak paste at the side.

Hati Babi Bungjus 4.2/5

The name of the dish, Hati Babi Bungjus ($18) comes about because it looks like a pig's heart. Accordingly to what I know this is a Perankan dish usually cooked during ancestor offerings. It is made up of minced pork and liver marinated with coriander, tamarind, soya sauce and shallots, wrapped in coul fat then grilled. served with pickled mustard leaves and sambal. Somehow I find that it tasted like lor bak but in a ball shape.

Peranakan Chap Chye 4.5/5

Not to be missed is the Peranakan Chap Chye ($16). The classic nonya chap chye is braised in a pork and prawn stock until all the flavour has been absorbed by the ingredients. I enjoyed that the vegetables still have a slight crunch to them.

Oxtail Stew 4.5/5

Worth ordering is the Oxtail Stew ($26) that is cooked the traditional way with potatoes and carrots. The oxtail is cooked to a beautiful fork tender in a robust gravy, that is rich and thick. This will go very well with a plate of steamed rice.

Baked Custard with Gula Maleka 3/5

The Baked Custard with Gula Malacca ($12) is a Spanish inspired dessert called Koka. Chef Damian uses freshly squeezed coconut and made it into a pudding, served with gula melaka. I find that the texture too watery to be called a custard. I joking mentioned that it should be served in a glass like a milkshake. Taste wise it is sweet and nice but then I could not really trace any coconut in it.

Kueh Bengkah with Ice Cream 4.2/5

For dessert, I would highly recommend the Kueh Bengkah with Ice Cream ($10) and Kueh Kosui ($6). Even feeling stuffed after the heavy meal, I still cold not resist helping myself to the traditional nonya kuehs. I have to admit Chef Damian makes some of the best kueh bengkah and kueh kosui I have ever eaten.

Kueh Kosui 4.5/5

Once again it is good to have Chef Damien back cooking his heritage dishes. These are dishes that are hardly available on the menu nowadays. Dining at folklore is not just about enjoying good food prepared from scratch but also about preserving and propagating Singapore culinary heritage.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Folklore
Destination Singapore Beach Road
(Beside Golden Mile Complex)
700 Beach Road
Level 2
Singapore 199598
Tel: +65 66792900
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Nearest MRT: Nicoll Highway (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 230pm, 6pm - 930pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Nicoll Highway MRT station. Take Exit A. Take the overhead bridge to Beach Road. Turn right onto Beach Road.Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]