Chef Wan's Kitchen @ Esplanade Mall - Chef Wan Has Return Stronger With Authentic Heritage Asian & International Dishes At His New Restaurant

Chef Wan is back in the Singapore food & beverage scene with the opening of Chef Wan's Kitchen at Esplanade Mall. This is his first ever a la carte concept restaurant whereby he will be offering dishes from recipes that has been passed down by his grandmother as well as dishes that he has cooked for royalties, sultans and celebrities across the world.

Ayam Goreng Java Chef Wan 3.8/5

The first dish I went straight for is the Ayam Gorent Java ($18.90). Chef Wan's interpretation of the Javanese Fried Chicken. The drumstick was huge and juicy. I think I would enjoy more if it is served hot for the crispy texture and flavours of the spices rub to be more prominent.

Lawar Salad 4/5

The Lawar Salad ($17.90) is a traditional Balinese dish made up of vegetables and chicken. I probably would not called it a salad as I could find more chicken pieces than long beans. I like the addition of jackfruit, giving the salad an extra fruity sweet dimension.

Chef Wan's Oxtail Soup 4.2/5

A favourite dish of the Brunei Sultan is the Chef Wan's Oxtail Soup ($17.90). I guess I am privilege to be able to have the dish which Chef Wan has cooked for the Brunei Sultan. Now I can feast like a king too. The oxtail was very fork tender and I enjoyed that lay of fats, giving it that gelatinous goodness.

Prawn Curry with Pineapple 3.8/5

The recipe for the Prawn Curry with Pineapple ($21.90) comes from Chef Wan's grandmother. A Malaysian-style curry with the addition of pineapple for a hint of sourness. It is not spicy at all, in fact it's actually a sweet curry which is a family friendly dish.

Chef Wan's Selangor Beef Rendang 4.5/5

Chef Wan's Selangor Beef Rendang ($22.90) is one of my favourite dishes. The rempah was complex, robust and aromatic. Made into a gravy and cooked together with the beef, it enhanced and boasted the whole enjoyment of the melted in the mouth beef.

Ayam Percik 4.5/5

Among the various curry and chicken dishes on the menu which I have tried so far, I will go for the Ayam Precik ($18.90) which is cooked in a spicy gravy. Guess I still prefer spicy curry to sweet curry. The grilled chicken was also tender and well infused with the gravy. It calls for a plate of rice to go with the delicious curry.

Bibik Neo's Laksa 3/5

Chef Wan's version of laksa does not use dried shrimp. The Bibik Neo's Laksa ($15.90) is adopted from his grandmother recipe which she used to cook on special occasion. It is made using an unique blend of spices, grinded fresh prawns and coocnut milk. While the laksa gravy is creamy and 'lemak', I felt that it is kind of flat, lacking the usual boost in flavour from the dried shrimps.

Cik Aini's Mee Rebus with Prawn Fritters 4.5/5

Chef Wan's mum used to make a living selling mee rebus for 31 years to support the family. The Cik Aini's Mee Rebus with Prawn Fritters ($15.90) is way for Chef Wan to pay tribute to his mother. This rendition of his mother's recipe also earned praises from the royal family of Brunei.

Longtong Sayur Lodeh 4.5/5

Last but not least, not to be missed is the Longtong Sayur Lodeh ($13.90). I was telling my dining companions that I would gladly use the gravy for the laksa. This gravy uses dried shrimp hence it is more fragrant and familiar to our local palate for laksa.

Overall I have enjoyed he food at the newly opened Chef Wan's Kitchen. I think Chef Wan has embarked on the right track doing what he is good at. While the food is good, the price point is on the high side. Frankly speaking will customer pay more than $13 for a bowl of longtong, mee rebus or laksa?

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Chef Wan's Kitchen
Esplanade Mall
8 Raffles Avenue
#02-14
Singapore 039802
Tel: +65 63974911
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Nearest MRT: Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 230pm, 530pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit B or D. Walk to Raffles Avenue. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 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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Website
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]