Ginza Kamo Soba Kyudaime Keisuke @ Holland Village - Singapore's First Dedicated Duck Ramen Restaurant

Ramen King, Chef Keisuke Takeda has added another new concept to his ramen empire in Singapore. His latest concept, Ginza Kamo Soba Kyudaime Keisuke is a dedicated duck ramen restaurant at Holland Village.

Hybrid Duck Broth Ramen Clear Soup 4/5

The Hybrid Duck Broth Ramen, Clear Soup ($19.90 special) consists of two slices of duck, two yuzu duck meatballs, seaweed, flavoured egg, spinach and seaweed. The distinct flavour of the duck can be tasted in the clear soup which is prepared using the whole Irish hybrid duck and kelp, simmered over low heat for 5 hours. If you are not a fan of duck, then you will find the soup a bit ducky for your liking.

Hybrid Duck Broth Ramen Rich Soup 4.2/5

The Hybrid Duck Broth Ramen, Rich Soup ($19.90 Special) will be closer to the tonkatsu style ramen that we are used to. It is more creamy and salty compare to the clear soup. Like the clear soup version, it also comes with two slices of duck that has been first grilled, before it is marinated in a shoyu based sauce. Lastly, it is steamed at 65 degree Celsius for juicy and tender bite which actually tastes a bit like liver. I am receptive to the flavour but it may be a bit gamey for some.

Hydrid Duck Tsukeman Dipping Noodles 4.2/5

The noodle used for the Hydrid Duck Tsukeman, Dipping Noodles ($19.90 Special) is thicker than the soup version. The accompanying bowl of rich duck soup is further enhanced with bonito flakes for that extra punch. Dip the noodles into the soup, coating them for that slurping goodness.

Hybrid Duck Maze Soba. Dry Noodles 3.5/5

With the soup version, there is a dry version too. The Hybrid Duck Maze Soba, Dry Noodles ($14.90) consists of steamed duck pieces, bamboo shoots and a deep fried egg wrapped in seaweed. Break the egg and give the bowl a good mix before eating. There are 4 ways of eating it. First is just have it on its own after mixing all the components. You can also add chilli, orange vinegar or mayo orange to alter the appreciation of the noodle. My personal recommend is the orange vinegar which gives the noodle a new whole dimension.

Kamo Ju 4/5

Besides the ramen, not to be missed is the Kamo Ju ($29.90). Opening the bento box, you get 10 slices of the tender duck meat that has been cooked to a beautiful pinkish colour, on top a bed of rice and topped with spring onions.

I really applaud Chef Keisuke Takeda's continuous creations to bring new flavours to the traditional ramen. After trying out his lobster ramen back in 2016, I thought that was probably the limit but never would I have expected him to open Kaisuke Duck Ramen. You can taste that his duck ramen is not merely by putting different components together but each process from the soup, duck and noodle is carefully thought through and probably many months of taste test until the right formula is obtained.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Ginza Kamo Soba Kyudaime Keisuke
Holland Village
16A Lorong Mambong
Singapore 277677
Tel: +65 64634344
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Holland Village (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1130am - 230pm, 5pm - 10pm
Sat-Sun: 1130am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Holland Village MRT station. Take Exit B or C. Walk to Lorong Liput. Walk down Lorong Liput. Turn right onto Lorong Mambong. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

The Summerhouse @ Seletar Airport - A New Garden Dome Dining Concept

In a blink of an eye, The Summerhouse has opened for a year at seletar airport with its integrated multi dining concept which houses the Dining Room, Wildseed Cafe and Wildseed Garden Bar. A new addition to the Summerhouse is the air conditioned Garden Dome in the edible garden which has also blossomed after a year.

There are a total of three domes at the Summerhouse with individual theme - Bohemian, Scandinavian and Lounge. Each dome can accommodate up to a 8 diners. An ideal magical concept for private party or romantic dinner. I heard that it is extremely popular during Valentine's Day and even for marriage proposal. The dome has to be pre-book with Wildseed Garden Bar with a minimum spending of $300.

Chia Seed Cracker 3.8/5

The Chia Seed Cracker ($14) at first glance looks like thin crispy bak kwa. It is actually made from boiling a mixture of brown rice, chia seeds and sesame seeds, mashed, spread into a thin layer and baked for another 40 minutes to achieve the crispiness. It is paired with Australian avocado, ikura, truffle pecorino, chive and an sous vide egg yolk.

Moroccan Eggplant 4/5

Grilled Rye Bread 4.5/5

Next we had the Moroccan Eggplant ($14) which comes with mild goat cheese, leek ash, coriander oil, croutons. Don't worry if you don't like eggplant, as it don't get that mushy texture here. The stewed eggplant has been marinated with parsley, coriander, smoked parprika, preserved lemon, chilli padi, salt, vinegar and garlic. I felt that it goes very well with the Grilled Rye Bread ($5) which has been toasted and spread with buttermilk on top.

Live Prawn San Choy Bau 4/5

As it was Chinese New Year period during my visit, I also tried some of the Chinese New Year items such as the Live Prawn San Choy Bau ($8 each). The succulent prawn is grilled and glazed with butter, served in a lettuce leaf filled with avocado, pomegrante, pine nuts, coriander, crispy noodles and a citrus dressing. I enjoyed the combination of texture and flavours. However I thought it would be more practical to remove the shell of the prawn's tail.

Farmer's Yusheng 3/5

In conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration, the Summerhouse has introduced its own version of yusheng - Farmer's Yusheng ($68/$88/$108). The colourful plate of resembles the garden, consisting of fermented carrot, butterhead lettuce, pickled beetroot, mushroom soil, mixed nuts, kohlrabbi, seaweed, citrus cured salmon, smoked sea bass, sesame seeds, pok chui, edible flowers, and dressed in passionfruit hollandaise sauce together with sesame and chive oil. It is a unique take of the traditional yusheng. While it is pretty, taste wise can be acquire for some.

Smoked Butter Poached Red Snapper Fillet 4.8/5

One of my favourite dishes is the Smoked Butter Poached Red Snapper ($42). The snapper fillet is first sous vide and torched before removing the skin. The result is moist and juicy. This is dressed in a seaweed beurre blanc which brought the dish to life.

Charcoal Grilled Slipper Lobster 4.2/5

A very pretty dish on the menu is the Charcoal Grilled Slipper Lobster ($16 each). The slipper lobster is first sous vide and then grilled in an Inka oven. At table side, the chef will torch a variety of handpicked herbs from edible garden to infuse the slipper lobster with the aromatics. Personally I am not a big fan of chicory or I would have given it a higher rating.

Pickled and Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder 3.5/5

The Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder ($34) is slow braised in red wine for 12 hours. I could taste the richness through the long hours of cooking but the texture can be more tender. The highlight for me is actually the accompany Kumquat Chutney which helps to cut through the rich flavour.

Smoked Potato Puree 4.5/5

One can complete the mains with sides such as Smoked Potato Puree ($14) and Green and Purple Sweet Potato Leaves ($14). The potato is smoked with apple wood chips first before mixing it with housemade butter. Besides the airy and smooth texture, the highlight is the beef stock that is added into the potato puree. The marriage elevated the whole flavour to the next level.

Green and Purple Sweet Potato Leaves 3/5

I have never come across any restaurant using sweet potato leaves as a salad dish. The Summerhouse is the first for me. In my opinion, the Green and Purple Sweet Potato Leaves ($14) lacks crunch and flavour to be served as a salad dish. The saving grace is the creme fraiche which has been blended with anchovy paste and bacon bits, giving the pile of leaves the needed zest and bite.

Wood-fired Free Range French Poulet 4.5/5

I am glad to be reunited with An Xi Chicken again in the Wood-fired Free Range French Poulet ($28) at The Summerhouse. Having used the chicken for Ultimate Hawker Fest 2014 event back then, I know how different the chicken tastes compare to the normal broiler. An Xi chicken has a sweeter natural taste. It is already good on its own, with the wood-fire giving it a coat of aroma on top of the sweetness.

Balinese Chocolate Ice Cream 4.5/5

The Balinese Chocolate Ice Cream ($14) consists of a freshly baked chocolate cookie at the base with vanilla custard and a scoop of chocolate ice cream made using Baliness cocoa. This is dusted with hazelnut praline powder. Simple but messy, the play of the warm cookie with the cold ice cream works wonderfully together.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


The Summerhouse
Seletar Airport
3 Park Lane
Singapore 798387
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Punggol (NE Line), Yishun (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Dining Room
Sat, Sun & PH: 12pm - 3pm
Wed-Sun, Eve of PH & PH: 6pm - 10pm

Wildseed Cafe
Daily: 9am - 5pm

Wildseed Bar
Sun-Thu: 5pm - 11pm
Fri-Sat, Eve of PH: 5pm - 1am

Direction: 
1) Alight at Punggol MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to Punggol Bus Interchange (Stop ID 65009). Take bus number 117. Alight 6 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 30 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Yishun MRT station. Take Exit C or E. Walk to Yishun Bus Interchange (Stop ID 59009). Take bus number 103. Alight 16 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 45 minutes. [Map]