Open Farm Community @ Minden Road - Celebrates Local With New Culinary Team

With newly appointed Head Chef Oliver Truesdale Jutras and Souschef Phoebe Oviedo at helm, the new culinary team at Open Farm Community specially curates a list of ingenious dishes using mainly local produce, including harvest from its very own garden, and reinterpreting them into their contemporary casual dining style.

Citrus Cured Hamachi 3.8/5

Kick off the meal wth a selection of appetizers that feature a creative and refreshing take on local ingredients such as this Citrus Cured Hamachi ($20), which is a sushi-grade Kingfish garnished with pickled ginger blossoms and shredded green papaya from OFC’s garden. Finished with frozen pomelo for that added zesty freshness, it is a refreshing appetiser which cleanses and opens up your palette before diving into the rest of the dishes.

Fried Cauliflower 'Wings' 4.2/5

Resembling the well-loved korean fried chicken, the Fried Cauliflower 'Wings' ($16) is a healthier rendition with pieces of cauliflowers dipped in tempura batter and lightly fried before being glazed with sweet miso and rice seasoning.

General Tao's Toad 4/5

Another appetiser in the menu is the General Tao's Toad ($17) which features crispy Jurong frog legs cooked in homemade kungpao caramel sauce and sesame. The frog legs is tender and crisp on the outside, with a subtle sweet flavour due to the seasonings used.

Thai Asparagus Salad 3.5/5

Recommended for vegans, the Thai Asparagus Salad ($18) comes in organic Thai asparagus with cashew cheese, kale chips, hazelnut and preserved lime vinaigrette. The mixture of ingredients form a great combination, giving the juicy asparagus a unique flavour with the nutty sweet cashew cheese.

Prawn Laksa Pappardelle 4.5/5

Rediscovering a local favourite with a contemporary twist, the Southern Malay Laksa is creatively interpreted in the Prawn Laksa Pappardelle ($28). The chef infuses a new experience into the familiar flavour profile with the quintessential ingredients found in most laksa dishes. The broad flat pappardelle pasta noodles are cooked in belachan spices, coconut milk, prawns, kaffir lime and curry leaves from the OFC's garden, and topped with a crispy soft crab tempura. Filled with a sweet coconut and spice fragrance, the pasta dish is surprisingly not spicy at all, yet very enjoyable.

Black Bean Strozzapreti 4.2/5

Another of our favourites is the Black Bean Strozzapreti ($27) which features pasta made with fermented black beans which lends a unqiue sweet fermented flavour and colour. The earthy and smoky pasta dish also incorporates multiple local ingredients such as the Kin Yan mushrooms and soft smoked silken tofu to further enhance its flavours. Despite being a vegan/vegetarian dish, all the ingredients work well together to form a balanced dish that is earthy, heavy and flavourful.

Steamed Tiberias Barramundi 4/5

The Steamed Tiberias Barramundi ($30) is a Japanese-inspired dish which features fish from Tiberias fished from the Northern-eastern cost of Pulau Ubin and delivered to the restaurant within 6 hours to guarantee freshness. Steamed in dashi butter and seasoned with Furikake made from local seaweed and wild rice, the fish boosts a tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture and a sweet buttery umami flavour.

Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks 4.5/5

Another highlight is the Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks ($32) which features soft, tender and flavourful beef cheeks with a crispy corn saffron croquette, and complemented with corn puree, organic babycorn and nasturtium garnish.

Thai Milk Tea Tart 4.2/5

End the meal on a sweet note with a selection of sweets such as the Thai Milk Tea Tart ($16). The decadent French style classic dessert tart features the ubiquitous southeast Asian favourite Thai milk tea in a custard set in a homemade tart shell. Not overly sweet, the subtle Thai milk tea flavour is great with the cinnamon ice cream.

Singa'Smore 3.8/5

The Singa'Smore ($16) comes with banana mousse at the bottom, topped with glazed marshmallow cream, and covered with a large crispy ginger biscuit sheet. However, I find the combination of the banana mousse and marshmallow cream renders the dessert extremely sweet, which might be a better choice for those with a major sweet tooth.

Lime in the Coconut 3.8/5

The Lime in the Coconut ($16) features lime sorbet and coconut meringue. A different option from the usual sweet suspects, it makes for a great end to the night with a citrusy, refreshing finish.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Open Farm Community
130E Minden Rd
Singapore 248819
Tel: +65 64710306
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening hours:
Restaurant:
Mon–Thu: 12pm – 4pm, 6pm – 11pm
Fri: 12pm – 4pm, 6pm - 12 midnight
Sat & PH: 11am – 5pm, 6pm-12 midnight
Sunday: 11am – 5pm, 6pm – 11pm

Cafe:
Mon-Sun: 8am - 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT. Take Exit B. Cross the road and walk to bus stop at Boulevard Orchard opposite Orchard MRT (Stop ID 09022). Take bus no. 7, 77, 106, 123 or 174. Alight 5 stops later. Walk to Minden Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]

Full of Luck Restaurant @ Holland Village - Contemporary Chinese Restaurant Dishing Out Signature Classic Cantonese Cuisine

Situated along the ever-changing dining enclaves of Holland Village, Full of Luck Restaurant is a casual dining concept serving signature classic Cantonese cuisine in a vibrant and contemporary setting. Back from a recent fresh revamp, it unveils a new look and introduces exciting tweaks to its menu with plenty of new dishes alongside its existing favourites to tantalise tastebuds.

Crab Meat Chilli Cheese Tart with Pomelo 4.2/5

We kickstart our meal with the appetiser Crab Meat Chilli Cheese Tart with Pomelo ($10). Featuring a delectable combination of sweet savoury crabmeat chilli and cheese in a buttery crumbly tart shell, the tarts are further topped with bursts of refreshing pomelo as well. The different unique flavours complement well with one another.

Chef's Signature Honey Glazed Char Siew 4.5/5

As the name suggest, the Chef's Signature Honey Glazed Char Siew ($16) is the signature dish of the restaurant, whereby customers are advised to reserve the dish in advance to avoid disappointment. Grilled for 45 minutes and torched with sugar, the slices of char siew are tender with a good meat to fats ratio and a crackling crisp skin on the outside. The honey glazed exterior lends a sweet flavour to the savoury meat, resulting in a perfectly balanced dish.

Braised Garoupa with Beancurd in Claypot 4/5

The Braised Garoupa with Beancurd in Claypot ($24) features fresh slices of tender sweet garoupa meat and savoury beancurd with garlic and flavourful sauce, which contributes a umami flavour to the dish.

Braised Homemade Spinach Egg Tofu with Mushrooms and Dried Scallops 4/5

The Braised Homemade Spinach Egg Tofu with Mushrooms and Dried Scallops ($12) is a comforting dish to tuck into with slices of house-made spinach tofu beautifully stacked. Silky soft inside with a slightly crisp exterior, the egg tofu are soaked in a rich superior stock with mushrooms and dried scallops that lends a sweet-svaoury flavour to the dish.

Poached Seafood Rice 4.2/5

The Poached Seafood Rice ($23) comes in a claypot of aromatic poached seafood rice with crispy rice crackers embedded within each bite, and also generous servings of fresh seafood such as the prawns, scallops and mushrooms which infuse a natural sweetness to the dish's broth. It is definitely a nourishing comfort dish that we enjoyed alot.

Osmanthus Raindrop Cake 4/5

End the meal on a sweet note with the Osmanthus Raindrop Cake ($6). It comes in a blob of wobbly jelly with a subtle osmanthus fragrance and in the shape of a raindrop. It is paired with brown sugar syrup and soy powder which adds a sweeter flavour to the dish.

Golden Swallow 4.2/5

Complete your meal with some of their specialty drinks which feature unique flavour concoctions. The Golden Shallow ($16) from their cocktail drinks menu is a smooth and floral short drink made with St. Germain elderflower, shiso umeshu, white wine syrup, peach tincture and prosecco.

Yuzu Genmaicha 4/5

From the Mocktails menu, the Yuzu Genmaicha ($7) is a refreshing genmaicha and yuzu drink with house made hibiscus foam which lends a subtle sweet flavour to the light citrusy body.

Helmed by a team of young and talented chefs, Full of Luck Restaurant aspires to deliver the luxuries of fine dining through affordably priced dishes with high quality ingredients and refined traditional cooking. What's more, the vibrant, contemporary setting and its convenient location right outside Holland Village station, renders it the ideal place for cosy family or friends gatherings to enjoy some contemporary Cantonese dining as well.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Full Of Luck Club
243 Holland Ave
Singapore 278977
Tel: +65 62086845
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Holland Village (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Holland Village MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 2 minutes. [Map]