Madame Fan By Alan Yau @ The NCO Club - An Entertainment Lifestyle Concept And Culinary Anchor Of Newly Opened NCO Club Presents A New Era Of Chinese Fine Dining

Tucked away in the buzzing Singapore's art and culture district within the South Beach precinct is The NCO Club. Reopened in April 2018 as an entertainment lifestyle destination housing four eclectic concepts, one of which - Madame Fan is acclaimed “restaurateur” Alan Yau's first Southeast Asian venture. It debuts as an etiquette-free lifestyle dining concept grounded in Old School Classics to deliver an exquisite dining experience unique to its traditions and heritage. While the Chinese cuisine at Madam Fan is dedicated by playful takes on authentic Chinese dishes in juxtaposition of tradition against modernity, the establishment stays true to its roots by curating unique but traditional staples. Diners can look forward to a selection house specialty dishes at Madam Fan, along with classic dim sum collections.

Scallop Shumai 4.2/5

Chinese Chive Dumpling 4.2/5

There are not many restaurants in Singapore where you can order dim sum for dinner and Madam Fan is one of them. With an exquisite selection of dim sum to pick from, I had the opportunity to try all four - The Scallop Shumai ($18 for 3), Chinese Chive Dumpling ($8 for 3), Sri Lankan Mud Crab Wonton ($18 for 3) and the Sichuan Vegetable Dumpling ($6 for 3). My personal favourites are the first two, with the fresh and plump scallops on shumai, as well as the chewy starchy dumpling skin with ingredients within that meld well together. Lastly, slather the dim sum with some flavourful chili sauce for that extra spice kick.

Double Boiled Four Treasure Soup 4.2/5

The Double Boiled Four Treasure Soup ($28) features a coconut husk filled with a flavourful broth that comes with sea cucumber, fish maw, dried scallop and crabmeat. A masterpiece crafted by Chef Mike, fresh coconut is used to add its natural sweetness into the extraordinary flavours and depth of the soup base to further enhance its soulful profile.

Home Style Crispy Pork Stir-fry 4/5

The Home Style Crispy Pork Stir-fry (S$16) comes served with chunky cuts of bitter melon, preserved cabbage and tofu in a black bean sauce, accompanied by generous servings of pork slices. The bitterness of the bitter melon balances out the sour flavour from the preserved vegetables, making it enjoyable when eaten together with the savoury meat. This creates a great contrast between the flavours in the whole dish that meld well together. If you're a fan of bitter melon. you would really appreciate this dish.

Crispy Aromatic Duck 4.5/5

The Crispy Aromatic Duck ($38) is one of the highlights here. Done in Beijing style, Madam Fan's traditional take on the dish presents a well executed peking duck which embodies less fat and more of the meat, yet still packs some moisture to seal in all its flavours. Served in the traditional way with thin pancake dough, cucumber, spring onion and flavourful duck sauce, wrap them up with thin slices of meats for an indulgent experience. It also comes with an option of adding Chinese Kaluga Caviar at an additional $170.

Steamed Soon Hock with Ipoh Soy and Spring Onion 4/5

The Steamed Soon Hock with Ipoh Soy and Spring Onion ($14 per 100g) is another signature at Madam Fan. Preferred over the Grouper, the Soon Hock is steamed and done in typical style with soya sauce and spring onions. It imparts a natural sweetness and succulence within its soft tender meat.

Handcut Taiwan noodle 4.5/5

The Handcut Taiwan Noodles ($16 per portion) is essentially a chinese take on the classic Pappardelle Vongole. Served with wind-dried pork and fresh la-la clams that contributes a natural sweetness to the al-dente flat noodles, the dish is the ultimate comfort food that is a must-order here.

Mojito Lemon Tart 3.8/5

Rounding off the meal with a dessert – the Mojito Lemon Tart comes with a slice of light lemony mousse atop a thin layer of a more sour lemon custard and a soft buttery tart. The icy lemon sorbet heaped on a stronger sour flavour to the dish. If you're a fan of sour desserts, you would find all the sourish elements on the dish to be most enjoyable. However, I feel there could be a sweeter element to balance out the flavour.

Apart from Madam Fan, The NCO Club also houses three other distinctive lifestyle concepts curated in refined cultural experiences including the Fish Pool, where one can indulge in an electrifying champagne, caviar and oyster bar, embellished with a diving pool experience, Stags' Room, an intimate wine room, as well as Cool Cats, a live music venue and speakeasy concept that will refresh Singapore’s cocktail scene with an edge of entertainment.

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.


Madame Fan
The NCO Club
32 Beach Road
Singapore 189764
Tel: +65 68181921
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening hours:
Daily: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm

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

Antoinette @ Penhas Road - The Ever-Inspired Chef Pang Has Unveiled A New Menu

The ever-inspired Chef Pang of Antoinette has unveiled a new menu, introducing a number  of new savory and brunch dishes. Together with the new menu launched, it has also introduced a number of new cocktails to complement the its extensive tea pairing.

Some of these new cocktails are Pretty Pink ($16), Prescription ($14), Huat Ah! ($18) and Blue Romance ($12). The eye catching drink probably is the Prescription which comes with a pill sachet which contains grass jelly cubes. This is a playful drink whereby the guests get to play doctor and mix the houjicha latte, okinawan black sugar syrup, yuzu ice cubes and fairy grass together to concoct their own medicine drink.

Baked Rigatoni 4/5 and Black Bait 4.5/5

For some light starters, there are the Baked Rigatoni ($8) and Black Bait ($12). The baked rigatoni pasta is satueed in tomato cream sauce, topped with a golden brown crust of gruyere cheese and emmental cheese. This is an all-day comforting dish. As for the black bait, it is a very addictive snack. The morsels of fish is dusted with homemade spice seasonings which consists of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper with a sprinkle of raspberry powder.

Watermelon & Smoked Duck Salad 4/5

The interplay of color for the Watermelon &  Smoked Duck Salad ($24) definitely stands out. It looks like a garden in autumn except that it is on the plate. Two components on the plate stood out for me. The beautiful tender smoked duck and pickled watermelon cubes which has a refreshing acidity to the dish.

Wagyu Beef Tagliatelle 4.2/5

The pasta for the Wagyu Beef Tagliatelle ($26) is made in house using whole wheat. The delightful bite of the pasta is complemented by the delicious ragout which has been cooked with red wine, herbs and wagyu beef. It also comes with an onsen egg and grated parmesan cheese.

Double Prawn Linguine 4.2/5

Inspired by the local prawn noodles is the Double Prawn Linguine ($26). It has a rich umani-spicy note from the prawn bisque and spicy shrimp paste, that is well coated around the ribbons of linguine. The dish is then finished with zucchini strips, ebiko, sakura ebi, nori and shiso cress for flavours as well as textures.

Kurobuta Ham & Cheese Toast 4.2/5

Toast lover will rejoice to know that Antoinette has added 4 savoury and 2 sweet Toast to their new menu. For savoury there are Smoked Salmon, Kurobuta Ham & Cheese, Wild Mushrooms and Avocado Mash. If you have a sweet tooth, there are Banana and Strawberry.

Banana Toast 4.2/5

We tried both the Kurobuta Ham & Cheese Toast ($14) and Banana Toast ($12). The bread of the Kurobuta Ham & Cheese Toast  is brushed with butter before being toasted to a nice crispy crust on the exterior while retaining a soft texture inside. It is then spread with a layer of sweet potato mash,  followed with topping of kurobuta ham and emmental cheese. As for the sweet Banana Toast, it comes with salted butter, nutella, fresh banana, caramel popcorn, coco pops and drizzled with chocolate sauce.

Fondant au Chocolat 4.2/5

The Fondant au Chocolat ($14) is a warm chocolate cake, served with cold brewed coffee ice cream with orange confit. The combination of warm and cold, with the richness of the chocolate cake will satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth.

Watermelon Kakigori 4.2/5

Making a spectacular entrance is the Watermelon Kakigori ($20) which is appealing to both taste and presentation. The refreshing watermelon comes in cubes as well as shaved ice. Hidden underneath the shaved ice is earl grey chiffon cake layered with yuzu cream, fresh strawberries, rose petal foam and almond crumble. Perfect for sharing and ending your meal on a sweet finale.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Antoinette 
30 Penhas Road
Singapore 208188
Tel: +65 62933121
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thur: 11am - 10pm
Fri & Eve PH: 11am - 11pm
Sat: 10am - 11pm
Sun & PH: 10am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to V Hotel Lavender. Walk down Horne Road and turn right onto Penhas Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]