Salt & Palm @ Joo Chiat - Neighbourhood Resto-Bar Serving Modern Flavours Of East Indies

Having won over Sydney, Australia, Salt & Palm has now opened in the colourful neighbourhood of Joo Chiat, bringing its fun new take on the flavours of the East Indies to our shore. Helmed by Executive Chef Natasya Soetantyo, she seeks to change the perception and introduce the diversity of Indonesian cuisine as a whole archipelago through contemporary cooking techniques using traditional spices, recreating the complex flavours and dishes in a modern way.

Fresh Oyster 4/5

We kickstarted our meals with a couple of starters, beginning with the Fresh Oyster ($28 for 3 pc). The freshly shucked Amelie oysters from Marennes-Oleron, France, can be paired with either a choice of lime wedges or tomato tamarind and basil kemangi pandan oil.

Hokkaido Scallop 4/5

Next is the Hokkaido Scallop ($22), lightly torched and paired with tempe chips, fried garlic, chilli peanut lime, sweet soy and lemon basil herbs. The combination gives a glimpse of Chef Natasya's philosophy of incorporating her Indonesian heritage into her cooking.

Fish Cake 4/5

The Balinese-style Fish Cake ($12 for 2pc), made from minced fish and a blend of traditional spices, is topped with chilli lemongrass shallot salsa which enlivens the flavour. The accompanying chicken skin tuille provides that extra textural enjoyment.

Potato Cake 3.5/5

There are also several Vegan dishes on the menu, such as the Potato Cake ($12 for 2pc). The potato cake is topped with vegan mayo and vegan caviar to finish. The combination and flavour are straightforward, which didn't come with any significant surprises.

Prawn Bisque Pasta 4/5

Moving to the mains, we had the Prawn Bisque Pasta ($32), inspired by Palembang Mie Celor, a seafood noodle in coconut broth. The interpretation, which comes with king prawns, south sumatran prawn bisque, onsen egg, beansprouts, tobiko and chives, is bursting with the sweetness of the sea.

Beef Short Ribs 3.8/5

Australian grain-fed beef is used for the Beef Short Ribs ($52). I wish the texture could be more tender, but the rendang sauce is fragranced with kaffir lime leaf, cinnamon, chilli, and candlenut. The flavour is more savoury than sweet, leaning more towards the Indonesian style instead of the sweeter Malaysian style.

Porchetta 4.5/5

The Porchetta ($32) at Salt & Palm is its version of Balinese Babi Guling. The pork belly is marinated in a unique Balinese spice blend but cooked in Italian style. The result is succulent with crispy crackling, paired with chilli lemongrass salsa for a lifted enjoyment. This is one of my favourite dishes for the night.

Mushroom Rendang 4.5/5

Another beautiful dish on the menu is the Mushroom Rendang ($30). The medley of mushrooms and baby potatoes is simmered in a housemade rendang sauce over long hours and topped with toasted coconut flakes for texture contrast.

Pandan Coconut Creme Brulee 2.8/5

We wrapped up our dinner with the Pandan Coconut Creme Brulee ($15) and Pavlova ($18) for dessert. The Pandan Coconut Creme Brulee is egg and dairy free, topped with jackfruit and berries. There was even young coconut filling in the custard. However, I wouldn't say I liked the texture of the creme brulee. It lacked that smooth, creamy texture without the use of egg and dairy.

Pavlova 4.2/5

Compared to the creme brulee, I preferred the Pavlova ($18) for its brighter flavours. The plant-based meringue with plant-based mango and passionfruit cream is further embellished with fresh mango, blueberry, grilled peach and coconut flakes.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Salt & Palm
467 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427678
Tel: +65 89399617
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Nearest MRT: Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon, Wed-Thu: 5pm - 11pm
Fri-Sun: 9am - 3pm, 5pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Take exit A. Walk to bus stop at Blk 99 Old Airport Road (Stop ID 81181). Take bus number 16. Alight 4 stops later. Walk down Joo Chiat Road to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Your Deli Bite Cafe @ Novena Regency - Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine In A Contemporary Cosy Cafe Setting

Your Deli Bite is a cosy contemporary Vietnamese cafe located at Novena Regency. The cafe owner runs multiple Bahn Mi joints, and Your Deli Bite is her very first cafe concept, serving up some of her finest Vietnamese recipes. Over here, you can savour one of the best Bahn Mi in town and Vietnamese dishes less commonly found in Singapore.

Spring Rolls 4/5

We started with some familiar bites. The Spring rolls ($7.90) were skillfully wrapped with fresh prawns and fatty pork belly, giving the rolls an excellent meaty bite.

Special Pho 3.8/5

The owner is from Hanoi but lived in Ho Chih Min City before coming to Singapore. The pho recipe follows Ho Chih Min's style instead of Hanoi's version, as it contains no MSG and is less saltish. The Special Pho ($16.90) features a combination of beef flank, tendon, and meatballs with brisket cooked with the signature 9-hour slow-boiled broth. The broth was light, not too beefy, which I like, and enlivened with a squeeze of lime.

Crab Noodles 3/5

Crab Noodles ($16.90) was new to me. The broth is made with a reduction of pork bones and prawns, adding starch to give it that starchy consistency. The 'noodles' are actually our Mee Tai Mak, served with a handful of crab meat, prawn, pork meat, and quail egg. While broth has an enjoyable crustacean flavour with a light savoury depth, I don't quite enjoy the gluey texture.

Grilled Turmeric Fish 4.8/5

I highly recommend this Grilled Turmeric Fish ($14.50), a traditional Hanoi dish featuring grilled turmeric-marinated fish fillet tossed with sauteed scallions and dills. The fish fillets were prepared using whole fish, and each fillet was flaky, firm and tender. I love the amount of dill used, which gave the fish a citrus-like taste. You will be given sheets of dry rice paper with water and a plate of vermicelli and herbs to DIY your grilled fish spring roll.

Slizzing Pancake 4/5

We were surprised by how tasty this humble-looking Sizzling Pancake ($14.90) was. This pancake was yellow-tinted by turmeric, with a slightly charred glaze on the skin, giving it a tasty wok-hei flavour. It has a hint of sweetness, which melded well with the savoury filling of sauteed beansprouts, prawns and pork. Even the filling was laced with wok-hei flavour from the beansprouts. It was a tad greasy but lightened by the accompanying herbs and vegetables.

BBQ Pork Bahn Mi 4.5/5

As mentioned, one of the specialities here is Bahn Mi. The crusty and airy baguettes are worth coming back for. Our BBQ Pork Bahn Mi ($7.50) was loaded with flavourful BBQ pork with a drizzle of sweet chilli, with that iconic layer of pickled radish and carrot lining the baguette. Coupled with a rich Vietnamese Ice Black Coffee, they make such a satisfying meal!

Pear Chrysanthemum, Ice Black coffee

Egg Coffee

The Egg Coffee here came with a creamy creme brulee-like cap, but the foam-to-coffee ratio can be improved for a more full-bodied and creamy consistency. There is also a good range of housemade ice teas available. My ice Pear Chrysanthemum was refreshing with Nata de coco and diced pear bits.

Bánh Flan 4.5/5

Another must-try is the Bánh Flan. It is the Vietnamese version of the French crème caramel, which uses condensed or evaporated milk and is steamed instead of baked in an oven. Ours is served with ice and poured over with coffee. It was light and mellow sweet, and serving it in iced coffee gave it a depth of toasty bitterness, reinforcing the caramel notes.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Your Deli Bite Cafe
Novena Regency
275 Thomson Road
#01-03
Singapore 307645
Tel: +65 88667262
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Nearest MRT: Novena (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1030am - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Novena MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Thomson Road. Turn right and walk down Thomson Road towards the overhead bridge. Cross the road using the overhead bridge. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]