Raven Restaurant & Bar @ Chijmes

Flown into the courtyard in Chijmes is Raven the new restaurant and bar featuring new Americas cuisine by the same folks behind House of Dandy (H.O.D). What exactly is new Americas cuisine? Accordingly to what I am told, it supposes to mean Northern and Southern American comfort food with an Asian flair.

Burratina & Heirloom Tomatoes 4/5

Kicking starting our dinner at Raven is the Burratina & Heirloom Tomatoes ($18). This is a classic combination of buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes that will not go wrong. However the classic dish is given a further lift with the addition of gula melaka balsamic, oregano, basil oil and dehydrated olives.

Tuna Tartare 4/5

The Tuna Tartare ($17) is a beautiful dish with the tuna cubes being tossed in yuzu and soy vinaigrette for a pleasant flavour complemented by the avocado wasabi puree. The frozen Nan Shui pear shavings provides the refreshing finishing to the dish.

Roasted Corn Niblets 4/5

Using Malaysian corn known as Candy corn for its sweetest, the Roasted Corn Niblets ($12) with smoked sour cream (chilli, paprika, cayenne) gave the burnt looking corn a tasteful coating that hits the perfect note with each bite of the kernels.

Fried Chorizo Croquettes 4/5

Fried to a nice golden brown is the Chorizo Croquettes ($13) that has been triple fried. Consists of chorizo, bechamel and mozzarella, the golden balls are served in a tangy jalapeno vinaigrette, housemade creme fraiche and pico de gallo. A delightful bite to go with a few drinks.

Seafood Salad 4/5

For a light and healthy eat, the Seafood Salad ($23) has braised octopus, grilled squid and prawns. The lime gives the salad the lift in acidity while the chilli vinaigrette provides the additional kick with the corn chips giving it the extra crunch.

Raven Burger 3.5/5

There was a bit of raving about the Raven Burger ($22) and I touching story behind it. While the 180g beef chuck patty sandwiched with chipotle, avocado, chorizo cream, red onions and corn chips is moist and juicy, it still lacked the oomph factor to excite me.

Handmade Open Beef Ravioli 3.8/5

To be frank I rather called this a lasagna then Handmade Open Beef Ravioli ($24). The melted in the mouth pulled beef is braised in red wine for a good 16 hours, and sandwiched between layers of pasta sheets. The flavours and textures are on the note. However like a foreign song, I moved with the music but did not understand the lyrics.

Crispy Nori Wrapped Salmon 4.5/5

The star dish at Raven has to be the Crispy Nori Wrapped Salmon ($29). The salmon is first wrapped around with nori and fried in low temperature. It is then breaded and double fried at high temperature for the extra exterior crisp. I thought the ponzu sago was very clever as a substitute of the dipping soy sauce, accentuating the enjoyment of the salmon. The fennel salad tossed in a tangy sauce cut through the greasiness of the deep frying.

Green Tea Opera 3.5/5

I personally think the Green Tea Opera ($13) is a beautiful dessert which will be enjoyed by many. However the adzuki bean ice cream was pale in flavour. I was also not sure what is the purpose of the sake gel. A point was brought up that opera is a French cake, raising some discussion what exactly is the so called new Americas cuisine.

Chocolate Overdose 4.5/5

There is one dessert that I adore very much on Raven's menu. The Chocolate Overdoes ($13) consists of a platter of various textures of Belgian chocolate. This is chocolate haven on a plate.

Raven is definitely a new and exciting addition to the F&B scene with great food and drinks. While I did enjoy my experience at Raven, I am still very puzzled what exactly is new Americas cuisine. I leave it to the diners to judge themselves.


Raven Restaurant & Bar
Chijmes
30 Victoria Street
#B1--01/02
Singapore 187996
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line), Bras Basah (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Tue: 5pm - 1am
Wed-Sat: 5pm - 2am

Direction
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit A. Cut across Raffles City Shopping Centre to Bras Basah Road. At the junction of Bras Basah Road and North Bridge Road, cross the road to Chijmes. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Bras Basah MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk southwards towards Victoria Road. At the junction of Bras Basah Road and Victoria Road, cross the junction to Chijmes. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Humpback @ Bukit Pasoh Road

The folks that brings you Jigger & Pony and Sugarhall has launched a new concept, Humpback at Bukit Pasoh taking over the space previously occupied by The Clan. The Seattle style seafood restaurant comes with its own craft cocktail bar offering white spirits based cocktails, wine and craft beer.

The highlight at Humpback is the oysters from the pacific northwest. During my visit, I got to try three different types of oysters, in the Kumamoto, Shigoku Fat Bastard and Rocky Bar.

Kumamoto - Peale, Washington USA ($6 each / Happy Hour $3) Petite in size despite taking an average of 3 years to grow in suspended trays. Deep cup, fluted shells and prized for its sweet fruity flavour.

Shigoku Fat Bastard - Samish Bay, Washington USA ($6 each / Happy Hour $2) Grown in bags that rise up and down with the tides, tumbling the oysters twice daily. Firm flesh, deep cup and clean taste of cucumber

Rocky Bar - South Puget Sound, Washington USA ($6 each / Happy Hour $2) Beach-grown, flute-shaped beautiful oysters. Mild subtle flavours with burst-in-your-mouth brine texture.

Jasmine & Pear Gin Tonic 4/5

There are 13 different signature cocktails on the menu. I had the Jasmine & Pear Gin Tonic ($22) which is a light and refreshing alcohol to go with the delicious oysters.

The menu at Humpback is categorized into Pantry, Garden, Seafood, Meat and Desserts.

Carrots 4/5

We started with the Carrots ($8) from the Pantry. The pickled carrots are served on a bed of yogurt with cumin salt at the side. Simple, nothing fancy but the crunchy pickled carrots were quite addictive that I could not help going back for more.

Clam Dip 4.2/5

The other item from the Pantry we tried is the Clam Dip ($10) in cream cheese, served with ritz crackers. The clam dip goes very well with the ritz crackers. The clam dip was so rich and good that someone in the group actually suggested diluting it to make into clam chowder.

Kale 3/5

Moving on to the Garden menu, we started with the Kale ($14) which comes with buttermilk, pear, kale chips and pecan nuts. Although I am not a big fan of kale but the buttermilk sauce gives it a very palatable dimension.

Cabbage 4.2/5

While the kale is not my preferred greens, I would definitely go for the Cabbage ($10) which is topped with herb cheese, crispy quinoa and chilli oil. The sweetness and crunchiness of the cabbage, plus the charred aroma, elevated a simple ingredients to a new level of appreciation with hint of spiciness from the chilli oil.

Calamari 4.2/5

The seafood menu at Humpback stood out for me, starting with the Calamari ($14). The lightly battered calamari comes in a bed of mashed potatoes with fried capers, in a tangy sauce that warrants another round of drinks to go with it.

Rainbow Trout 4.5/5

The Rainbow Trout ($16) delighted me with its unique combination of egg yolk sauce, almond milk and pickled mustard seeds. The beautiful presentation is translated to a beautiful ocean bed swimming on my palate.

Hamachi Ceviche 4.5/5

The Hamachi Ceviche ($22) is another clean and beautiful dish, lifted by a zest of yuzu with the almond and radish providing the extra crunch. I felt that the avocado is unnecessary, it is there for the seek of being a ceviche than complementing the dish.

Cod 4.2/5

If you enjoy the firm and buttery taste of the Cod ($20) than you will like the execution at Humpback, paired with leek, vinaigrette and chestnut puree which works harmoniously.

Beef Short Rib 4/5

Moving on to the meat, the melted in the mouth grain fed 120 days Beef Short Rib ($23) is a good alternative from the seafood. The carrot puree was an excellent choice, creating a balance to the whole dish.

Pork Collar 4/5

The Pork Collar ($16) is another great cut for the carnivorous with pear, frisee and orange glaze. To be frank, I find the pear a bit over used in their menu and I did not see any purposes of it in this dish.

Fernet Panna Cotta 3.5/5

When the Fernet Panna Cotta ($8) was served to the table, my first thought was who lost his handphone case. Anyway, the flavour came across some what foreign to me while the wobbly texture holds up well. Have it without the bitter cocoa and orange first and then with them to appreciation the different flavours it brings out.

Valrhona Chocolate Mousse 4.5/5

The Valrhona Chocolate Mousse ($8) paired with berries compote and fresh cream is deadly. Not deadly sinful but deadly addictive for the richness in chocolate. So good that we ordered a second servicing.

Humpback is a great casual and relax place to chill out with friends coupled with great selections of oysters and small plates. The seafood dishes on the menu stood out for me . Food at Humpback is served as small plates, and it is recommended to order around 6-8 dishes to be shared between 2 people.


Humpback
18/20 Bukit Pasoh Road
Singapore 089834
Tel: +65 67504461
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Outram Park (EW Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 5pm - 12midnight
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Outram Park MRT station. Take Exit H. Turn left onto Teo Hong Road. At the end of Teo Hong Road turn left and continue on Bukit Pasoh Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]