Chef Wan's Kitchen @ Esplanade Mall - Chef Wan Has Return Stronger With Authentic Heritage Asian & International Dishes At His New Restaurant

Chef Wan is back in the Singapore food & beverage scene with the opening of Chef Wan's Kitchen at Esplanade Mall. This is his first ever a la carte concept restaurant whereby he will be offering dishes from recipes that has been passed down by his grandmother as well as dishes that he has cooked for royalties, sultans and celebrities across the world.

Ayam Goreng Java Chef Wan 3.8/5

The first dish I went straight for is the Ayam Gorent Java ($18.90). Chef Wan's interpretation of the Javanese Fried Chicken. The drumstick was huge and juicy. I think I would enjoy more if it is served hot for the crispy texture and flavours of the spices rub to be more prominent.

Lawar Salad 4/5

The Lawar Salad ($17.90) is a traditional Balinese dish made up of vegetables and chicken. I probably would not called it a salad as I could find more chicken pieces than long beans. I like the addition of jackfruit, giving the salad an extra fruity sweet dimension.

Chef Wan's Oxtail Soup 4.2/5

A favourite dish of the Brunei Sultan is the Chef Wan's Oxtail Soup ($17.90). I guess I am privilege to be able to have the dish which Chef Wan has cooked for the Brunei Sultan. Now I can feast like a king too. The oxtail was very fork tender and I enjoyed that lay of fats, giving it that gelatinous goodness.

Prawn Curry with Pineapple 3.8/5

The recipe for the Prawn Curry with Pineapple ($21.90) comes from Chef Wan's grandmother. A Malaysian-style curry with the addition of pineapple for a hint of sourness. It is not spicy at all, in fact it's actually a sweet curry which is a family friendly dish.

Chef Wan's Selangor Beef Rendang 4.5/5

Chef Wan's Selangor Beef Rendang ($22.90) is one of my favourite dishes. The rempah was complex, robust and aromatic. Made into a gravy and cooked together with the beef, it enhanced and boasted the whole enjoyment of the melted in the mouth beef.

Ayam Percik 4.5/5

Among the various curry and chicken dishes on the menu which I have tried so far, I will go for the Ayam Precik ($18.90) which is cooked in a spicy gravy. Guess I still prefer spicy curry to sweet curry. The grilled chicken was also tender and well infused with the gravy. It calls for a plate of rice to go with the delicious curry.

Bibik Neo's Laksa 3/5

Chef Wan's version of laksa does not use dried shrimp. The Bibik Neo's Laksa ($15.90) is adopted from his grandmother recipe which she used to cook on special occasion. It is made using an unique blend of spices, grinded fresh prawns and coocnut milk. While the laksa gravy is creamy and 'lemak', I felt that it is kind of flat, lacking the usual boost in flavour from the dried shrimps.

Cik Aini's Mee Rebus with Prawn Fritters 4.5/5

Chef Wan's mum used to make a living selling mee rebus for 31 years to support the family. The Cik Aini's Mee Rebus with Prawn Fritters ($15.90) is way for Chef Wan to pay tribute to his mother. This rendition of his mother's recipe also earned praises from the royal family of Brunei.

Longtong Sayur Lodeh 4.5/5

Last but not least, not to be missed is the Longtong Sayur Lodeh ($13.90). I was telling my dining companions that I would gladly use the gravy for the laksa. This gravy uses dried shrimp hence it is more fragrant and familiar to our local palate for laksa.

Overall I have enjoyed he food at the newly opened Chef Wan's Kitchen. I think Chef Wan has embarked on the right track doing what he is good at. While the food is good, the price point is on the high side. Frankly speaking will customer pay more than $13 for a bowl of longtong, mee rebus or laksa?

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Chef Wan's Kitchen
Esplanade Mall
8 Raffles Avenue
#02-14
Singapore 039802
Tel: +65 63974911
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 230pm, 530pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit B or D. Walk to Raffles Avenue. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Nirai Kanai Okinawan Restaurant @ Liang Court - A Different Type Of Japanese Cuisine

It has been a long while since I last visited Nirai Kanai Okinawan at Liang Court in 2012. This time I am back with my colleagues who are interested to find out more about Okinawan food. Even though Okinawa is part of Japanese but their cuisine is very different from the main land.

Peanut Bean Curd 2.8/5

We started with some light bites such as the Peanut Beancurd ($6.50). The texture of the beancurd is almost pudding like. However I find it hard to appreciate the combination of peanut with the silky smooth texture.

Salted Young Fish & Salted Bonito on Okinawan Cold Bean Curd 1/5

We decided to be adventurous and ordered the Salted Young Fish and Salted Bonito on Okinawan Cold Beancurd ($9). Unfortunately it turned out to be a horror decision. the salted young fish and bonito were extremely fishy. I could not accept the acquire taste.

Pig's Ear Marinated with Ponzu Sauce 4/5

The last time I visited the restaurant I had the Pig's Ear ($8) with peanut sauce but this time we had it with the ponzu sauce instead. The ponzu sauce gave the pig's ear a new refreshing dimension on top of its crunchy texture.

Green Caviar - Seaweed with Ponzu Sauce 3.5/5

Whetting up the appetite is the Green Caviar - Seaweed with Ponzu Sauce ($14). The popping saltiness complemented by the tangy ponzu sauce for a delectable appetizer.

Tacos Rice 4/5

We are actually quite surprised to find Tacos Rice ($15.80) on the menu. My guess is that the dish comes about because of the America navy base in Okinawa. Over the years, it may have influenced the cuisine in Okinawa. Served in a hot pot, the dish comes with minced spicy beef, lettuce, cheese, salsa sauce and rice, Give it a good toss for the sauces to coat the rice for a fragrant and cheesy enjoyment.

Okinawan Seasoned Rice Ball 4.2/5

The other rice dish on the menu we tried is the Okinawan Seasoned Rice Ball ($6.50 for 2pc). Beautifully seasoned, it somewhat reminded me of the Chinese's glutinous rice used in rice dumpling. I enjoyed it and this is one item I will order in my next visit.

Aosa Seaweed Tempura 3/5

While the Aosa Seaweed Tempura ($8.80 for 2pc/ $13 for 4pc) has a good crispy bite, I find that the flavour was rather bland. It needed some extra savoury element to boost the finishing or it felt like eating a pile of grass.

Simmered Pork Belly 4.2/5

The Simmered Pork Belly ($9.80 for 2pc / $14.80 for 4pc) is one of the dishes I enjoyed during my previous visit hence I recommended by colleagues to try. It is still a very enticing dish with the wobbly layer of fats attached to the well braised lean part of the pork. However I felt that the texture was not as soft as I remembered. It seemed like it needed more time to break it down more.

Pan Fried Salted Pork Belly 3.5/5

Known as the Okinawan beacon it the Pan Fried Salted Pork Belly ($12). Nothing fantasy, just like eating a big piece of sio bak to appreciate the the crispy pork belly.

Stir Fried Bitter Gourd with Pork, Okinawan Bean Curd and Okinawan Egg 4.8/5

The highlight at Nirai Kanai OKinawan for me is the Stir Fried Bitter Gourd with Pork, Okinawan Bean Curd and Okinawan Egg ($7 small/ $9.50 large). It was a hearty and comforting dish that probably can be eaten in every Okinawan's home. Though simple, I like how it was executed with the runny egg coating the crunchy bitter gourd, complemented for the silky tofu for that contrast in textures.

In fact, Okinawan cuisine is rather unique. It is totally different from Japanese cuisine that we know. In short, it felt like many of the dishes were Chinese inspired while some probably influenced by the American. I also noted that Okinawan cuisine simple to be focus in pork, tofu and bitter gourd.


Nirai Kanai Okinawan Restaurant
Liang Court Shopping Centre
177 River Valley Road
#B1-01/02
Singapore 179030
Tel: +65 63394811
Nearest MRT: Fort Canning (DT Line), Clarke Quay (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm
Sat-Sun: 12pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Fort Canning MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn right and walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit C, F or G. Walk along the river toward Riverside Point direction. Cross the bridge to the other end of the river. Turn left and walk towards Liang Court. Journey time about 10  minutes. [Map]

3) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk to bus stop at Clark Quay Station (Stop ID 04222). Take bus number 54. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]