IL DEN @ Orchard Plaza - Hidden 8 Seater Restaurant By Ex-Iggy's Chef

Who would expect to find a restaurant hidden on the fourth level of Orchard Plaza? IL DEN is a hole in the wall restaurant with only 8 seats run by Chef Javier, who also double up as the waiter, cashier and dish washer. Yes this is a one-man show restaurant. The young chef has bags of experience working in Iggy, Cenci in Kyoto and Jekyll & Hyde.

Kakiage 4/5

There is only 3 set menu offered at the restaurant. Lunch Set Menu starting from $25, Dinner Set Menu at $75 or Omakase Menu for $120. We tried the $75 dinner set menu starting with the crispy Kakiage which is made up of sakura ebi, shisho and ginger. The aromatic from the deep fried ebi perfumed the air and whets up the appetite for what is to come.

Somen 4/5

Next is a cold wheat noodle dish tossed in a cream based sauce and crowned with caviar. The Somen is served slightly chilled and it is recommend to have it fast before it dries up.

Chawanmushi 3.5/5

The Chawanmushi would take a bit of understanding to appreciate the dish as the steamed egg custard is actually quite bland. To appreciate the silky egg custard, one has to have it together with the painstaking prepared chicken wing stock, that marries the dish together. The foie gras is a welcome bonus in both flavour and texture.

Scallop 4.2/5

The Scallop is lightly seared on the outside while the inside is still raw. This comes with house-made pickled radish in balsamic and sweet creamy uni. What interests me is the unorthodox pairing of house-made pesto sauce to go with the scallop. I would never thought it actually works quite well with the shellfish.

Orecchiette 3.8/5

Chef Javier made the Orecchiette pasta inhouse and cooked them in a delish prawn head broth. These cute looking pasta is also known as little ears pasta. It is paried with ebi, ebiko and broccoli. It has an enjoyable textural bite. Someone in the group commented that its like having Mee Hoon Kueh.

Beef Short Ribs 4/5

Resting on the smooth bed of potato puree and roasted vegetables is the Beef Short Ribs that has been cooked to a beautiful fork tender, falling apart with ease. The meat's texture is more towards the braised type with a slight char on the exterior.

Panna Cotta 4.2/5

Wrapping up the meal is the Panna Cotta that comes with a layer of ginger sake jelly, yuzu and raspberry. The play of flavours especially the used of the sake's sweetness to elevate the enjoyment of the panna cotta strikes a memorable note for my meal at IL DEN.

Overall I have enjoyed the Japanese-Italian fusion cuisine at IL DEN. The execution is still a bit rough in my opinion but there are warm and soul in the food. It felt like dining in one's private home. Words have gotten around about this hidden dining spot and as far as I know reservation can be up to a month now.


IL DEN
Orchard Plaza
150 Orchard Road
#04-21
Singapore 238841
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Thu: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 930pm
Fri: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 3am
Sat: 6pm - 3am

Direction:
1) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk to ground level. Walk to junction of Orchard Road and Koek Road. Cross the road. Walk down Koek Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Pig N Whistle Bistro & Bar @ Hexacube (Changi Road) - Great British Fare And Quality British Craft Beers & Ciders In The Heartland

Pig N Whistle recently opened at Hexacube, which is just around 5 minutes walk from Eunos MRT. It is really a nice place for you to have a drink at the bar and indulge in some delicious food at the same time. Even though there is no service charge here, the customer service is prompt, warm and friendly.

First of, the drinks serve here are really unique as they aren’t the typical beers or ciders that bars in Singapore serve. We are recommended the bottle ciders which was purely made out of apple juice and alcohol, no sugar is added. Ciders like Somersby usually has sugar added, and here at Pig N Whistle, they want it to be all natural for health reasons.

As I’m a sweet person, I would recommend the Sheppy’s Cloudy Cider ($12) with ribena (only upon request at the bar) or even the Sheppy’s Raspberry Cider, in which they add real raspberry juice in the drink. Another drink you should give a go is their Caramel Vodka ($10) which they make in-house by mixing salted caramel and vodka for 10 days. You’ll never get something like this elsewhere.

Vegan Burger 4/5

For burgers, they had a vegan option called the Vegan Burger ($16.90) which uses yellow beans, capsicum, spanish onions, swiss brown mushrooms, carrot and herbs in their patty. As you can tell, a lot of effort goes into making this burger an unforgettable experience for those who give it a go.

Fish & Chips 4/5

The Fish & Chips ($15.90) here has a really crispy and flavourful house made beer batter that has its own British twist. Something else that is really unique is the mushy peas at the side that is served in English cuisines. It is boiled till the skins fall out and then mashed to a certain consistency before being served.

Pork Chop 4.5/5

The star for me was the Pork Chop ($18.90) and I loved how they use free range pigs that have 10,000 acres to roam. It is well seasoned and served with a side of British gravy that I would die for. The British gravy also goes very well with the creamy mash potatoes.

Full Monty 4/5

If you’re planning to visit this place on weekends, you’ll love the Full Monty ($18.50) here which consisted of 2 eggs, 2 bacons, 2 sausages, 2 hash browns, black pudding, mushrooms, beans, and bread/toast. The fat and juicy sausages are made of 70% pork meat, 30% fat and 3 secret spices. It will have you wanting more of it with that robust flavours. You might also be wondering what is the black pudding? It’s actually an English name for blood sausage which had an acquired taste. If you think this portion is too much for you, they can have a Half Monty ($14.50).

Burrito 4/5

Under the snack section, there is the Burrito ($12.90). Honestly, it’s a full meal itself at 12-inch. It is stuffed with egg, bacon, potato, cheddar cheese, capsicum, lettuce, tomato, onion and a chili salsa, finished with a nicely grilled tortilla. The chili salsa was pretty spicy for me as I can’t really take spicy food but you might love this salsa as it is house-made too. Plus, for the size, it is super value for money.

If you come at Happy Hours, the House Wines & Spirits are 15% off and Snacks are 10% off. The Happy Hours are Saturday and Sunday,12pm to 7pm, and Monday to Friday, 5pm-8pm.

Photos and words by Vanessa Chia. A girl who has a passion for taking photos. Determined to always get better at what I am doing. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Pig N Whistle Bistro & Bar
Hexacube
160 Changi Road
#01-08
Singapore 419728
Tel: +65 67474367
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Eunos (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 5pm - 1am
Sat: 12pm - 1am
Sun: 10am - 1am

Direction:
1) Alight at Eunos MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to traffic light and across the road. Turn right and go around the estate to Changi Road. Cross Changi Road, turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]