Christmas Eve dinner at Hide Yamamoto, Singapore

The blog has been dormant for a while now since my return to Singapore, and what better way to revive it than through a review of the fine meal I had over this festive season! On Christmas Eve I visited Hide Yamamoto restaurant with family for my first good dinner since relocation. It was a treat from my aunt. This restaurant is located on the second floor of one of our local casinos Marina Bay Sands, thankfully sheltered from the loud and smoky main gambling space below. The second floor also houses other celebrity restaurants, not surprising considering the moneyed casino crowd.

I didn't know much about Yamamoto except for the fact that he was trained in France and Italy, and is the owner of a couple of Italian restaurants in Tokyo. This Singapore restaurant is his first foreign outpost. The spacious establishment is divided into five sections serving different types of Japanese cuisines (sushi, teppanyaki, robatayaki, ramen and sake & shochu bar), and parties with different preferences are allowed to sit in any of the preferred sections. The restaurant also serves a seasonal kaiseki in limited sets, and only by reservation. I would have loved to try the kaiseki but by the time my aunt made the reservation, the allocated sets for Christmas Eve dinner had all been taken, which was a pity. The staff also didn't tell her that people who wanted to eat sushi (the next best thing to me) would have to sit at the sushi counter for the sake of freshness of delivery, which caused some initial confusion upon arrival, but at least the manager did personally apologise to her for his staff's oversight. We were all in a good mood so we just left it at that, but this is one detail that the restaurant does need to highlight to future customers. As the elders in my family were all going for teppanyaki (they do not take raw food) it made no sense for the whole party to relocate to the sushi section just for my sake, so I simply went with the flow and joined them in whatever they would be having.

I cannot say that I wasn't a little skeptical of how good this restaurant's outwardly Japanese offerings could be, considering that the chef patron's training and business are mainly in Italian cuisine, not the Japanese staples. Still, I approached this dinner with as much openness as I could muster.

We found ourselves round a large teppanyaki counter, where a chef would be assigned to cook for us this evening. The most distinctive feature of teppanyaki cuisine is the live searing of food on a stainless steel top, often in a flamboyant manner - originating from way before restaurants in the Western world discovered the magic of open kitchens. I remember being mesmerised by teppanyaki's fun and lively cooking demonstrations as a child, as if attending a culinary circus. It had been ages since I had had a good teppanyaki meal, so I was looking forward to what they might come up with here!

We went for the set menu which features a variety of seafood and other side dishes. These were an assortment of appetisers including beef flakes with goat's cheese, prawn with caviar, salmon sashimi, and a mixed green salad with bonito flakes and sesame dressing. Pleasant, but not particularly interesting except for the beef with goat's cheese which had a rich creamy texture and some lovely deep flavours to kick-start the palate.

The variety of dips served to go with the rest of the dinner were impressive though! These included sesame & mustard sauce, Himalayan pink salt, deep fried garlic chips, ponzu with oroshi, and soy sauce with fresh wasabi (so difficult to come by outside Japan!).

Gindara (black cod), perfectly seared on the outside for a lovely caramelised edge, and cooked just right to preserve all its natural juices, soft flaky texture and rich oily flavour.

Salmon, mashed potato and egg mayonnaise with a dash of mustard. Like the previous cod, very well seared, nicely browned on the outside, with flaky and oily flesh. The accompaniments were lovely - a chunky and creamy egg mayonnaise with a touch of spice complemented the rich taste of the salmon very well, while the smooth and buttery mashed potato contributed an apt weight to this dish.

Chawanmushi (steamed savoury egg custard) with black truffle and a fresh uni (sea urchin) topping. This was to die for! The smooth and feather-light texture of the egg belied a deep earthy fragrance from a black truffle infusion as well as bits of black truffle within the custard. The sea urchin was the jewel in the crown with its light creamy texture and sweet umami.

Hokkaido scallop and Malaysian tiger prawn. They were both very sweet and juicy, with a pleasant firm bite. A nice squeeze of lemon was all that was needed to heighten the fresh natural flavours of the seafood.

Our chef for the evening, Yohei-san.

Fresh lobsters - look at all that clear translucent flesh and sweet creamy roe within! Just like the earlier scallops and prawns, only a dash of lemon juice was needed to enhance its delicate umami. The roe was, needless to say, heavenly.

Assorted vegetables. The quick searing was a great idea as it sealed in all their juices and preserved their natural crunch, in addition to providing a deep caramelised edge. The eggplant coming from Japan in particular had a very sweet taste and a texture that was both juicy and creamy - too bad there was only such a small slice of it!

Zuwai kani kamameshi (snow crab rice), a traditional Japanese rice dish that has been cooked in a kama (iron pot). This was lovely - the fresh shredded crab was extremely sweet and the ankake sauce (a traditional Japanese thick sauce) with which the rice had been mixed provided a delightful umami, while shimeji mushrooms further enhanced the rice with earthy aromas and a nice juicy crunch. The whole dish was flavourful, balanced and sophisticated. This was a very close contender for my favourite dish of the evening, together with the chawanmushi earlier.

Kagoshima A4 wagyu sirloin. Look at that beautiful marbling! My mouth was watering as I heard the meat sizzle.

The meat was seared to a beautiful medium rare consistency. The juices were oozing with each bite and the meat had a rich fatty taste. Lovely.

Garlic fried rice with miso soup. This was actually the only disappointing course of the evening, as I found the rice somewhat soggy and bland. It could at least have done with more garlic. The miso soup had a deeper and more intense flavour, definitely of a higher quality than those found in run-of-the-mill Japanese restaurants, but it is just miso soup after all.

Desserts were predominantly Western-styled, occasionally with Japanese twists. They were also very festively designed! We ordered one each, and between the six of us covered all the seasonal offerings.

This was a chocolate soufflé with a touch of Grand Marnier surrounded by crème anglaise, and vanilla ice cream on a crushed wafer base. The contrast in temperatures between the warm soufflé and the ice cream was delightfully stimulating for the palate. The moist spongy shell also concealed a lovely rich molten chocolate centre. The only Japanese aspect here was a sprinkling of finely crushed matcha biscuits, which provided an apt bitter complement to the chocolatey intensity of this dessert. I did feel that this dessert would have fit much better in a French restaurant, though of course there was nothing wrong with it per se.

This was matcha tiramisu with chocolate and meringue. More like a parfait than a tiramisu, the mascarpone appeared as a solid block of ice cream, topped with roughly crushed matcha biscuits, another matcha ice cream, and chocolate biscuit strips. Swirls of chocolate cream and crushed meringue pieces surrounded the 'tiramisu'. This dessert was pretty and pleasant enough but I thought it was more style over substance. It was too one-dimensional in texture (felt like an ice-cream cake), and was definitely nowhere near an authentic representation of a tiramisu.

This was mango pudding with vanilla ice cream and jellied balls of watermelon and rock melon. Probably the most Singaporean/tropical dessert of the menu, this was solid enough but also lacked any particular interest or sophistication. The real chunks of mango within the pudding were a lovely touch though.

Finally, this was a Japanese re-interpretation of the classic French Mont Blanc, with chestnut cream, kinako (roasted soybean) cream, kinako ice cream, chocolate coated chestnut sponge and chestnut meringue, and swirls of chestnut purée. The chestnut cream and purée were intense, with a full-bodied nutty taste, but fortunately not too sweet. The very Japanese pairing with kinako was entirely apt, with its delicate sweet roasted taste permeating the ice cream as well as two smaller mounds of light cream. This was probably the most sophisticated dessert of the evening, artfully deconstructed yet retaining strong references to the French original.

The service tonight had been very good. Our chef Yohei-san was a man of few words but he did his job behind the teppanyaki counter very well. The food he cooked had generally been very good (except maybe for the garlic rice) and the timing of courses had been just right, so that we could still chat amongst ourselves and eat at a comfortable pace. The other staff were similarly attentive but not obstrusive; for example, our tea cups were being constantly refilled, and there was at least one server stationed close to our table at any time throughout the dinner.

However, I still couldn't help feeling that this whole experience hadn't exactly been good value for money, even though the freshness and quality of ingredients were beyond doubt. Notwithstanding the restaurant's location in a casino, the portion sizes were really quite small, and teppanyaki is after all a pretty uniform style of cooking with not much complexity in seasoning / accompaniments / presentation needed, so once in a while I did catch myself thinking 'okay, it's all great but what next?'. The starters and some of the desserts which came from the main kitchen were also rather lacklustre - nicely plated but lacking real ingenuity in the composition of flavours and textures. Perhaps I have been spoilt by restaurants overseas, but when the bill runs to well over $250 per person after taxes, it might not be unreasonable to expect food that transcends the merely solid. For these reasons I hesitate to say that I will return any time soon (the same price usually gets me an amazing Michelin-starred tasting menu overseas) but perhaps the raw stuff or seasonal dishes here might be truly stellar - all I need now is a windfall from the heavens!

Sunday lunch at The Ledbury

Back home in a couple of days, and I thought I'd pay my favourite restaurant in London one last visit before leaving. I also brought a friend along for his first visit.

Canapé: poppy seed tartlet with Gruyère cream & shavings and finger lime. Lovely, as always.

Amuse bouche: ceviche of hand-dived scallops with Tokyo turnips, seaweed oil, frozen horseradish and apple jelly.

Lovely touch of generosity, as always. For regulars to the restaurant, you will know that this is a full dish in its own right, as well as a signature item. For more detailed comments, please refer to this recent review from June.

Starter 1: poached ceps with 2 year old Comté, Wiltshire truffle shavings & cream, dried black cabbage, and a broth of grilled onions with a dash of truffle & hazelnut oil.

My choice; this dish was very similar to another signature item, the Hampshire buffalo milk curd with mushrooms and onion broth. Most significantly, the buffalo curd had been replaced by a layer of molten cheese, and the strong and slightly sweet flavour of this wonderfully aged cow's milk cheese was the perfect complement to the intense and earthy ceps. The ceps' succulent texture was extremely satisfying when paired with the smooth and creamy cheese. The black cabbage (a kind of kale) also stood out in this dish, imparting a delicate sweet taste and crispy texture. The other accompaniments could of course have been taken for granted by me by now, but I should state that they were no less effective than they were in the original signature dish.

Starter 2: Crapaudine beetroot baked in clay, with smoked eel and dried black olives.

My friend's rather unusual choice turned out to be a very good one indeed! Just when I thought what miracles could possibly be worked with the humble beetroot, here came this masterpiece of flavour and plating. This, of course, was no ordinary beetroot; the Crapaudine variety from France is the oldest in cultivation, dating back to the time of Charlemagne. Stealing a few bites, I found its dark red flesh incredibly juicy, and baking in clay had resulted in a lovely firm texture as well as concentrated all of the beet's sweet earthy goodness; I couldn't have imagined a more flavourful beet. The crisp tuiles added another unexpected textural dimension. This astonishing vegetable was very aptly and proportionately paired with savoury touches such as a sprinkling of crushed & dried black olives, and dollops of smoked eel mousse. I did wonder, in hindsight, why there were no actual pieces of smoked eel, as most other pictures of this dish seemed to show them - had we been shortchanged?! Whatever the case, this was a thoroughly enjoyable dish which truly allowed high-quality produce to speak for itself, with minimal intervention.

Main course 1: roasted neck of lamb with fresh figs, baked root vegetables, fennel and dried black olives.

I had remembered the excellent lamb dish from my visit last month; both the neck and loin had been featured, but it was the former that I couldn't get enough of, with its melt-in-the-mouth texture and deep flavour. Now I had a much bigger chunk of neck alone to enjoy! On top of that, the accompaniments included my favourite figs, which complemented the luxurious meat perfectly with their creamy texture and sweetness. I really didn't want this to end!

Main course 2: aged fillet and short rib of Ruby Red beef from Devon with bone marrow, celeriac baked in ash and enrobed in juniper cream and dried black olives, crisp potato galette, wild garlic and spinach purée, celeriac purée, toppings of wild garlic, bone marrow and celeriac chips, sorrel garnish. (£10 supplement)

This was the highlight of the lunch for my friend. He had wanted to go for a fish or seafood dish but I persuaded him to take this, remembering the excellent beef dish I had had as part of the tasting menu in February. It was indeed worth every penny of the supplement charged; both parts of the beef were of course as tender, succulent and tasty as they could get, while the small blob of bone marrow contributed a truly decadent touch of creaminess and muskiness. What really surprised both of us, though, was the celeriac baked in ash; its sweetness, coupled with a surprisingly smooth and rich texture, was extremely satisfying. The layer of ash coating imparted a pleasant hint of bitterness, while the juniper emulsion, made with a mixture of soft boiled eggs, truffle juice and sherry vinegar, contributed a lovely complex flavour that was nothing like I've ever tasted. This humble root vegetable had been transformed beyond recognition! Wild garlic in this dish was another first for me; I was expecting something strong and pungent, but as a relative of the chive family it was actually rather mild and sweet. On the whole, this was an absolute masterpiece.

Dessert 1: fig leaf ice cream and crushed figs, with vanilla and fig coulis, meringue pieces, finger lime garnish and a drizzle of olive oil. Served with a side of lime beignets.

We were nearly at the end of the black fig season so I considered myself very lucky to be able to taste this excellent fruit again. The figs came this time crushed and shaped in the form of a terrine, and their rich texture and intense sweetness were very comforting indeed. Most unusually, the fig leaves were also used to make an ice cream, which tasted uncannily similar to coconut, with an mild aftertaste of warm spices. Very memorable first experience with this part of the fig! (A brief online search revealed that fig leaves are very good for you, being loaded with antioxidants; it is also often made into tea as a supplement for the control of diabetes.) A touch of vanilla cream was the perfect complement to this warm coconut-y taste, while the olive oil provided an essential touch of freshness together with the crisp and fluffy citrus beignets on the side. On the whole, this dessert was extremely sophisticated and well-balanced.

Dessert 2: brown sugar tart with stem ginger ice cream, Muscat grapes and a touch of balsamico.

Hardly my first encounter with this signature item of course, and I recommended that my friend try this for a first visit; needless to say he was also very impressed with the tart's richness and similarity in taste to gula melaka, and how the stem ginger ice cream balanced it with a pleasant spiciness. I certainly believe that this is one dessert that would appeal to all Southeast Asian people!

Complimentary dessert: banana and chocolate malt tartlet.

This was new to both of us, and although I had thought of ordering it on a previous visit, I hadn't gone ahead then, as I wasn't sure that a banana and chocolate combination would throw up any surprises. There's probably a reason why most fine restaurants shy away from bananas in their desserts, since they might feel compelled to display a certain level of sophistication and technique. But since this dessert was on the house now, perfect! No reason to complain, and I was sure it was going to be good anyway.

As expected, compared to the two previous desserts, this was relatively 'safe'. No earth-shattering endeavours here; this was indulgence pure and simple, given a slightly more classy presentation in line with fine dining standards. A tart pastry case contained a viscous banana purée with tiny banana chunks, smothered by a generous layer of rich gooey chocolate. Some textural definition was imparted by toppings of a crisp chocolate caramel tuile and chopped hazelnuts, and a sprinkling of chocolate malt soil on the side.

Petit fours to end the meal: blood orange jelly, juniper biscuit with caramel cream, and chocolate ganache with eucalyptus filling.

The only pity in this afternoon's lunch was that Laurens had gone back to the Netherlands on holiday and was not around to take care of us (though needless to say the service was still excellent). This meal was a truly fitting conclusion to my gastronomic experiences in London and other European cities. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been able to eat at so many lovely places over the past two years, and look forward to a new chapter of foodie adventures back in Singapore and around Asia!

(Update 28/04/2014: The Ledbury is now no. 10 on the St. Pellegrino's list, up 3 places from last year - congratulations on a well-deserved upgrade!)

Lunch at Dabbous (Tasting Menu)

Almost one year ago, I made my first visit to Dabbous shortly after it had gotten its first Michelin star, in addition to just about every superlative imaginable from London's major food critics. I was then very impressed by the food and unpretentious atmosphere, and vowed to myself to return soon. However, increasing work commitments and an insanely full reservations schedule meant that I never got round to a second visit till this afternoon - but as they say better late than never!

I was really looking forward to this lunch, especially as it would be my last visit for the foreseeable future. I was also keen to experience if and how the cooking had evolved or improved over the course of the year. Unfortunately, no additional stars were awarded by Michelin this year as I had hoped (perhaps you'll see why towards the end of this post), but the constantly packed space even after 1.5 years of business (and cooling of the initial hype) must mean that this restaurant is doing something right!

Just about a month ago, I had managed to squeeze myself in for a late lunch today via direct correspondence with the restaurant, so I was pretty lucky I guess. (One general tip: don't bother with online reservations systems for hugely popular establishments like this; just call or email for last-minute availability.)

Upon arrival, I was informed very apologetically by Graham, the manager on duty, that my table wasn't ready yet as the customers from the previous seating had not vacated. Not surprising at all, as it is very difficult to keep to a strict turnover time, and you can't possibly ask the customers to leave just like that in an upmarket restaurant. I was escorted to the basement bar and offered some water by Graham's friendly assistant Amy, while he tried to sort out my table as soon as possible.

I was expecting a longer wait (and I really didn't mind) but after what seemed like only 10 minutes Amy returned to say that my table was ready and to take me back up. To my utter surprise and delight she added, 'To apologise for making you wait, may I offer you a complimentary glass of wine to go with your lunch today?' Of course I wasn't going to say no! What a lovely start to the meal.

There have been a couple of fundamental changes to the menu since last year: they now serve only two fixed menus, a 4-course set lunch (£28) and a 7-course tasting (£59). The dishes were entirely different from what I had on the first visit. No prizes for guessing which I chose! I was also allowed to pick a wine from those offered by the glass (more on that soon).

Bread to die for -
still as good as last year's!

Course 1: Muscat grapes with lovage, almond milk and a drizzle of rapeseed oil.

This was a lovely and wholesome starter. The sweetness and juiciness of the grapes were perfectly matched by the mild nuttiness of the almond milk, while lovage and rapeseed oil imparted a touch of freshness with their crisp and slightly bitter taste.

Course 2: lardo on toast with black truffle.

Throw out all your diet regimes - toast doesn't get better than this! Strong truffle aromas really excited all the senses even before I had taken a bite. This reminded me immediately of both the signature truffle toast dish at The Ledbury and the lardo on toast starter that I had at I' Brincello in Florence during my Easter holiday in Italy. Now I had both on the same piece of bread! Slivers of creamy and silky lardo with an incredibly intense flavour, combined with fragrant truffle shavings, generously spread over a warm, crisp and wafer-thin slice of bread - what's not to love? In contrast to the previous starter, this was pure unabashed indulgence and comfort food at the highest level.

The wine that I had selected a while ago was now served in anticipation of the next course. I was a little miffed by the sommelier (not Amy) when I asked him to tell me a little more about this wine; his response in a somewhat patronising tone was 'Well what do you want to know?' and I didn't manage to get any deeper information other than the wine's basic composition. To be sure, I'm no wine connoisseur and I was just trying to learn.

Anyway, this was a 2001 Château Les Ormes de Pez from the St. Estèphe region, a surprisingly mild, fresh and clean Bordeaux, made of mainly Merlot grapes with a blend of Cabernet Blanc and Sauvignon. A truly excellent tipple - I would have paid its asking price of £14 - made even better by the fact that it was on the house (the indifferent sommelier notwithstanding)!

Course 3: carrot cooked in oxtail gravy, with rosemary infused swede cream and smoked powder.

This reminded me somewhat of the single carrot with ash and sorrel cream that was served to me at Noma in Copenhagen at the end of last year. The techniques here were different but no less precise and understated; the carrot had been cooked to amazing melt-in-the-mouth tenderness, with no fibrous hints whatsoever, and retained all its juices. Its sweetness, combined with the deep flavour of the thick oxtail gravy, was utterly moreish and satisfying. How often can one say that of a carrot-centred dish? Not forgetting the jewel in the crown either: a small mound of rich and smooth swede cream, enhanced with the sweet pine-like aroma of rosemary and a smoky aftertaste from the sprinkling of ash. The flavours and textures of this dish were substantial, yet left the stomach feeling surprisingly light and balanced.

Course 4: monkfish with warm potted shrimps, cauliflower purée, pickled cucumber, wood sorrel, pea shoots and oyster sauce.

This was straightforward and tasty. The monkfish's firm and succulent texture and delicate flavour was aptly enhanced by the meaty texture and rich spiced taste of potted shrimps. The cauliflower purée was a perfect complement to the natural sweetness of fresh seafood, while the surrounding pool of oyster sauce (not as viscous, dark-coloured and salty as the bottled Chinese ones, to be sure) bound the whole dish together with a lovely umami. Various garnishings completed this picture of wholesomeness with a pleasant crisp edge.

Course 5: roasted veal fillet with coco beans, chrysanthemum leaf, summer squash, red onions and a light cheese broth with a dash of olive oil.

The was the heaviest dish of the afternoon. The intense aromas of cheese, onion and roasted meat wafted through the air as the dish was being brought to my table. The veal was done just right and had a most tender and juicy texture, and mere seasoning with sea salt was enough to highlight its deep flavour. The was no let-up from the surrounding sauce either; its rich taste, enhanced by a fresh and bitter edge from olive oil, was just perfect for the veal. The generous portion of beans and vegetables contributed a healthy balance and made one feel somewhat less guilty about all this indulgence!

Course 6: chilled lemon verbena infusion with cucumber and perilla (shiso).

This was a delightful breath of fresh air after the extravagance of the preceding courses. The predominant citrus flavour of the infusion, combined with crisp cucumber and the unmistakable sweet minty aroma of shiso, was irresistible. My only complaint was the miniscule portion, even by palate cleanser standards!

Course 7: orange blossom beignet.

I hesitate to call this a 'course' because this was really just a ball of donut-like pastry with custard filling and dusted with powdered sugar. Sure, it was warm, crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and the custard was nice and thick (though I couldn't quite detect the citrusy edge that orange blossoms should have imparted) - but was there anything about this confection that you could not reasonably expect to get in any decent bakery? This last bit of the menu was inoffensive, to be sure, but it was also terribly underwhelming for such an acclaimed restaurant.

Ending bites: baby Japanese peaches with shredded shiso.

These looked nothing like peaches, obviously, but their deliberately unripe state was surprisingly effective; the well-balanced sweet-and-sour taste together with shiso resulted in something that resembled a much juicier version of Taiwanese cured plums, which are often taken after meals to aid digestion.

So what's the verdict upon this repeat visit? I felt that this menu was very different from last year's which had used nuts extensively; I wonder if this change was a result of customer feedback (as nut and seed allergies are extremely common in this part of the world). The flavours had also become noticeably heavier (in a good way - I wasn't complaining). In hindsight, the only disappointments were in desserts; they were now quite nondescript compared to the exquisite execution and good portion sizes of last year's desserts. A real shame to have ended this way methinks, considering the very high level of the savoury courses.

On the presentation front, I also noticed a few chipped pieces of crockery (as in the photos). I know this restaurant is about industrial chic and all that, but a seemingly minor detail like this can detract from its polished image in the long term.

Still, for its unfussy and solid cooking, Dabbous is worth a visit as you probably won't be getting a tasting menu of this quality for this price at comparable starred establishments in London. If its reservations schedule for the next 6 months is anything to go by, the foodie community definitely doesn't seem to be minding a few inadequacies!