Hyde & Co - Jekyll's Hyde Out @ 785 North Bridge Road

"Dinner is served." This may sound trivial but it was not until recently that Hyde started their dinner service. Available on every Wednesdays to Saturdays from 6.30pm to 10.30pm. Read on if you would like to find out more on what's on the dinner menu. Linger around a while longer and you'll get a glimpse of the Christmas Waffle. Meanwhile, Hyde is running their 1st Anniversary Dinner this week on 27 to 28 November, so their dinner menu will resume on the 1st week of December.

shopfront

If you are driving, I heard that the nearest parking would be Textile Centre. For me, it was bus #851 and it stops at Parkview Square (the one that looks like Gotham City). Alight from bus and turn left and walk straight for the longest time. Walked past a mosque and once you spot The Ramen Stall, that's a good sign as Hyde is next to it.

in the middle

Let's go easy and start slowly

Out of the four available starters, we tried the Buffalo Wings. The sauce was sweetish and smoky. A beer kind of dish. Good starter and it whets the appetite. Maybe more crudités to dip into the garlic aioli? The four starters cover the Greens (Beetroot Salad), the Meat (Buffalo Wings), the Carb (Truffle Fries) and the Soup (Tomato Bisque).

Buffalo Wings - Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Garlic Aioli @$10

Bring out the mains and bring it out in full force! 

Well, almost. Sampled four out of the seven mains. More than half of the mains are actually Asian dishes, executed with modern European techniques. Chef Nazz is trained in Italian cooking and came from a family who owns a catering business. We tried the interesting Assam Halibut, Beef Cheek Rendang, Nasi Lemak Risotto and Truffle Mac and Cheese. Make a guess on which one was the most 'westernized' dish of the night?

Assam Halibut @$21

The Assam Halibut was served with burnt cauliflower, french beans, soba sitting atop of homemade assam sauce. Halibut and cod are pretty similar in the same whitefish grouping. Halibut is often described as lean, flaky white flesh that is mild in flavour. A good try from Chef but somehow, this dish was more of a miss for me. The soba was unfortunately a tad overcooked and while the halibut was of a good texture, this combination was just not something that I'd preferred.

Next, we had the Nasi Lemak Risotto. All too familiar and expertly cooked and plated. No surprises here.

Nasi Lemak Risotto @$22

Break the poached egg (be careful, it squirts!) and mixed everything together. Tasty.

Homemade sambal (more of this please!) was less spicy than expected but has deep flavours. The prawns were plump, firm and good. The risotto was cooked with coconut water and finished with coconut cream. Tasted like a good fragrant plate of nasi lemak with extra creaminess and moistness. The ikan bilis (anchovies) were perfect. Crispy and crunchy.

let it flow and mix well

For meatatarians, try the Beef Cheek Rendang. It has a well balanced taste and the texture of the meat was still firm yet tender enough. No surprise, since the meat was cooked for 4 hours. The sweet potato mash, the slaw and the crispy 'homemade from scatch' crostini all made wonderful partners to the beef cheeks. This dish was good and satisfying.

Beef Cheek Rendang @$25

The last main dish that we sampled was the Truffle Mac & Cheese. Now, isn't this a purely westernized dish? But who cares!?  This was one of favourite dishes for the night. Classic comfort food. Bacon with its fats rendered, torched crumbs (panko) and roasted mushroom topped with cheese and baked. For best taste, use a spoon to scoop up a mouthful of pasta, bacon, mushrooms and sauce. So good!

Truffle Mac & Cheese @$22

The other mains in the Jekyll's Hyde Out menu included the Chili Crab Pasta, Chicken Confit and Coffee Rub Lamb Rack. The lamb sounds interesting.

Feeling thirsty? Have some refreshing cold tea. We tried the Addams Family and Into the Woods. Addams Family is made of Moroccan Apple Tea and crushed apples while Into the Woods are Iced Berries Tea based with Hibiscus and Rose Hip. Both are refreshing and not very sweet. Perfect cooler for our warm and humid weather.

Addams Family (front) and Into the Woods (back) @$7.50 each

Not forgetting the desserts. We were introduced to the All-Star Tea Affogato. Say what again? Isn't affogato a coffee-based dessert? Usually, yes. But hey, if Hyde wants to do affogato with tea, who is to say can't?

All-Star Tea Affogato (@$7.50 each) - Millie, Matilda, Charlie and Hamilton

Each of the All-Star Tea Affogato was named after a Broadway show. Pictured above, is "Millie", a concoction of Vintage Earl Grey, Orange Zest and mint. The next one was "Matilda" based on Roald Dahl's novel about a five year old girl. Matilda the affogato, tasted of Strawberry Ceylon and Berry Compote.
Followed by "Charlie" as in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, where we get Chocolate Meringue Tea, Salted Chocolate Drizzle. Lovely. Finally, the manly "Hamilton" - based on the biography of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Father of the United States. Hamilton affogato has the Spiced Lapsang Souchong and Sesame Segments. I'd imagine cigar lovers would love this as this dessert has a heavy, smokey taste to it. 

Each of the affogato has its own uniqueness, so it depends on your preference or mood for that day. That night, I liked the lighter flavoured ones but the crowd was going for Hamilton. Try and see which one of Damien's (Hyde's head barista) creation you like best.

And something special for Christmas, Hyde's Christmas Waffle! A delicious gingerbread buttermilk waffle (contains cinnamon), caramelized apple, wine poached raisins, vanilla bean ice-cream and salted caramel drizzle. Waffle was crisp on the outerside and soft-fluffy-chewy on its inside that's sweet and salty at the same time. Yummeh! Available from first week of December and will be taken off the menu after Christmas, boo hoo! 

Christmas Waffle @$14

For the coffee lovers, try Hyde's Anniversary "Magic" blend with beans from Brazil, Sumatra and Ethiopia. Slightly stronger acidity from previous blend, and tasted of hazelnut and chocolate.

Ordered a latte, and snapped a photo of Damien. The latte art this time was too cute and with a Chrismas-sy feel too. Thanks Damien!

The man and his machine

Merry Christmas Mr Snowman

Thank you to Derrick for hosting the tasting session, Chef Nazz for creating the flavourful menu and Damien for the good teas and coffees. Special thanks to Kris for the invite.


Here's a link to the first visit.

Hyde & Co

Location: 785 North Bridge Road, 198753 
Contact: +65 6636 5785
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hydeandcompany/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hydeandco/
Business Hours:
Sunday to Monday - 11am till 6pm 
Wednesday to Saturday - 11am till 10:30pm
Closed on Tuesdays  

Restaurant Sela @ Seah Street

It was only in January this year, that I was at this same restaurant. However, since July, SELA is now helmed by celebrity chef, Benson Tong. Here's a link to a show that he had appeared in, way back in 2008.

SELA started as a restaurant offering modern European items in its menu. Now, with Chef Benson's culinary direction, it will steer more towards modern Asian creations with an European twist. By and large, you may not notice much difference. Restaurant decor is pretty much the same. Its ala-carte menu will look highly familiar. However, the largest single change would be its weekend brunch menu items. Where else can we find things like Roti Prata Burrito, Soft boiled Egg Benedict with Mantou, and Huat Kueh with Ice Cream in a brunch menu in a European looking restaurant? Probably only at SELA, probably...

menu

interior

our table, right infront of the kitchen

For starters, we sampled the Prosciutto Ham with Melon and the Pan Seared US Scallop. The rock melon was compressed, while the beetroot had undergone marination prior, so both sweetness were intensified while the earthy undertones of the beets were slightly reduced.

Prosciutto Ham & Melon @$16+

Pan Seared US Scallops @$16

The scallops were of a good size, and it was served sitting ontop a bed of forbidden rice (pulut hitam) with salted egg cream ontop. Sweet scallop, salty egg cream and slightly sticky purple rice. The saltiness was pretty intense for this dish. Suitable to have with drinks. Speaking of which, heard that the restaurant will be offering cocktails made with Ukrainian version of flavoured vodka.

Mernaya - Honey & Pepper

Had a taste of the Mernaya neat. For the Honey & Pepper flavour, the alcohol does shoot right up very quickly, followed by spiciness and an underlying tinge of mellowed sweetness.

For mains, we sampled the Miso Chilean Seabass, with shimeji mushroom, wilted arugula in lemon dashi broth. Actually, Chilean Seabass is not even a bass variant. It refers to Patagonian Toothfish. Its texture is more oily than a seabass.

Miso Chilean Seabass @$32+ ala-carte

closer view

For the next main course sampler, Chef Benson introduces the Kakuni Style Pork Cheek. Sounds like a Japanese-Chinese kind of dish. I'm a beef cheek kind of person, so while this dish was tasty, I still prefers the soft stewed braised beef cheek texture. However, I must say that the portion of pork cheek was generous and this is for those that liked their meat lean.  Beautifully plated too.

Kakuni Style Pork Cheek @$20+

Most of the savoury dishes would be perfectly at home with a bowl of hot steamed rice.

Chef Benson introducing his modern Asian menu

The desserts served were made in-house by their dessert chef. We sampled the Semolina Cake and the Dehydrated Pineapple Pavlova.

Semolina Cake @$12+

Dehydrated Pineapple Pavlova @$10+

Semolina refers to course middling of durum wheat. It has a grainy texture and can be cooked sweet or savoury. In our parts of the world, sometimes we hear the term 'sugee' flour, and that too refers to semolina. I remembered my late-grandma, whom used to heat up the wok with oil before adding curry leaves, and to 'fry' the sugee flour in it, then added some sugar, salt and some water. The result was some very tasty savoury sweet treat.

For SELA, it turned semolina into a sweet dessert cake. Looks pretty and for those that like interesting textures in their cakes. For me, I fell for the Pavlova. First without knowing the ingredients, can't really tell what was the taste of the dehydrated pineapple. Just knew that the flavour was from dried fruit. The vanilla ice-cream, a touch of paprika and thyme and salted caramel sauce worked well and my favourite, was that merringue shell. So good and melted in-your-mouth kind. A bit like space food.

SELA does offer a tasting menu at reasonable prices. A 5-course dinner tasting menu is priced at $40+ while a 7-course dinner tasting menu is priced at $50+. The difference is one additional starter and main course for the 7-course dinner tasting menu. Kindly note that the tasting menu portions are smaller than ala-carte portions. Oh, it comes with a glass of housepour too.

If you are around the Seah Street area for lunch, happy to say that they do Executive Lunch sets for just $15.90+. The set comes with a starter, a main course and a dessert.

Special thanks to Chef Benson and Restaurant SELA for hosting us. Thank you to Alvin and Malcolm for the invite. Looking forward to the next #foodiemigup experience! Click here to learn more about migme.

Fun Games
1. Dine at Restaurant Sela and take pictures of the food (and yourself) to post to instagram with #restaurantsela and tag @rain498 (or anyone that had recommended you to the restaurant)
2. The picture with most likes, will stand a chance to win a full course dinner for 2 pax in your own home, prepared by Chef Benson and his team.

Restaurant SELA

Location: 32 Seah Street, Singapore 188388
Website: www.restaurantsela.com.sg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/selarestaurant
Reservation:  www.chope.co or https://www.quandoo.sg/restaurant-sela-7547

Restaurant Ember @ Hotel 1929 Keong Saik Road

Restaurant Ember is located at Hotel 1929, which is about some 10 minutes walk from the Chinatown MRT. First impression of Ember? Feels rather cosy, expensive looking but not as big a space as initially thought. Was greeted by the friendly staff as soon as I showed up at its door. Nice.

Was led to a more private corner of the restaurant which could accommodate up to six diners. The teal coloured chairs were indeed a splash of colour in a serious looking restaurant.

nice colour

you know it's fine dining when...

bread service

focaccia bread

The bread was pretty yummy tasting but had to refrain for the other dishes.

For the first appetiser, the Flan was served. Steamed egg custard with spanner crab, asparagus, tobiko and aonori. The smooth egg custard contrasted well with the "crunch" from the diced asparagus and tobiko. Pleasant and warmed the tummy.

Flan @$18++

egg custard, tobiko, asparagus, spanner crab, aonori seaweed

Next, was the Consomme. Concentrated mushroom stock of earthy flavour and dark coloured. It had a comforting flavour.

mushroom consomme, shimeji mushrooms, chicken & foie gras tortellini @$16++

pate-like fillings

For mains, we shared the Bouillabaisse, Duck, Lamb, Barramundi and Cod. First up, was the Bouillabaissse which traditionally uses fish as its main ingredient. The Bouillabaise soup was poured at the table and after which, we could start. This dish had a chockful of ingredients. Not sure if I had chanced upon any scampi but the scallops were utterly delicious. Had quite a few bites of fish too. Ingredients were enjoyably sweet and fresh but I just could not get used to the bouillabaise soup.

Bouillabaisse @$32++

scampi, clams, Hokkaido scallops, seabass and aioli

Next, was the simple looking but tasted utterly delicious plate of Cod with whipped potato and bell peppers. Not in the menu though.

Pan Seared Cod

Not to worry, as the Barramundi was equally as nice. Pan-roasted barramundi with firm flesh, vine ripped cherry tomato, fine beans, clams and topped with such a generous dollop of caviar. Was surprised by the milky taste in the jus but am liking it. Had an added natural sweetness and milkiness to it.

Barramundi @$28++

The pan-seared Welsh Lamb Rack was such a beauty to look at. The meat was cooked to a beautiful pink and was rightfully tender. Chef kept the flavours of the meat simple and natural. The ratatouille and cous cous underneath the lamb racks were rather strong in flavour though.

Welsh Lamb Rack @$45++

Last of the meats, was the Duo of Duck. Duck cooked two styles. One was a confit wrapped in filo while the other was simply pan-seared duck breast. Liked the confit in filo pastry as it was so tasty! The duck breast was firmer and milder in taste. The accompanying braised red cabbage, carrot puree and 5 spice jus were just brilliant. Major love for the carrot puree and 5 spice jus!

Duo of Duck @$32++

duck confit in filo

For desserts, we shared the Champagne, Figs, Chocolate, Pistachio and Mango. That was like everything in its desserts menu saved for the cheeses.

Figs - deconstructed fig cheesecake, crumble and tahiti vanilla ice-cream @$12++

Chocolate - Valrhona chocolate brownie, banana and peanut butter parfait @$18++

Pistachio - texture of pistachio, sponge, crumble, ice-cream and ginger milk foam @$15++

Mango - vanilla panna cotta, mango, coconut sorbet @$16++

Champagne - champagne jelly, macerated strawberries & yoghurt sorbet @$16++

The desserts were decent, and enjoyed the panna cotta more, though it was a bit too wobbly/soft. Tasted good and not too sweet. While the ginger foam was fun, am still not able to interpret on what is a texture of pistachio. It ought to be the green coloured sponge cake, but it still feels like I'm missing a point here...


Felt that Chef Sufian does bring with him a certain subtleness in his cooking. Enjoyed most of the dishes and having browsed through its set menus, I'd say that the Lunch Set looked rather attractive for one could get a three-course meal for $45++.

Special thanks to Chef Sufian and Restaurant Ember for hosting the tasting session. Thank you HGW for the invite. It was always a pleasure dining with friends; The Arctic Star, The Hungry Bunny and The Running Man.

Restaurant Ember @ Hotel 1029

Location: 50 Keong Saik Rd, Singapore 089158
Contact: 6347 1928
Website: http://restaurantember.com.sg
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/restaurantember
 

Restaurant SELA @ Seah Street

Located at 32 Seah Street, this place is less than 5 minutes walk from Raffles Hotel. However, for some reason its signage eluded us and was not visible from across the road as compared to its neighbours, so we ended up having to look for #32.

Was there to try its Saturday Brunch where one gets a 3-course set meal with free flow of Prosecco for $48+.

interior

At 11:30am, we had the entire place for ourselves. Other guests started to come in from 12pm onwards.

Saturday Prosecco Brunch menu

After placing our orders, the first glass of Prosecco was poured. Pleasant and crisp. A refreshing start.

cheers

 Of course, warm/cold water is available.

cold water

Bread was served 10 minutes later and it tasted as good as it looked. Cute looking rolls that were served nicely warmed. Breaks open easily to reveal soft texture on its inside.

ciabatta rolls with butter, balsamic & olive oil

For starters, we chose the scallops and the asparagus.

seared scallops with bacon, crushed avocado on thin toast and tobiko

The scallops dish was a letdown, unfortunately. Scallops were cold when it arrived. The bacon was seriously crispy but had a somewhat stale-oil aftertaste to it. What a pity!

Dining companion had the grilled asparagus which was nicely done till soft but not limp. Scrambled eggs and the mushrooms worked well and gave an asian touch to the dish. Liked the tomatoes.

Grilled asparagus with parma ham, scrambled eggs, honshimeji and veal jus

For mains, we had the barramundi and the steak.

Seared barramundi, roasted vegetables, balsamic cream

Brandt tenderloin steak, potatoes and sunny side up egg

If you were like me, and was expecting soft flaky texture from the seared barramundi, then we would be disappointed. The fish was too dry on that day.

tenderloin, medium doneness

Dining companion was having the steak, so he preferred medium doneness while personally, I'd like it at medium rare. At medium doneness, the lean meat was still tender.

Loved the potatoes from the steak dish though. Softened till just right and with good flavours.

I think between two pax, we might have finished a bottle of the Italian Prosecco.

ours

Restaurant manager was a friendly chap who'd drop by ever so often to top up our glasses when it was empty.

Only two choices for the desserts, so we tried one each. If you have a really sweet tooth, then Lemon Tart may work for you. Personally, I'd go for the Gula Melaka Crème Caramel. I like pudding.

Lemon Tart

Gula Melaka Crème Caramel

All in all, the Saturday Prosecco Brunch is still a good deal. A 3-course ala-carte meal (without drinks) here, would have cost around $55 (excluding tax) per pax. For brunch, we spent $56 each and probably had drunk enough Prosecco to make us want to walk from City Hall to Orchard Central.

For ala-carte main course, you may want to utilize The Entertainer App 1-for-1 deal. Yup, SELA is part of the new merchant list for The Entertainer Singapore 2015 app.

Watch out for discount code to purchase The Entertainer 2015 Singapore in upcoming blog post. See ya soon and Happy Eating~