Guccio Ristorante by Chef Marco @ 20 Gemmill Lane

Am a supporter of Restaurant Week organised by DiningCity for a while now and recently made reservations for their Chef's Signature event at Guccio. It is actually within 2 minutes walking distance from The Clan Hotel, which I was staying for that weekend. Events such as this, would be a nice opportunity to try new places without having to think too much about what to choose as the set menu is usually pretty limited choice and is meant to showcase the specialty cuisine of the selected restaurant.

I arrived on time for the 1.30pm slot, which I think would be pretty late for lunch? A quick look revealed that most diners were nearing the end of their meal.

Was given a choice of sparkling or still, but I am with Bernice and the choice is clear, because why pay for still when you could get sparkling? Hahaa!

sparkling @$10++

Chef's Signature Lunch Menu

Wendy arrived shortly after I had quenched my thirst, with refreshing taste of sparkling with a slice of lemon.

Bread was served after we placed our orders. Requested for balsamic as it was not offered by default. The bread was cold when served.

Was happy when our appetizer was appeared. The Calamari, came looking colourful and succulent. The olive coloured blobs were actually eggplant puree. The poached baby calamari was tasty and soft but not mushy. Each component on the dish played a part but the star of the dish was still the unassuming yet flavourful calamari.

Calamari

  

Next, was the Gamberi - New Zealand prawns 'tartare'. I think this would be my first time having any prawns 'tartare'. The sprouts on it was rather cute. The green pea puree was fragrant (because I do like green peas~). Not sure why but there was a light hint of citrus on this dish and it was a refreshing taste with mild sweetness.

Didn't enjoy the trout roe as much because it was of an awkward size. Was bothersome (for me, not sure if anyone else shared the same sentiment) because it was not big enough to 'pop' nor was it small enough to ignore and swallow.

Gamberi (supplement $10++)

Next, was our main course. Pork and fish.

Salmone

The pan-fried Norwegian salmon was Wendy's choice. The blobs of red that I thought was tomato, was actually beetroot cream. The seasonal greens on the plate was tasty. Fish was good although we would have preferred it to be slightly more pink.

Salmone - side view

I had the Maialino, slow-cooked Spanish suckling pig belly. Lovely plating. There's red apple compote and berry sauce.

Maialino (supplement $10++)

lovely layers

The skin was not of the crispy crackling kind, but the meat inside was lovely. The downside, was that the meat had stronger flavours of pork, hence a glass of wine would help. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the flavourful meat with lovely textured layers of lean and fats.

And then, we were at dessert. The choice was obvious. Of course, we got to try Chef Marco's mom's signature Tiramisu.

Tiramisu

Just be careful not to inhale while trying to get that spoonful in. I was careless and choked a bit on the cocoa powder. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed the tiramisu.

The Chef's Signature event menu is a good way to try some of the signature dishes on their regular menu without doing too much damage to the wallet. Guccio's Set Lunch Menu @$38++ had similar mains offered as well.

The Chef's Signature lunch set was good value and portions were adequate. Compliments to Chef Marco and his team.

Spent about $68 per pax.

Guccio Ristorante 

Address: 20 Gemmill Ln, Singapore 069256

Website: https://www.guccioristorante.com/

Contact: 6224 1684

Business Hours:

Tues to Sun: 11:30am–2:30pm, 5:30–11pm

Closed on Mondays

[Tasting] Bonding Kitchen Singapore @ Orchard Gateway - Unique Modern Peranakan Experience

Located at Level 2 of Orchard Gateway, Bonding Kitchen is a new place for us to indulge in Peranakan food. With his unique brand of modern Peranakan cuisine, founder Chef Danny Chew has curated daily Set Lunches that is inclusive of some of the signature dishes, which I liked, as the concept allows the diner to sample favourites like Ayam Buah Keluak, Hokkien Lor Ark before bringing over loved ones to try the mains later on. And believe me, I have tried and will want to bring my family and friends to try more (maybe all!) of Chef Danny's dishes. For this initial experience, special thanks to Kris (@msginginly) for the invite and Chef Danny and team for hosting the dinner.

Bonding Kitchen @ Level 2 Orchard Gateway

entrance

menu

interior

The restaurant has a modern vibe to it and comfortably spaced. Loved the blue on the seats. Was ushered into the inner section where the one could enjoy the wonderful private dining experience with Chef Danny.

Bunga Telang Lemongrass Pandan (Blue Pea Flower Lemongrass drink) @$6.50++

While waiting, we started with light snacks of keropok served with piquant and zesty sambal belachan. 

Fish & Belinjau Keropok with Sambal Belacan @$4++

more please

Next up, was Ngoh Hiang appetiser. We watched Chef Danny as he proceeded to plate the Ngoh Hiang.

Ngoh Hiang @$14++

deep fried beancurd skin roll of handchopped pork, shrimps, mushrooms, water chestnut

The Ngoh Hiang, a quintessential deep fried beancurd skin roll that brought a smile to our faces. Loved the generous fillings, bits of juicy mushroom and the likeable overall flavour of this classic dish. Seasoned just right with five spice, slight bouncy texture and crisp exterior. Sauce was minimal.

Next up, we were served with a gorgeous plate of impressive looking prawns. Marinated prawns with delightfully tangy tamarind juices, and pan seared to perfection. Flavour was on-point and I was practically licking off the sauces from its shell. Zesty and savoury combo that rejuvenates the tastebuds.

Assam Ko Prawns @ $28++ to $36++

With the private dining experience, guests could interact with Chef Danny and it was really interesting to hear nuggets of information pertaining to recipe of the food that we were about to enjoy. 

Babi Pongteh in the making

And, it is heartening to see the care and effort being placed onto our meal.

Babi Pongteh @$22++

One of the classic dishes of Peranakan cuisine, besides Ayam Buah Keluak would be stalwarts like Babi Pongteh. Comparatively to the other dishes that we were having that night, this dish was more genteel in flavours when compared to the rest of the mains. Hence, recommend to try this dish first before starting the rest.

Hei Bi Hiam Shimeji Mushrooms @$12++

When I first saw the plate of Hae Bi Hiam mushrooms, I thought of how comforting this dish would be with a bowl of porridge. Tasty, and easy to eat with a touch of heat. Alas, there is no option for porridge at the moment, but do get a bowl of that wonderful looking blue pea steamed fluffy rice.

steamed fragrant rice @$1.50++

eat the way you want it

We enjoyed the pace of the food, which allowed us to fully savour one or two dishes at any point in time. Next up, was the Wagyu Beef Rendang. 

Chef Danny presents the Wagyu Beef Rendang

Wagyu Beef Buah Rendang @$32++

Australian Westholme Wagyu beef ribs, stewed with coconut milk and various herbs and spices which resulted in flavourful meat that was nicely tender while maintaining its form. The dish reminds me of serunding (beef floss) actually but dig underneath to reveal chunky pieces that goes well with rice. Or, savour it with wine. I spied the wine prices here and they are really reasonable. I'll do just that next time, and keep you guys updated. Or, you are welcome to share your experience too!

Nasi Goreng Buah Keluak @$15++

Friend tried the Buah Keluak Fried Rice and enjoyed its nutty eggy flavours. Looks kinda cool, those black grains.

My personal favourite dish of that night, was the Hokkien Lor Ark. I don't think it was due to any bias because am a Hokkien myself, but more because this dish represented itself well enough. Strong flavours, consistently tender texture, meaty plus comforting homely feels. Chef Danny revealed that this was from a family recipe and further refined. The dish uses duck leg that had undergone 1 day of marination. End result was a bowl of yumminess.

Hokkien Lor Ark @$22++

Lastly, we tried the Sotong Masak Hitam. If you think you know Sotong Masak Hitam, try this version at Bonding Kitchen. I can only say, that was one intense flavour! I believe a glass of wine would complement this well.

Sotong Masak Hitam @$20++

And, we ended the meal with icy treat chendol. Lovely fragrance from the gula melaka, and glad that it was not too sweet. Liked the softer red beans too!

Chendol @$7++

A lovely meal with lovely friends. Thank you Kris for the invite, and special thanks to Chef Danny and team Bonding Kitchen for the delicious meal.

Here is a shout-out for the Daily Set Lunch, which I think is a steal for that price. Am eyeing that buah keluak and wagyu beef rendang meal...with a glass of red. See you at Bonding Kitchen!

image credit: Bonding Kitchen

Bonding Kitchen Singapore

Address: 277 Orchard Rd, #02-18, Singapore 238858

Website: https://bondingkitchen.weebly.com/

Contact: 8860 9087

Business Hours:

Sat - Thurs:  11:30am–3pm, 5:30–10:30pm

Fri : 11:30am–3pm, 5–10:30pm