[Tasting] WAN Bar + Kitchen @ Suntec City

The Grab driver asked which tower is this place that I'm going. Hmm, good question as its address is the generic address for Suntec. So, for those who wants to know; WAN Bar + Kitchen is located close to Tower 5 of Suntec City (somewhere near the roundabout).

facade

WAN Bar seemed to have an Oriental theme to its decor. Loved the huge huge paintings and the words on its wall. Expect the usual bar vibes with darkened interior, and patrons can look forward to having a good time with its unique alcoholic bubble-tea, as well as delicious bar grub.

eat, drink and make merry

alcoholic bubble tea, priced @$15 each (yes, served with cute floaters)

The alcoholic bubble tea selections are "Childhood Sweet Heart", "The 'Casanova'", "It's Complicated", "Girl Next Door" and "Crazy Bitch".

Interestingly, one could find angel hair pasta with mentaiko and scallops at this bar. This would usually be served at some atas joint as a starter.  Indeed, the thin layer of gold specks decorating the noodles was a luxurious touch to the dish. The version at WAN was rather light and the perfect starter to a relaxed evening with friends. Could taste yuzu in the mix and loved the sweet scallops.

Angel Hair Pasta with Mentaiko and Scallops

Next up, we tried the Rock and Roll Ngo Hiang. What? Ngo Hiang in a bar? Yes, this one tasted quite legit! Injecting local flavours into the bar scene since Hokkien Mee invasion. Everyone's thought when seeing the dish for the first time, "Why are its ends so funny looking?" Well, maybe not everybody's thoughts but those were mine as well. This ngo hiang was described as East meets West fusion where its insides are using original recipe while its batter and dipping sauce are westernized version. Chipotle sauce for the ngo hiang? It actually worked.

Rock and Roll Ngo Hiang @$10

yummy fillings

Why is it that we always feel like eating sinful stuffs when we are at a bar? Like fried wings, fried potatoes etc? Hmm. Apparently, someone else in the world had asked this question. Read here for more info.

Anyways, we were served with "Movers and Shakers". Wow, sounds like what Wall Street folks are doing. Actually, it's chicken skin deep fried to a perfect golden brown and crispy as expected. Served with a bowl of seaweed and spicy mala powder with paper bag to shake 'em in. Yup, just like them shaker fries.

Movers and Shakers @$8

Like any chips, this one sure was addictive. We couldn't stop eating. This dish can be paired with "The Casanova" concocted with gin, apple juice, appricot, rose syrup, lime juice and lychee balls. Yes, it's sweet and a girl's drink. I loved it in its shooter form. I think one could get drunk when having the actual size.

The Casanova - shooters style (tasting portion) - handmodels cr: @msginginly and @jwanting

Mala Mafia Prawns @$16

Next up, we had "Mala Mafia Prawns", another delectable appetiser. Imagine good sized prawns, doused with spicy sauce sitting on top of a soft mound of spicy mala cream and served with Melba toast. While the bread was not as crispy as anticipated, it was fluffy and a good foil to the spicy mala cream sauce. Prawns were unfortunately overcooked but I enjoyed this dish anyways due to its right flavours with enough punch.

The "Mala Mafia Prawns" can be paired with "Crazy Bitch" which is a Monkey Shoulder whisky based drink, with matcha latte and honey. So yummy, this one.

Crazy Bitch

More food was served and this time round, we got the "Cheesy Lobster Carrot Cake", another signature from WAN. Yes, our local carrot cake 菜頭粿 which is essentially made of radish, for the kway part.

Wait, lobster and carrot cake? Am I hearing it right? Wait wait, and it's priced at $18? That's insanely affordable! It looked like an oversized omelette and topped with sliced chili and furikake. Loved that the taste of chai po was prominent (and somewhat savoury sweet) and the radish was in larger cubes, just the way I liked it. Oh, this dish was best enjoyed with a good dollop of those cheesy belachan. Don't say I never say.

Cheesy Lobster Carrot Cake @$18

closer view of the radish

This was paired with "It's Complicated" which is a Hendrick's Gin based drink, with green tea, lemon, peach sour and nata de coco. Tasty!

"It's Complicated"

Happy with the food and drinks list thus far from WAN Bar + Kitchen, but Chef Anthony just kept on bringing more goodies! The Wok-Fried Omurice was quite picturesque with yellow hued omelette, dripping with delicious brown glaze and scattered with dried bonito flakes and aonori (seaweed).

Wok-Fried Omurice @$14

While I didn't find any particularly strong wok-hei in this dish, the fried rice was still good with its homely flavours. There's prawn, luncheon meat, shallots and mushroom bits so it felt like something ah ma would cook-up.

It turned out that there was one drink that I enjoyed the least, and that was the "Girl Next Door" with Hendrick's Gin, Passion Fruit Tea and Lemon Juice.

"Girl Next Door"

Finishing off our meal at WAN Bar + Kitchen with mini donuts called "Wantou Donuts". Do they mean 玩透? Served with a trio of dips including the brightly colored Bandung, and our local Kaya and lastly, my favourite Peanut Butter.

Wantou Donuts @$8

Lovely bar, music not too loud, casual vibes, tasty drinks and delicious foods. Thank you Kris for the invite, WAN Bar + Kitchen for hosting the tasting, Ting Feng and Daniella for taking care of us and Chef Anthony for feeding us well.

WAN Bar + Kitchen

Address: 3 Temasek Blvd, #01-434 North Wing, Singapore 038983
Website: https://www.wan-night.com/bar-kitchen
Contact: 9171 2179
Business Hours: 
Mon - Tues, Thurs: 12pm to 1am
Wed: 12pm to 3am
Fri: 12pm to 4am
Sat: 7pm to 4am
Closed on Sundays.

[Tasting] Godmama @ Funan SG

Have you visited the just re-opened Funan? After undergoing a $560 million renovation and redesign, the new Funan opened its doors once again on 28 Jun. Plenty of food, cafes and lifestyle shops in there, as well as the old favourites like camera and tech shops.

Funan v2.0

Was invited to a brunch tasting at Godmama, a new restaurant that serves Peranakan inspired food. Spanking new, and has both outdoor and indoor dining area. At 11am, the sun could get a bit hot in our sunny Singapore hence, we sought refuge in the cool confines of the air-conditioned dining area.

interior - lovely handpainted artwork

Met up with co-owners Christina and Derrick, and found out that Godmama is inspired by Christina's mama and godmother, and hence the name. Head Chef Fred too has Peranakan roots and the menu at Godmama is a new play on familiar flavours, catering to the younger generation.

Lychee Kris Earl Grey @$8.50

Iced Mocha @$7.50

Kris just had to order her namesake drink, the Lychee Kris Earl Grey, which is under the premium tea selection by Ette Tea Co. My iced mocha was really 'gao' (thick!). Wow.

All-Star Egg Skin Popiah @$6.50

For appetiser, we had the Godmama's Special - the All-Star Egg Skin Popiah. The perennial favourite of stewed sweet turnip, encased in a soft egg crepe with the usual sprouts and lettuce. It was wrapped with a dash of chili on the skin, which gave the dish an instant lift. The chili got power!

Next up, we tried the innovative Ayam Buah Keluak Burger. A firm piece of chicken patty that was well-grilled, dabbed with pureed sambal buah keluak (black nut), topped with onions and tomatoes and a sunny side up. Served with sesame burger buns and a side dish of emping belinjo (crackers). Do ask for some sambal belachan for the emping!

Ayam Buah Keluak Burger @$21.90

side profile

If you'd like more carbs, how about a plate of Buah Keluak Bolognese Pasta. This is a beef bolognese linguine tossed in Godmama’s classic nyonya buah keluak sauce. Quite a substantial dish, and you'd be hungry no more. The beef bolognese was pretty good and one could get that yummy beefy taste immediately. It was a pity that the buah keluak flavours were rather toned down.

Buah Keluak Bolognese Pasta @$19.90

The Godmama’s Otak Otak Benedict is another signature dish in the brunch menu. Poached eggs ontop of a large otak square, with a piece of their lovely artisanal sourdough bread at the bottom.

Godmama’s Otak Otak Benedict @$19.90

The mackerel otak otak was not spicy and the fish quality was good. This dish be enjoyed by both the young and old. I'd prefer a spicier version though.

Babi Assam Baked Eggs @$16.90

If you're looking at just one item for brunch, I'd recommend the Babi Assam Baked Eggs. Served piping hot, this dish has Godmama’s signature belly of pork simmered in an aromatic tamarind stew. The pork pieces were cut small and the babi assam stew was rightfully tangy that made it such a joy to eat with the freshly baked sourdough bread. Break the egg, mix it around, tear a piece of that bread, dip, dunk and get some of those pork pieces on top and enjoy. Guaranteed yums!

For dessert, I had my eyes on Banana Pengat Buttermilk Pancakes. Pancakes is just so right to eat for brunch. Banana pengat? Yes please!

Banana Pengat Buttermilk Pancakes  @$17.90

doused with sweet  Peranakan coconut milk and banana compote and coconut crumble with vanilla ice-cream at the side

Warm fluffy buttermilk pancake stack, with delectable sweet banana pengat sauce. Loved the local flavours! Warm sweet sauce, soft airy pancakes with cold vanilla ice-cream was a good way to end the meal.

Thank you Kris for the invite and Godmama for hosting the tasting. Congratulations on your store opening!

Godmama

Address: Funan Mall, 109 North Bridge Rd, #04-07
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/godmamasg/
Contact: 6970 0828
Business Hours:
Sun to Thur - 11am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm
Fri to Sat - 1030am to 4.30pm, 6pm to 12am

[Tasting] Un-Yang-Kor-Dai Singapore @ The Quay Hotel, 57 South Bridge Road

Un-Yang-Kor-Dai is a restaurant located at the Quay Hotel South Bridge Road, specializing in Isan (อีสาน) cuisine, which is typical of Northeast Thailand. Isan cuisine is said to feature predominantly glutinous rice, chili peppers and fish in their food.

Un-Yang-Kor-Dai has a casual comfy vibe. Its patrons were a good mix of locals and Thais. This is also a place where you could do wine or whisky with the food, or the good 'ol Thai milk tea.

decoration inside the restaurant

restaurant interior

ready to dine

Iced Thai Milk Tea @$5, Lemongrass with Lime and Honey @$5.50, Butterfly Pea with Lime @$5.50

squeeze the lime, change the colour

5 shades of purple

For food, we tried the popular Leng Zaab, which is the prime pork and back ribs with Isaan spicy sour soup. The small portion was good for at least 3 pax as primary main course, otherwise, it was also good to be shared amongst 4 to 5 pax as a side dish.

Served in a square metal container, the pork ribs were lined and stacked up into a pile of meat mountain ready to be devoured by the hungry meatatarians. The service staff would then pour in the hot spicy soup. With a dash of rice wine and the flame from a burner, one watches as the fire licked through the top of the pile before partaking in the feast.

Leng Zaab (small) @$28

prime pork and back ribs in Isaan Spicy Sour Soup

The spicy soup will hit you at all the right spots. Its tangy-ness would whet anyone's appetite, and the spice level was a good shiok as well. However, do remember to rest the stomach and not to drink too much of it, too fast. Goes very well with the white rice.

yums

Scotch Eggs in Tamarind Sauce @$12.50

Glutinous Brown Rice (mix of black and white glutinous rice) served in kra-tips @$2

Signature Grilled Chicken (half) @$12

My favourite dish was the Red Curry with Grilled Chicken (Quarter), with lychee, tomato and sweet basil. It was a balanced wholesome flavours that worked really well together. It was tangy, savoury, sweet and fragrant spices all in one. Drizzled lots of those curry onto the glutinous rice for an uplevelling of flavours. Yummy!

Red Curry with Grilled Chicken @$16.50

Eggplant with Spicy Minced Pork Hot Basil @$14.50

white rice with spicy minced pork

If you are not feeling very hungry, then the stuffed whole squid with tom yum fried rice would be a good choice. Two huge whole squid, grilled to a right tenderness with a slight smokey flavour on its outer flesh. Its inside were stuffed full with tom yum fried rice, though I'd prefer if the spicy-ness of the fried rice could be up a notch.

Stuffed Whole Squid with Tom Yam Fried Rice @$23.90

Much like the squid, we were stuffed by the end of our meal. Food coma! Typically, if you are coming in a group of 4, I'd recommend to order the small Leng Zaab, the red curry and a plate of vegetables.

For desserts, we tried the Thai Milk Tea Pudding, the Trio Tingkat Delight, and the Rice Balls with Sweet Coconut Milk with Egg.

Milk Tea Pudding @$5.50

Trio Tingkat Delight @$12

sweet potato

banana

yam

The flavours of the dessert in the tingkat and the rice balls with coconut milk, will definitely remind you of one thing. The bobo chacha!

Rice Balls with Sweet Coconut Milk and a whole egg @$6.50

whole egg

Thank you Kris for the invite and Un-Yang-Kor-Dai for hosting the dinner. Fun times with Kris, Ivan and Hence.

If you are there for lunch on weekdays, their lunch sets are looking good too especially the beef steak set!

set lunch menu

Un-Yang-Kor-Dai Singapore

Address: 57 South Bridge Rd, #01-02, Singapore 058688
Facebok: https://www.facebook.com/uykdsg/
Contact: 6787 8575
Business Hours:
Tues to Thurs - 11.30am to 3.00pm, 6.00pm to 10.00pm
Fri to Sat - 11.30am to 3.00pm, 6.00pm to 11.00pm
Closed on Mon

[Tasting] Summer Menu @ Unagiya Ichinoji Dining

Was invited to Unagiya Ichinoji Dining to try their newly launched Summer Menu.  Unagiya Ichinoji Dining is located at Suntec City Mall's Eat At Seven restaurants cluster at Level 3.

Level 3 Suntec City Mall

signage

For starters, we had the chilled appetiser of Maguro Tartar with Yuzu Jelly and the other was the Salmon Tartar Ichinoji Style. The yuzu flavour was dominant in the maguro tartar. There was no other seasoning for the maguro except for yuzu shoyu and dashi stock.

I personally preferred the Salmon Tartar where it consists of chopped salmon, mayonnaise, deep fried Chinese wanton skin, capers, chopped avocado, sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil.

Maguro Tartar with Yuzu Jelly @$7.80++

Salmon Tartar Ichinoji Style @$7.80++

The main dishes are Ichinoji Cold Somen and the Ichinoji Summer Ocean Mixed Box. Both sets came with unagi chawanmushi.

Summer Menu

Ichinoji Cold Somen (top) and  Ichinoji Summer Ocean Mixed Box (bottom)

Let's start with a refreshing bowl of Ichinoji Cold Somen. The chilled dashi stock was light and flavourful. Yummy when slurped together with those thin strands of well cooked noodles. Slices of smoked duck, Hokkaido crab claw, shredded omelette and Unagiya Ichinoji's signature charcoal grilled unagi.

The portion of the noodles were pretty generous for one pax and this set is also paired with a mini don. A mini bowl of rice, topped with slices of air-flown salmon sashimi, crab meat and some tobiko. Simply pour in some shoyu onto the rice and then mix well. Be careful of the dollop of wasabi in there though!

Ichinoji Cold Somen @$29.80++

noodles

yummy signature charcoal grilled unagi

If you are not a noodles person and you can't get enough of those delicious unagi, then perhaps the Ichinoji Summer Ocean Mixed Box would be your preferred choice. The lacquered box is laden with shredded tamago, Hokkaido Snow Crab Claw, charcoal grilled unagi and scallops, and a few slices of maguro sashimi. Lovely.

Ichinoji Summer Ocean Mixed Box @$36.80++

Thank you Kris for the invite and Unagiya Ichinoji Dining for the food!

Unagiya Ichinoji Dining

Address: #03-307, Suntec City Mall, Singapore (038983)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unagiyaichinojidining/

Contact: 6268 8043