It was my last meal in Singapore on my last visit (was there for the Asia's Best Restaurant Awards) and I had heard that Bacchanalia was hip - and it was - but I wasn't expecting to be this impressed, especially because some know it more as the hip happening cocktail lounge it becomes at night.
But to say I enjoyed my meal is an understatement. The dishes were creative without being crazy and very intelligently executed. Couldn't stop thinking about it.
My feature about it in the Philippine Daily Inquirer here.
This is A Different Salad. It has seasonal root vegetables. Served with poached banana hearts, Macadamia fluid gel, a Ponzu veil and banana puree. Interesting use of the puso ng saging.
A Different Salad was served alongside sayote. "Chayote squash served two ways: picked and steamed." Reminded me of the Eat Pray Love melon and prosciutto combination but obviously not on the sweet side. I had never seen sayote used this way before. We usually use in chicken soup in Manila (tinola).
Hamachi. This is where The Fat Duck bobs its head. It comes with melons that were sliced thinly, compressed and dehydrated. I could have had it for dessert, hehe. So tart! So juicy!
Check out these scallops! Interesting to note here was the use of beans and cocoa powder, which heightens the flavor of the beans, the chef said.These scallops, btw, were to die for.
And no, that is not embodito. That is a huge chunk of foie gras - cooked sous vide! The chef found inspiration in Asian flavors and used a gel of tamarind infused with lemongrass and ginger. It was presented in a peanut satay sauce and, on top, grated chestnuts.
We also had Tajima wagyu short rib that was sooo tender as it was braised for 48 hours. It has "a cloud of black pepper and apple wood smoke" - a whiff of it is supposed to make you fall in love, haha.
Definitely a meal etched in my memory forever.
I wrote -
But to say I enjoyed my meal is an understatement. The dishes were creative without being crazy and very intelligently executed. Couldn't stop thinking about it.
My feature about it in the Philippine Daily Inquirer here.
This is A Different Salad. It has seasonal root vegetables. Served with poached banana hearts, Macadamia fluid gel, a Ponzu veil and banana puree. Interesting use of the puso ng saging.
A Different Salad was served alongside sayote. "Chayote squash served two ways: picked and steamed." Reminded me of the Eat Pray Love melon and prosciutto combination but obviously not on the sweet side. I had never seen sayote used this way before. We usually use in chicken soup in Manila (tinola).
Hamachi. This is where The Fat Duck bobs its head. It comes with melons that were sliced thinly, compressed and dehydrated. I could have had it for dessert, hehe. So tart! So juicy!
Check out these scallops! Interesting to note here was the use of beans and cocoa powder, which heightens the flavor of the beans, the chef said.These scallops, btw, were to die for.
And no, that is not embodito. That is a huge chunk of foie gras - cooked sous vide! The chef found inspiration in Asian flavors and used a gel of tamarind infused with lemongrass and ginger. It was presented in a peanut satay sauce and, on top, grated chestnuts.
We also had Tajima wagyu short rib that was sooo tender as it was braised for 48 hours. It has "a cloud of black pepper and apple wood smoke" - a whiff of it is supposed to make you fall in love, haha.
Definitely a meal etched in my memory forever.
I wrote -
It may be an overwhelming experience, though. The depth and breadth of chef Ivan Brehm’s understanding of ingredients and technique is such that your meal will not end when you ask for the bill, but will last for hours if not days later. And only after several eureka moments will your experience become a memory.
(Full story here.)I meant every word!
