Morsels of Délice: Synthesis 食拿酒稳 - Interesting East meets West Cuisine

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Synthesis 食拿酒稳 - Interesting East meets West Cuisine

A recent private party brought me to Synthesis, and after trying their food during the event and liking what I had tried, I decided that I need to come here again to focus on enjoying the food at my own pace (I was more of in celebratory mood than foodie mood during the party lol).

This place is bustling with patrons on a Saturday night, reservations is a must. After two outings here, I know exactly why. The East meets West cuisine here is interesting and unique, thus refreshing and surprising the palates, and more importantly, is delicious and well-suited to most palates, including those who mainly eat local food. I totally enjoy the food here.

The ambience here is an eclectic mix of different styles and vibes, which actually works and reflects what the food here is like too. The exterior is reminiscent of traditional Chinese medicine shop, which is quaint and eye catching. Once entering through a giant heavy wooden sliding door, whose entire surface was engraved with Chinese words, one will be greeted with a Taiwanese street lit with Chinese neon signs. Yes, this is totally instagram-worthy spot. After transversing through this corridor, carefully step over the kerb to see a totally different world of dark mysterious modern, stylish, upmarket bar. I also like the juxtapose of the western alcoholic drinks filling up the shelves on the wall behind the bar and the distinctively Chinese cutleries and cups stacked around the bar.

The service is friendly, helpful and energetic, which really fits well with the upbeat mood of the place.

Laksa Prawn Tartare wins me over with its Homemade Laksa Ice-cream, which is so creamy with hints of spiciness, zest and pungency. Yes, I try it on its own and also pair it with prawn cubes and potato chips. Both are good. This combination of prawn tartare and laksa ice-cream us ingenious. I would love this dish even more if the chips are more artisan in nature though.

Salmon Pani Puri totally gets my attention wuth how pretty it looks, and the taste matches up to the looks. Cured Atlantic Salmon, Assam Curry, Lemongrass Cream create a bombastic taste with nuances of complexity and briny sweetness. The texture of thin crispy shell of Pani Puri complements the moist filling so well.

Nasi Lemak Kueh Pie Tee features Tumeric Chicken, Onion Sambal and Pandan Coconut Foam, which is like an ode to Malayan umami flavours. Very unique and pleasing in taste.

Pna-seared Hokkaido Scallops with XO Cauliflower Puree and Ikura is so succulent and tasty.

At the event, after trying one of this, I immediately love it. And at noticing that the people at my table were not helping themselves to the food (I have no idea why), I took another one, then another, plus another Kueh Pie Tee and Pani Puri. Maybe my actions made them realized that the food is good, and they started tucking into it. Goal met! I don’t like to see good food get wasted, so I either try to motivate people to finish it or I will try to finish it by myself.

"Suan Pan Zi' Truffle Carbonara is a must-try for vegetarians and worth a try for non-vegetarians. Slightly chewy Yam Abacus Seed soaked in lovely truffle cream sauce is so delicious. Crispy Burdock Root adds the variation in texture and Wild Mushroom elevates the dish with its earthy taste and unique texture.

Bing Chiling is consisted of Winter Melon Gelato, Honey Osmanthus Gelato and Peppermint Herbal Gelato. All three are tasty and nice. My favourite is a toss between Winter Melon and Honey Osmanthus. This is recommended for sharing. For me, having 3 gelatos at one go kind of freezes my senses and … brain. Now I appreciate that most desserts have only one scoop of ice-cream. Nonetheless I like the unique take on ice-creams here, and I would have love them more if I have each one of them on different occasions.

The awesome service staff serves up 2 shots of cocktails for me to try.

Appetite whetting Sakura Cocktail

I had tried other dishes, namely "Xia Hua" Charcoal You Tiao and Mongolian Fried Cauliflower, at the party, which are delicious, but I didn't' have the chance to take photos of them. The Cauliflower is like no other Cauliflower dish, highly recommended, and is another must try for vegetarians.