Jiak Kim House - Beautiful Pairing of Tastes from Different Regions

Jiak Kim House got my radar due to the interesting fusion of Asian culinary influences into European dishes. So when I found out that Crystal Wines is hosting Ao Yun Wine Dinner at Jiak House, I immediately jumped onto it. It is such a wonderful experience where I get to savour uniquely curated delicious food and enjoy awesome wines from same winery and different years.

The dishes really delights the palates with their myriad of distinctive flavours that work so well together. I also love the unique combination of the ingredients featured, which yields the exciting gastronomic journey of exploring new taste.

The venue is so impressive, retaining the grandeur, opulence and nostalgia of the old colonial house that the restaurant is situated in, while refreshing the place with hints of modern sensibility. I feel that I'm being transported to a lavish European restaurant in the old times of Singapore. I love immersing in the unique and luxurious feel of this place. The service is friendly and good, making dining here a very good experience.

Chilled Crab & Jellyfish is oh-so-good that my eyes widen in pleasant surprise at how refreshing, simulating and complex the taste is. Alaskan King Crab is so meaty and packed with clear taste of briny sweetness. And this delicate taste of the ocean is elevated with the sweetness plus an iota of tang of Soupsop Sorbet. Thai Green Pepper Sauce features the pungency and kick that make the fish all the more exciting and exotic. The chopped jellyfish adds bits of crunchy texture to the crab and smooth sorbet for complexity in texture. My favourite dish of the night.

The bread, served warm and toasty, is so flavourful and fluffy, and with the butter with the taste of char makes it even better.

Gula Jawa Foie Gras is so rich, silky, luxurious, injected with refreshing, exciting flavours from floral sweetness of Rambutan, zest of Grapefruit and pungency of Ginger Caramel. Very well-executed.

Stockyard Wagyu Ribeye is a very hearty mains with the right amount of fats for that richness while maintaining the tender, form texture.

Black Forest Dark Chocolate with Buah Keluak Ganache and Kirsch Cream Namelaka is a very interesting black forest cake reinterpreted in mousse, upmarket form.

Refreshing Dom Perignon 2013 with floral notes

Ao Yun wines produced in a specially sourced vineyard in the Himalayas, high up in the mountains from 2200 meters, taste so elegant and complex. This wine dinner really makes me have a newfound appreciation for wine tasting and wine making, where the terroir, technology, methods, climate, expertise, community, tradition and dedication really matter a lot. I love this experience of tasting wines from the same winery and from different years to really appreciate the subtle differences between them.

Thoughts: Awesome Experience full of Local Flair

5 Jiak Kim St #01-17

Nearest MRT: Havelock

Bakalaki Greek Taverna - Rewarding Journey for the Adventurous

I had always been curious about Greek cuisine, but never got around to trying until now. And a meal at Bakalaki made me realise how much I had missed out on. Better late than never. Greek food is very different in taste from French and Italian food, but it is delicious, simulating, filling and hearty nonetheless. And dining here feels like being transported to a sunny town in Greece.

Navigating through a Greek menu is so exciting because I can't understand a word of it and it's my first time 😂 Luckily, there are English "subtitles" beneath each dish for me to make an informed choice. I decide to order Tzatziki at first look because one, I think I saw this word before, so it should be a pretty famous Greek dish, and two, I like its ingredients of Greek yoghurt–best yoghurt, cucumber, garlic and olive oil. The service team lead is very thoughtful to suggest two dip platter instead, so that I can try another kind of dip and I, as a solo diner, will not be overwhelmed by huge amount of one of kind of dip. I opt for Taramosalata, which is white cod roe with lemon juice and breadcrumbs.

Tzatziki is so creamy and refreshing in taste. The tangy flavour of the yoghurt complements the cool element of cucumber so well. The garlic adds a hint of distinctive aroma to further spice things up. Spread it on the delicious pita bread with pillowy interior, this is pure comfort food, with lots of zest.

Taramosalata is more intense in taste. Not bad, but I prefer Tzatziki, which totally whets the appetite.

Super fluffy bread with crusty exterior is a joy to much on. This is the first time I try bread sprinkled with rock salt and oregano, and I love it.

I get a shock when Htapodi, aka  the Octopus, is presented onto my table. My first thought is, "Is it possible for me to finish this?" And to add on to it,  I'm not even a fan of octopus.

But this dish manages to convert me into a fan, and I know now why this is a speciality of the restaurant. The octopus is unbelievable tender. In fact, this is the most tender octopus I ever have, baby octopus aside. Slightly chewy but still easy to bite, packed with light briny flavour accentuated by splashes of lemon juice, and laced with a thin layer of smoky taste and charred meat, this is oh-so-good. By the way, I easily finish every bit of this.

Galaktoboureko, which is flaky thin Filo Pastry stuffed with semolina custard and Greek honey syrup, looks simple and is simply yummy. Semolina is a kind of durum wheat used to make this custard that is slightly different from the usual custard. This custard has more structure and is more curd-like in texture, I like it. And it pairs excellently with the slightly stretchy thin pastry.

Nice complimentary House Shot presented during dessert time. By the way, the restaurant is very generous with the house pour of red wine I had ordered 👍 

Too crowded and since I don't like to post photos of patrons' full faces, except myself, thus a cute sticker added here.

The place is beautiful: full of little details, like the bird-like lamps, the bougainvilleas, the straw-hat lamps, ratan chairs, , white-washed walls, full-panel glasses to let lots of natural light in to add to the dining experience. It reminds me of the famous Greek island, Santorini that I see in the photos.

The service is very good, being polite, professional, friendly and prompt to response. The team lead guy takes very good care of me by informing me to order dessert later and offering to hold my order of chicken skewers due to the possibility of me not being able to finish everything. And true enough, due to the generous portions of food, I have to limit what I can order. I'm really impressed by this thoughtfulness.

There are other food items that I really want to try here, not to mention a dining experience here really perks up my interest in Greek cuisine, so I look forward to be back again.

Thoughts: Greek food is awesome!

38A Martin Road

Nearest MRT: Havelock or Great World City

Yujin Izakaya - Hearty Japanese Treats

This restaurant is no longer in operation

While on my way to Dempsey, a Japanese restaurant decked in bright red situated at a corner of the road immediately caught my eye. It really has this Izakaya vibe that is so evident even in the afternoon, imagine how vibrant it will be in the night. I knew I had to make a metal note of this place: Yujin Izakaya. Fast forward to a week later, which is now, I'm here at this quaint place for a new foodie adventure!

The Hokkaido Hotate Sashimi is super fresh and succulent, and has hints of sweetness. A good start to the meal.

Uzaku is wakame seaweed with pickled cucumber and unagi added. It is nice, especially the smokey flavours of thin slices of unagi–I actually prefer this kind of tiny bite-sized form of unagi. But I will prefer it if mozuku is used in place of wakame instead. I find the seaweed a bit on the chunky side.

Ebi Somen is a must try here. It is so rich in flavours and awesome on texture. The thin somen is thoroughly drenched in prawn oil, making it so smooth and full of goodness of the umami of the prawn. And coupled with garlic and spring onion for extra hints of pungent aroma to spice things up. The sautéed prawns are delicious: fresh, meaty and carries a light layer of char flavour.

Warabi Mochi is so good. Luckily, I changed my mind and decide to try out this dessert. The mochi is like refreshing sweet spring water in jelly form. And this refreshing taste is coated with the intense flavours of brown sugar and coconut cream for a real sweet ending. This combination actually works so well.

The place has this authentic Izakaya vibe, where friends gather at night, let loose and just have a relaxing and sort of, rowdy time. The walls are plastered with artfully done posters that feature old school manga style drawings. The service is very good, the staff being very attentive and friendly, cementing this restaurant as a place to chill out. I do love to go back again, especially at night time to try out the sumiyaki here and to really feel the izakaya vibe at its peak.

Thoughts: A great place to have a good time and enjoy great food.