Province by Law Jia-Jun - Amazing Medley of Southeast Asian flavours

Since my awesome outing at Province during Spring, the thought of coming back is always on my mind. So I’m here for the summer menu and get absolutely spellbound by unique, awesome, refined reinterpretations of Southeast Asian flavours.

First dish of Grignotages is Spiced Pork Spring Roll, which is served piping hot. I love its super crispy spring roll skin and the core is meaty, sweet yet surprisingly and amazingly refreshing due to the herbs added. The contrast between meaty warmness and vegetal coolness is amazing.

Saba and Smoked Salmon Roe is like the Taste of Summer by the Sea punctuated by the freshness of herbs. And there is an excellent mix of textures to make it better.

Kueh Cara with Maguro and Avocado is an amazing marriage of totally different components from the humble local kueh cake, the sea to the farms. Fluffy and sweet kueh Cara highlights both the taste and texture of the briny sweet maguro and creamy buttery avocado with a touch of tangy flavour. There is lots of flavours going on for a complex, satisfying, exciting gastronomic experience. 

Octopus is reinterpreted into exciting Thai style when paried with Ginger Flower, Petai, Green Mango, Fermented Chillia and Fish Garum Gel. The optopus is super tender. In fact, it is the most tender octopus, which surprsinglyly tastes refreshing with its milky brininess. There is lots of texture and sweetness at different layers.

Abalone and Cabbage Sweetness of roasted cabbage and its cool slight bitterness works with with mild briny sweetness of braised abalone exotic tasteulam raja gazpacho

Kani Chawamushi is packed with Asian exotic umami goodness full of textures. This dish has so many goodies such as Flower Crab, Tobiko, Pumpkin, Salted Egg Yolk, Century Egg Custard. This is like No Holds Barred Rich Flavours Fiesta. And the pops of excitement due to the tobiko is actually very pronounced when paired with the custard.

Sawara with Bouillabaise features interesting sweetness of Aged Sawara fish that goes even better with the peppers. Clams, rempah, shishito kosho and saffron are added to amp up the complexity of the taste.

Iberico with White Curry tastes so good with the fresh sweetness of eggplant. Nasu Pork Chop coated with unique Asian aromatic crumbs and soaked in Curry Oil is Asian Pork Chop at its best. So meaty sweet and so many flavours,

Mandarin and Sour Plum kamquat and crispy tangerine skin is Mandarin Orange goodness manifested in different forms. I love this very Asian in taste but western and modern in presentation dessert that is unique and refreshing, with a touch of sweetness.

Rockmelon and Kueh dessert is Warm Southeast Asian sticky cake invigorated by the refreshing flora sweetness of rockmelon lime ice-cream  Sago makes for the nice firm bouncy texture in the rice kueh to balance the creaminess of the housemade ice-cream. And the coconut sugar added completes the Southeast Asian Sweet Magic. 

Thoughts: Southeast Asian Flavours reinterpreted to be at its Finest

Province by Law Jia-Jun - Amazing Southeast Asian Flavours never seen before

During a wonderful Wine Dinner with gourmets, the restaurant, Province, whihc is actually one of my favourites, actually came up in the conversation, with lots of us at the table talking about how awesome the experience here is. Then one lovely lady straightaway said, "It's a must to try the Spring Menu, it's so good." And so I quickly booked a reservation before Spring ends. She is so right on this. I have such an amazing time at Province.

The food explores the far extends of the taste spectrum delighting the palates, features the excellent juxtapose of textures while retaining core feel of Southeast Asian cuisine. It's moments of "familiar and warm yet unique and surprising at the same time". It is also an experience itself to watch Chef Jia-Jun and crew meticulously assemble the components of each dish at the open kitchen counter and then go in depths on the details of the ingredients. I enjoy myself so much.

I can't wait for Summer to come here again!

First snack of Grignotages is Peas and Ikura. Ikura with creamy egg, where the intense brininess tamed by the creaminess, definitely pleases the palates. But the pea is actually the magic. Its grilled vegetal sweetness opens up the light creaminess and intense briny sweetness to a taste that is so unique, complex and simply awesome. I also love the crunchiness of the peas. And the lime adds a dash of excitement to make it even better.

Next is Crayfish and traditional Chinese steamed rice cake, featuring such excellent texture where the springy bouncy flesh of crayfish juxtaposes perfectly with the fluffiness of steam cake. The mild briny sweetness of crayfish is highlighted by the mildly sweet starchy base of steam cake.

Caviar and Tartare is like the luxurious Southeast Asian treat. The distinctive taste of Southeast Asia is pronounced, while at the same time refined, complex and balanced, with hints of the flavours to evoke the feelings of familiarity without overwhelming the palates. The lovely combination of meaty sweetness and briny sweetness hits the exact sweet spot. The caviar, from a Southeast Asian farm, is so well balanced in taste.

Aka Ebi featuring prawn gel, fermented kohlrabi, calamansi is another dish with perfect texture, where gelatine texture of prawn gel and the crunchiness of the fermented turnip contrast so well with the juicy, bouncy raw prawn. Szechuan pepper, with all the distinctive aroma, but without numbing spiciness, highlight the mild sweetness of the ama ebi. A brilliant creation.

Beautiful Garden of Spring with aged Aji, spring greens, sesame & Szechuan peppercorn oil, yoghurt foam, showcases aji, a sweet fish with intense flavour, like never before. And I love it! It tastes so exciting, bright, with the briny sweetness of the fish highlighted by a myriad of flavours.

Snapper and Crustaceans Sweetness of the ocean chicken consommé comforting magic lies in the mosiac tiger prawns, zucchini lifts up the taste exciting

First Bite of Wagyu aged beef presents ribeye beef in different cuts and beef jus. The more cooked, tender cut is full of meaty goodness while the rare cut is creamy in taste. The unique freshness of asparagus cleanses the palate to make each bite so satisfying and enjoyable .

Smoked Rice and Squid uses the special Bue Ta Nae Rice that is dry and sweet. The charred squid has the light lovely char to complement the smooth briny sweetness of the squid. This dish is like sweetness on different layers, it feels so satisfying to savour this. The pickles perk things too.

Passionfruit and Rice Yoghurt marries Passionfruit sherbet, koji yoghurt, gooseberries and almonds together successfully. Refreshing and exciting, amazingly creamy.

I’m not a coffee person but Coffee and Roasted Banana here totally converts me to be a coffee enthusiast for the night. Roasted goodness of coffee, toasty goodness caramel and coffee crumble totally works together. The tang of roasted banana ice-cream brings a whole new level to the taste. The cashew sponge adds a good fluffy texture to the dessert. I’m surprised and pleased.

Lots of good wines to go with the course

Thoughts: Thoughtful, Unique, Refined Southeast Asian Delights!

153 Joo Chiat Road

Province by Law Jia-Jun - Exceptional, Sincere, Multifaceted with Southeast Asian Flavours

After the first time I had dined at Province at Joo Chiat, I always knew that I would be back for more because there is something very special about this restaurant. The premium ingredients specially sourced from Southeast Asia, the passion and the unique,  perfect juxtapose of different flavours from modern fine dining and Southeast Asia, all make the experience memorable and exceptional.

The nuanced flavours featured are distinctive and well- balanced with Southeast Asian flavours layered as the bottom notes, creating unique tastes like no others.

I also like it that the bowls and plates are piping hot when brought out in preparation for the next dish, thus maintaining the optimal temperature for the food.

I said it before, and I will say it again: This is one place foodies should come at least once.

The visit this time round is definitely still as outstanding as ever. I look forward to the next time here.

Grignotages Cauliflower is my favourite of the night. With clams, cauliflower steamed egg, caviar and dash, this dish is so briny sweet and complex. The bouncy texture of the clams contrasts so well with the smoothness of the custard. There is a magical surprise in the form of the touch of grill taste from grilled cauliflower, which manifests as I am enjoying the flavours of the egg and clam. I love this surprise so much.

Aged grilled Pork Belly Char Siew Bao is rustic, features a splash of intense meaty sweetness on the crispy brioche. This is one excellent char siew bao, with extra depth in taste and texture.

Chicken Liver is creamy and full of umami. Amazingly, it is rich in taste and yet light on the palates at the same time. This is like savoury foie gras in mousse form, and a very good one at it.

XO Croustade has this complex briny sweetness balanced by an iota of zest, making the taste well-rounded and exciting at the same time. The springy prawn juxtaposes so well with the crispy seaweed pastry shell.

The moment Topical Squid is being assembled in front of me, I can catch the whiffs of the smoky aroma, heightening the anticipation. The flavours of Southeast Asia work their magic here, with the nutty aroma of coconut balancing with the spiciness of sambal. The crunchy zesty bits addes make it even more exciting. The grilled squid, which is of special giant variety, is super tender with the right amount of char. It evokes a “wow” moment when I taste it amid the coconut and sambal. Another favourite of mine.

Red Coral Trout Grilled Groupa, pamapum itum, kaffir lime, wild fern showcases vegetables foraged from the wild in Cameron Highlands, and it is crunchy and delicious. This is one dish that is full of rustic Malaysian flavours.

I love the bouncy texture and sweetness of goatfish (a rare fish to be featured in restaurants since it must be fresh to retain that bouncy texture) that is highlighted by the bitterness of fern and light pungency of onion. All the flavours come so well together.

Grandma's Kepiting showcases super briny sweetness of the treasures of the ocean, such as crab, perfectly balanced by the zest of the sauce. I love this too.

Kalamansi & Sake combines together marshmallow kalamansi, sake jelly and interestingly, shiso oil. And it works! This dessert is like palate cleanser and dessert rolled into one refreshing, sweet, awesome treat. The crunch from the aloe vera makes it even better in terms of texture.

Passionfruit and Chocolate featuring passionfruit, caramelised white chocolate, almond sable is so smooth and creamy. It is full of harmonised flavours from the richness of the chocolate, the refreshing light sweetness of passionfruit and baked aroma of almond sable.

Thoughts: Amazing, Thoughtful, Exceptional

153 Joo Chiat Road

Province by Law Jia-Jun - Exceptional Unique South East Asian Flavours

Dining at Province is an amazing experience where I feel like I had travelled to various parts of ASEAN in the comforts of a restaurant. The food here, with its quality ingredients sourced from specialty farms around ASEAN, is so unique and delicious, full of nuanced flavours, that I realise there is actually lots of potential for contemporary South East Asian cuisine, and it can be interpreted in ways that we had never seen before.

It is quite an adventure here where Chef Low Jia-Jun meticulously pieces together the components of each dish right in front of the patrons, who can catch whiffs of the aroma of the components during plating. This is followed by the introduction of the dishes, where the chef explained the story behind the dish, the origins of the seasonal ingredients, the reason for the use of these ingredients. He really travels around ASEAN to look for inspiration and the ingredients in season to make these dishes possible.

The restaurant is located at the back of Eating House 808 and is a intimate cosy space that can host about eight diners. The service here is of course exceptional because the chefs–young, energetic and full of passion for their crafts–are the service crew who want to do their best for the restaurant.

This is one dining experience that foodies should go for at least once.

Update: And I'm back again the second time because I simply want to.

Because someone told me that the Spring menu here is a must-try, I found myself here again.

Summer, here I come!

The Snacks are beautifully plated to resemble the lush greenery of South East Asia jungles and fields. Tomato and Kombu Lime-Smoked Snapper from Ah Hua Kelong instantly refreshes the palates while making them happy with a multitude of subtle flavours. The snapper is clean in taste with a dash of briny sweetness. A very good start.

Next up is Carrot Croustade & Ricotta, packed with the sweetness of carrot and zing of ricotta, is more earthy in taste. I like this transition in taste profile.

Prawn Tsukune with Calamansi Kosho and Prawn Tare surprises me with its texture and taste. Its texture is really like that of chicken tsukune, but the taste of prawn tsukune is way more complex due to the light umami of the prawns. The special sauce drizzled over the tsukune lifts up the whole taste.

After the power trio of snacks, I'm totally excited on what is to come. 

Into the Gardens is such a beautiful dish, both in terms of looks and taste. The ravoli is filled to brim with the sweetness of caramelised onions plus hints of the lovely pungency of onions and spring onions. The fermented carrot introduces the bits of excitement to the flavours while the fresh crunchy greens are refreshing in taste. All these are nicely rounded up by the Grilled Tang-O sauce.

Yup, and after savouring this dish, I'm still scrapping the plate for the tiniest bits of greens and sauce because I love it so much.

Nice fruity white wine from Sicily to go with the first part of the course.

Tubers showcases how sweet potatoes can actually be so amazing in taste. Taking into account the cooking process and the transportation time that affects the amount of starch converting to sugars, Chef-Law finds the right balance between earthy sweetness and starchy texture of the cubes of sweet potato. The sweet potatoes have such good bite due to the iota of chewiness, to the point that it feels meaty, which is cool. These delicious nuggets are hidden beneath the buah keluak puree, with its nutty goodness, and smoked potato espuma, both of which add more variation to the taste profile.

Molluscs has super tender Grilled Abalone with Liver Sauce stacked over a mix of Jasmine Rice and Glutinous Rice, with a crown of Laksa Leaf Radish on top. So many flavours and textures at work here, and they work beautifully together to yield the perfect comfort food. And when mixed with fish broth at the second part, this becomes the best mui fan I ever have.

Full bodied red wine to go with the heavier dishes at the second part of the meal to tone down the richness.

Finned features a special Garoupa with Mussel Jus, Smoked Coconut Cream and Sweet Peas. The garoupa fish is a specialty from South China sea during this season, where it is egg laying season, so the fishes are fatter. First of all, I love the slightly charred top of the fish, which is so crispy, thus juxtaposes very well with the unique firm yet succulent texture of the flesh. This is the first time I try such a different texture in fish, and I love it. The mussel jus extracted from mussels of Ah Hua Kelong has such lovely mild umami. The smoked coconut cream adds a nice light creaminess while the sweet peas are like pops of refreshment in the dish.

14 Day aged Duck with Aubergine puree, grilled Oyster Mushrooms and Duck Jus is unbelievably tender. This is one perfectly done duck steak, especially when seasoned with a special spice from a Thai village to cut through the richness of the duck. The accompanying duck heart is very surprisingly not metallic and gamey in flavour at all. Being someone who will gag when trying any organs, except for foie gras, obviously lol, I can actually finish this heart easily.

Fruit is Longan interpreted in different ways as sherbet, pudding and poached, with a pickled Thai basil for a dash of zest injected into the musky sweetness of longan. Plus the crispy rice puff, the result is a sweet refreshing delight with varied textures. I love this!

Soursop sorbet has just the right balance of sweetness and sourness. It is creamy in taste, going excellently with the smoky flavour and sweet aroma of the handmade love letter. Prik Pao, with its spiciness, makes this dessert very interesting and exciting.

I totally love this place and all the dishes of the 7 course meal here. Dining here is an experience like no others. It is one of the best restaurants here. I look forward to see what new surprises they have in store for next season.

Thoughts: Splendid South East Asian Contemporary Cuisine

153 Joo Chiat Road

Nearest MRT: Paya Lebar