Dill - Lovely Amazing Scandinavian Cuisine

I know that I will come back to Dill again after my first outing here because I love the unique flavours of Scandinavian fine-dining style cuisine here, realised with Japanese and Norwegian ingredients, the super cosy feel of the restaurant and the great hospitality of the owners.

The dishes here all pleasantly surprise me with special flavours of Scandinavian herbs, resulting unique tastes of fermentation techniques and how all these robust flavours are tied nicely together. I'm amazed that while Japanese ingredients are used, the dishes taste distinctively Scandinavian.

Decked in pine wood, the restaurant has this upmarket homely cosy feel, that is so different from those at other places, due to the host/owner's passion for the restaurant, evident from the beautiful floral arrangements on display in the space.

I definitely will be back here again to enjoy awesome Scandinavian cuisine in a cosy place.

I always love Scallops but at that time, I also wondered if the distinctive taste of this seafood could be transformed to be different yet still distinctively scallop. And Chef Daniel Hasvold Jung-Eldøy is one of the few chefs who can do just that. The unique herbal taste of lovage lifts up the milky sweetness of the plump juicy super sweet scallops while the emulsion balances the flavours while adding hints of zesty excitement. Amazing taste and texture too, due to the excellent juxtapose of crunchy leek and bouncy scallops.

Complimentary snack comes in the form of Truffle and Asparagus Tart, which has crunchy bits of asparagus introducing tiny bits of savoury excitement within the smooth creamy core elevated with the earthy aroma of truffle. A good exciting start.

When I saw that uni is one of the ingredients in the first appetizer, I thought it would taste Japanese. I’m so surprised to find that this dish tastes amazingly and distinctively Scandinavian. The cured egg yolk shavings, which contributes to the unique taste of the dish, with the spicy horseradish, punctuate through the briny umami of uni for a soft creamy, savoury, slightly zesty awesome taste. The crunchy, smooth turnip pieces add good hearty bites to the texture.

Langoustine from Norway is so unbelievably tender and juicy. With the seasoning sprinkled on the langoustine, plus the fermented leek and herbal freahness of parsley, the first bite of this makes me go, “Wow, this is so good!” This tastes like lots of unique flavours rolled into one light balanced harmonised taste. A must-try order here.

I’m not a fish person, but I totally love the Halibut here, which is fresh, pliable and succulent, with a touch of roasted goodness of meat. The zest of the sauce and the taste of dill cut through briny sweetness of the Halibut to elevate the taste. Crunchy vegetables such as cubed cucumber and corn add so mich to the texture and the taste.

I’m not a chicken person either since the breast meat is usually too plain, tough and dry while the thigh meat has tendons and strong gamey taste. But the spring chicken here actually tastes so good, where thr breast meat is so tender and flavourful. The light sauce enhances the sweetness of the meat. The paper thin chicken skin is super crispy, making it a delight to munch on with the meat. The mizuna leaves and ramson capers adds additional texture and herbal goodness to the dish. Best chicken dish!

The dessert pleasantly surprises me by how balanced the taste of strawberries is in here. The high tangy taste of strawberry is balanced by the custard and lemon verbena while the biscuits, kolakaka, add warmth and variation to the texture. The custard is so good, in the sense that it is creamy but not heavy. Excellent dessert.

I got to the try awesome Norwegian spirit, which tastes fresh and sweet. A must-try!

A special wine that tastes like rum 💖 I love it!

Thoughts: Incredible Unique Dining Experience full of warmth

33 Duxton Road

Dill - Amazingly Magical Scandinavian Cuisine

Scandinavian Cuisine is quite a rarity in Singapore and is a needed addition here to our melting pot of different cultures manifested through food. So when I found out about Dill, a Norwegian restaurant helmed by Michelin Star Daniel Hasvold Jung-Eldøy, I knew I must come here to get a taste of what Norwegian Fine Dining is like.

And after an awesome, one-of-a-kind dinner here, I can say that Norwegian cuisine is one of my favourites!

Update: And of course, I'm back here again!

The food here is full of harmonised, well-balanced, distinctive flavours, perked up by hints of zest. The taste is light yet complex at the same time. It is so different and distinct from other cuisines that I definitely feel like I’m dining in a faraway land full of seafood caught from the cold waters, fresh and specially fermented vegetables.

With Chef’s impressive resume, my first assumption will be that the restaurant tends towards formal dining style. So I’m pleasantly surprised by how cosy, homely and intimate the space is. Decked in light beige wooden panels and partitions, populated with pale wooden furniture and decorated with dainty light-coloured florals, this stylish minimalist place is like that quaint little Nordic restaurant packed with the owners’ passion.

The service is excellent, being so friendly, especially with the awesome host, who ensures patrons feel welcomed, enhancing that homely feel.

This is a must-visit for the foodies, the curious and the adventurous.

The first appetiser of Löyrom, which is Nordic roe, Cheese and Chives, all of which have very distinctive strong flavour, is surprisingly well-balanced in taste. The mildly briny sweetness matches so well with nutty pungency of cheese, especially with the chives adding a layer of soft vegetal freshness. And the Onion Cream is the magic that elevates the dish, evoking that "wow"moment. It adds complexity to the taste and its pungency highlights the natural sweetness of the roe and cheese. The pastry shell's texture is buttery and crumbly, blending seamlessly with the smoothness of the cheese. An awesome start to the meal. 

Fluffy Sourdough Bread with crispy shell is a delightful snack to enjoy on its own or with the Norwegian butter. First time I'm trying Norwegian butter and I'm impressed. As compared to the famous French butters, this butter is lighter on the palates while being sweeter at the same time. It fits with the whole theme of the meal, which is light and full of flavours. 

The Scallops here, interestingly served cold, are the most refreshing scallops, in a good way, of course. The soft briny sweetness of the scallops is rendered complex and oh-so-good by the vegetal sweetness of peas, the zest of the sauce, the pungency of herbs and yes, the lovely char aroma of grilled seafood. I love this so much that I finish every single drop of the sauce.

Next up is the warm dish of Cod, which is so different from any other cod dishes. I'm not exactly a fish person, but I totally love the cod here. Because the cod is perfectly cooked, being juicy with that iota of firmness, and featuring a thin layer of browned surface, and the pungency and zest of fennel and fermented celeriac cut through the oilness and brininess of the fish to retain the milky sweetness.

The beef is packed with meaty sweetness and is so tender with a good amount of char to impart an extra sweetness. The grilled vegetables are da bomb: the grilled sweetness of Baby Gem is so amazingly good that it makes me go "wow". The whole dish is made exciting and refreshing by the herbal zest of ramson.

The dessert of Rhubarb, Strawberry and Cream is light and refreshing with different layers of flavours, from mild sweetness, tanginess to a touch of earthy herbal taste. The crumble at the bottom is the magic here, adding a satisfying crunchiness and a buttery sweetness to round up the flavours nicely. 

Lovely White Whine

Smooth Red Wine

Thoughts: Falling in Love with Nowegian Cuisine!

33 Duxton Road

Hemlig - Scandinavian Delights

Closed

Going on more gastronomic adventures, and this time is jumping into the unchartered waters of Scandinavia! I personally think it's a pretty daring move since I had never tried Scandinavian cuisine before, or even read about it before Hemlig. But it's exciting too to try something new, and it's part of the fun.

Turns out that the food here is really good and surprisingly very suitable for our palates. The place has this classy clean look with lots of light colour wood that reflects the cool climate of Scandinavia. And the antler lamps complete the look. With the ambience in place, time to enjoy some Northern European fare.

Smørrebrød of Plaice with Homemade Remoulade is bit like Fish n Chips, but way better. The plaice flatfish has fine, moist texture with subtle sweet flavour. It is more flavourful than than the usual Fish n Chips. And each thin fillet is thoroughly coated with golden brown super crispy breadcrumbs to yield that brittle crunchiness with each bite. Homemade remoulade is the star here. It is like tartar sauce, creamy but has more goodies packed within, being more nuanced and varied in flavours.

Tjörn Altos Plato Elderflower Lingonberry Lime is made with Scandinavian liquor and is thus very unique in taste. There are herbal and nutty notes in the cocktail that actually go well with the refreshing tangy taste of the fruits.

Janzon's Temptation Creamy Baked Potatoes Anchovies and Sautéed Onions is the MVP here. This is so delicious! Freshly baked in the glassware, the blanket of browned potato strips and savoury cream hold the heat within to get piping hot potato strips slathered with creamy umami. This is pure delight to savour. And I like it that the potatoes are in the shape of French Fries, since the core of the strip has a good bite to it and let the mild sweetness of potato shine through the flavourful sauce. A must-try here.

Dessert of the Day is Chocolate Brownies. Rich dark chocolate and an interesting nice texture similar to that of nougat. I like this.

The ambience has a sense of cool calm with lots of high tables for the cool and sophisticated ones. There are some family friendly tables at both ends too. The service is very good and friendly, advising me on number of dishes to order so that I don't overstuff myself. At here, I feel a moment of being far away from the usual city buzz. I enjoy my time here.

Actually, after a lunch here, I'm all eager to try more of dishes here. And I saw that the dinner menu is even more exciting, with Skagen (Cold Water Shrimps with dill and lemon), Gravlax (House cured Salmon), Seafood Casserole and more. All these look like what I will like! I think I need to plan a trip to there for dinner lol

Thoughts: I had tried Scandinavian cuisine and it's good!

This restaurant is no longer in operation.