I am so excited about dining at Asin, the new venture of Ace Tan, chef of now defunct ASU restaurant, where I had an awesome and memorable meal. And yes, an outing here proves to be exceptional and unique. The dishes here features that distinctive tastes of Asian and Southeast Asian, yet very different at the same time, being lighter, more complex and more well-balanced. And at here, I get to experience Malaysian fishes in a different way that actually impresses me.
I also love the calm, upmarket Chinese interior dotted with artistic vibe from the plants, the “specially for summer only” painting behind the open kitchen counter and the cards with Chinese watercolor paintings of the ingredients used in the dishes drawn by commisioned artist. This little thoughtfulness makes the experience so special and I can feel the passion chef has for his craft.
Service here is stellar too, with the chefs coming up to introduce each dish, and the service being so professional and friendly.
Definitely look forward to coming back here again!
Oyster Omelette is hyogo oyster, topped with egg and brushed with chilli holy basil sauce, and encased in Chef Ace Tan's signature crystal ball puff. This first appetiser features a warm sweetness with hint of spicy umami that immediately silently wows over my palates. The oyster is creamy and slightly springy, unlike any other oyster, in a good way. The oyster is briny sweet with well-balanced flavours. An awesome start.
Tori Luffa Bao, packed with chicken, luffa and Dong Qu yellow wine, speaks of textures that amaze me. Biting into this super soft and fluffy bao to reveal the succulent core of chicken marinated in Dong Qu Chinese wine, tempered with the slightly crunchiness of Luffa. The taste is distinctively Chinese, yet at the same time more refined and more balanced, with the unique pungent umami of firm gelatinous century egg bites adding excitement to it.
Assam Hamo features this distinctive Southeast Asian taste with the slightly spicy tamarind assam, which is the magic to cut through the creamy briny sweetness of the pike coungar eel to elevate the taste. The tempura is thin and crispy, contrasting perfectly with the fish. The refreshing vegetal freshness of herbs and vegetables, such as amela tomato lifts up the taste of assam for hint of excietement. I never know that I can like fish curry until I try this dish.
There is a secret dish where Aji is rolled up within super thin crispy wafer and sprinkled with corn powder on one side and tomato powder on another. There is this awesome juxtapose of textures between the wafer and the fish. And the sweet Aji actually tastes refreshing when paired with the wafer. Brilliant pairing.
Inspired by Chef Ace Tan's Grandma’s Ngor Hiang, named as version 1.0, NGOR HIANG 6.0 is made with Japanese Yuba skin, Tiger Prawns, 5 Spiced Jeju Pork. The ingredients of the ngor hiang is first steamed for the juiciness and wrapped with the yuba skin to be deep fried for that crispiness. The Tiger Prawn is so succulent with a bouncy texture, and slightly spicy meaty sweetness of the pork opens up the briny sweetness of the prawn. This has the lovely ngor hiang taste with a touch of lux, made even better with the crunchy bits added to the filling.
Yum Pu Ma Noodles is oh-so-fantastic. Two types of fern noodles are mixed together and tastes so refreshing, in a mild balanced way, which accentuates the sweetness of the hanasaki crab. The smooth texture of the noodles, with the essence of crab thoroughly absorbed, this is like the perfect summer dish. The creamy texture of crab also complements the springy smooth texture of the noodles so perfectly.
FTQ Dumpling makes me go, "Wow, this is the first time that a dish tastes so bitter yet so good!" Because the bitterness actually highlights the nourishing herbal taste. The tender, juicy, bouncy and gelatinous sea cucumber perfectly complements the tender abalone cooked for four hours. The scallop adds the a different layer of briny sweetness to make it even better.
Black Beauty Black Emperor Fish with Japanese spinach presents fish in such a unique way that I am impressed. The gelatinous fish skin complements the texture of the fish so well. The fish and milky briny sweet Hokkigai, with the citrus sauce, 20 year-old Shaoxing wine and jungle garlic reduction introduces different kinds of sweetness with hint of herbal bitterness and lovely truffle-like earthy taste.
Jiang Mu Ya dish's core ingredient is Irish Duck soaked in ginger brine for ten days before being aged for a unique sweet meaty flavour. And three kinds of gingers plus Taiwanese peppercorn that tastes like lemongrass dial down the gamey taste of the duck for a balanced sweet meaty taste. The super crispy duck skin juxtaposes excellently with the tender smooth duck meat that has a good bite. The taste is lifted up when paired with the floral sweetness of the accompanying vegetable.
Mountain Yam rice is starchy and smooth rice, featuring an earthy sweetness. This is so satisfying to savour.
The accompanying soup tastes so comforting, full of umami and the goodness of duck meat.
Pepper Hanwoo Beff is so tender and juicy. Beef Bone sauce adds an extra savoury umami to the meat. The accompaniment of Sarawak pepper sauce brings something exciting and different to the taste of the beef. Delicate Lily Bulb adds a hint of vegetal freshness to the meaty taste. Korean beef is only available in few places in Singapore, so I'm happy to be able to try it here
Biwa Honey Sago tastes so cooling due to the honey water. And the creamy coconut adds an iota of creaminess to the refreshing dessert for complexity in the taste. There are lots of textures due to the coconut, starchy glutinous rice and gelatinous goodness of the bird nest. The Chrysanthemum Loquat adds that floral refreshing element, making it even better.
Thoughts: Refined, Delicate and Amazing Asian Cuisine reinterpreted
38 Carpenter Street
#01-01
