Province 2.0 - Refined Amazing Local Flavours

Whenever I want to enjoy meticulously crafted, refined local flavours, Province is definitely one of the restaurants that come to mind. And so here I am again to experience Province 2.0, a new dining concept with revamps on flavours, plus additional unexpected surprises. The food is as good as ever, featuring familiar local flavours presented in unique, awesome ways that makes me go, “This is so different from the usual taste!”

This is one memorable meal filled with lots of gastronomic surprises. And Chef Jia-Jun and his team make sure we feel right at home with their great hospitality.

First appetiser reminds me of my favourite CNY flower-shaped cookie. And this old-school beloved CNY goodie is given an elevation and twist by pairing with luxurious goodies such as Chutoto, caviar and sakura ebi. The taste is so nostalgic and exciting at the same time due to the briny sweetness of caviar and creaminess of chutoro punctuated by the herbal zest of laksa emulsion. The crispiness of the cracker adds texture to the paste-like chutoro.

The next appetiser looks simple but is surprisingly full of subtle harmonised flavours, from earthy mild sweetness of potato, intense refreshing savoury goodness of ikura to the richness of the organic eggs.

Our familiar Bao is given an awesome makeover with uni and Japanese white corn to yield a bao that tastes so unique and good. This is full of creamy umami savoury goodness, balanced by the mild buttery sweetness of corn and the mild nutty sweetness of the fluffy bao. This is like lava bao, lux umami version. So decadent, so good!

A surprise not in the menu comes in the form of Prawn Toast! It’s amazingly and surprisingly, wow, so good. It taste distinctively prawn, yes, but at the same time unlike any prawn dish I had tasted.  I love this new exploration of the taste of prawn. The sago cake has light crispiness and a bit of stickiness to have that "revealing the core" kind of surprise on the palates. The savoury taste of prawn is layered with the sweetness of prawn, made even more distinctive when topped with prawn caramel.

When I first see Province's interpretation of the Rojak, I thought this dish will be super zesty and refreshing. Imagine my surprise to find that yes, it has the zesty, refreshing elements, it is also incredibly naturally sweet, elevated by the earthy Southeast Asian taste of jambu stuffed into the tomato, belacan sauce, the accompanying vegetables and cashew nuts. Rich and refreshing at the same time. Brilliant 

The old school favoutite Wanton gets the star treatment, where the stuffing is made up of shrimps, dried flounder and Sarawak pork for marriage of the sweetness from the sea and land, completed with the earthy taste of airy light Shitake foam. The pork is specially chosen for its milder taste. This dish tastes so comforting and sweet, with lots of flavours dancing on the palates, like the sea, the earth and the garden coming together.

Soon Hock is interestingly prepared like Amadai to yield a great contrast in texture, with a more earthy and unique taste profile that totally goes so well with the sour-spicy umami-rich smoked mussel curry. Different from usual Soon Hock, this one tastes more refined where the smooth pliable flesh is highlighted by the deep fried crispy scales. The mild zesty spicy curry balances the taste of the fish and add excitement to it. The zest from the confit fennel lifts up the spiciness to make it even better. 

Savoury palate cleanser exploring the entire taste spectrum, with a Southeast Asian flair. And it works!

Aged for 10 days with lemongrass, then roasted before resting for 2 days, the Braised herbal duck, packed with star anise, coriander seeds, Thai makwan pepper, galangal, tastes nourishing and is so flavourful, while light and balanced in taste. The hint of zest brightens up the taste. The meat is so tender and succulent yet has a good firm bite to it. Best braised duck, of course!

Second part of the duck dish has fluffy Sarawak Highland long-grained rice served with duck consomme that has a lovely hint of herbal bitterness. Cognac is added for the extra lux. I totally love the amazingly slightly fluffy duck sausage that has the local flair. This dish tastes so satisfying and comforting like Chinese sausage rice, but elevated and more elegant in taste and texture.

Mango and Glutinous Rice is like mango fantasy with textures. Mango sorbet, mango cubes, cute bouncy glutinous rice balls and crispy deep fried mung beans seasoned with chilli and salt, comes together for an exciting dessert.

Kaya toast is oh so good due to the fluffy brioche soaked with coconut milk, brushed with butter and coconut flower sugar. It has a hint of savoury goodness and refreshing element, compledted with the earthy taste of sourdough ice cream, richness of egg yolk jam and kick of the maldon sea salt. This is so good and satisfying to enjoy. 

Unique Petite Fours is in the form of Black Pepper Financier and Pink Guava Candy. I titally savouring them so much too.

The glorious display of the ingredients used for the dishes of the night.

Thoughts: Awesome Fine Local Delights

153 Joo Chiat Road

Province by Law Jia-Jun - Fine, delicate, amazing Southeast Asian Cuisine

I’m back for some atas Southeast Asian cuisine at Province. Because at here, I get to experience refined unique and meticulously prepared food with a hint of familiarity. In addition, the snacks of this autumn menu feature prawn, lobster and crab, which are my trio of favourite proteins, so I definitely make it a point to come here for autumn season. And the dishes here continue to impress with their multifaceted tastes and varied textures.

I’m so pleasantly surprised by the intense, complex umami sweetness of Prawn and Sago Toast with Uni. That soft punch of flavours really makes me go, “Wow” at first bite. I also love it that it is different from the usual toast due to the sago, resulting in an awesome texture that is crispy on the outside and chewy in the centre.

Lobster Tartare, Hamburger and Flatbread showcases this unique, wonderful Southeast Asian complex, super natural sweetness. Featuring local rock lobster, this snack is full of exotic Southeast Asian flavours. Definitely one of my favourites of the night.

Cold Crab Tartlette has this interesting, simulating taste that is slightly tangy, tempered with the funk of preserved tangerine. The granita adds a nice moisture to the crab meat while allowing the sweetness of crab to come through.

Soy and Caviar consisted of fermented green papaya, smoked tongue, yuba and silken tofu. It is mellow in taste. The tongue actually tastes better than what I expected. It’s like meat with a slight firmness.

Mikan Madai is a form of fish carpaccio, Southeast Asian style. Brightened up by slight bit of citrus kick from kalamansi, made complex by pumpkin prepared in various ways, the taste is balanced while highlighting the sweetness of the Mikan Madai that carries a hint of taste of the tangerine.

The snacks hit the sweet spot, but the standout dish of the night is actually Golden Cap Farms, where mushrooms of different forms were prepared differently to showcase different contrasting textures and different layers of earthy goodness.

Packed with porcini gnocchi, deep fried golden shimeiji, this is mushroom heaven. In fact, this is the best mushroom dish I ever have.

The accompanying mushroom tea, made from mushroom trimming and kombu, topped with dots of shiso oil, tastes so comforting. It feels so good sipping on this cup of clear earthy umami. The tea elevates the dish oh so much.

From Vietnam with Love showcases air-dried Salmon grilled over charcoal, which is sweeter with crisper skin.  The sauce made from these super briny sweet sea worms, chervil, celtuce and ikura actually highlights the sweetness of the fish.

Curious about sea worms, a regular ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine, I immediately agree to chef’s offer to showcase me the sea worms in its dried form. It has a very intense briny aroma, kind of like dry cuttlefish.

The name “Dang Quail” is a word play on “Dang Gui”, a traditional Chinese herb also known female ginseng. And just like its namesake, this dish features aged quail, female ginseng, paired with the unique Bue to Nae rice and completed with liver sauce. This tastes so nourishing due to the bitter and sweet herbal aroma of female ginseng. I love it. And the quail meat is silky smooth and juicy, going perfectly with female ginseng.

Mulberries and Daun Salam has this super harmonious sweetness with a touch of tangy taste. It’s surprisingly so good.

Madu Lapis, with Medovik aka honey cake paired with the cold burnt honey ice cream, tastes so magical. It is a dessert like no others.

Thoughts: Awesome and Delicate Southeast Asian cuisine 

153 Joo Chiat Road

Borderless Butter - Yummy Butter Making Fun

Since I love to spread lots of butter over breads, croissants, pancakes and regularly use butter as dipping sauce, I can say I love butter. And I always buy any butter that I find interesting when shopping at gourmet stores and supermarkets. So when I find out about Butter Making at Borderless Butter, I straightaway click on the link and book a session without hesitation.

It proves to be a fruitful experience. It is fun to churn out the butter from scratch and feels incredibly gratifying to create something that I always enjoy eating. And also very rewarding when I fall in love with the taste of the butters that I have customised by adding a variety of ingredients.

The workshop, located in the quaint neighborhood of Joo Chiat, has that whimsical, artistic, idyllic vibe that makes the experience feel unique and relaxing.

My first butter creation is Ma Ma Mia! And like its namesake, this butter is supposed to taste bombastic. And it does, due to the pepper flakes I add, with a dash of salt. It tastes great. Though after I’m done with this butter, I’m thinking that maybe adding a drop of honey will deepen the complexity of the taste and bind together the savoury and spicy flavours.

Umami Cream tastes exactly as it is named. The main ingredient added is finely cubed Shitake mushrooms, whose earthy flavour is perked up by the intense briny sweetness of seaweed sauce. And the texture is rendered varied and exciting. A sprinkle of salt for extra savoury taste and a scattering of brown sugar for a touch of richness and caramel goodness. This tastes absolutely amazing. So good that I realise how much a bit of sweetness does to harmonise the flavours. Thus I want to add some to Ma Ma Mia!

Bottles for making of butter.

Pouring cultured cream into the shaker bottle (screw-on cap type). After closing the cap, I just keeping shaking while keeping an ear on the sounds the cream makes. At first, there is swishing sounds. Then the cream turns into whipped cream consistency, and there is no more sound. Keep going at it until the fats separate from the liquid to form butter. At this point, the swishing sounds can be heard again! Kind of amazing, if you ask me.

Butter after draining off the buttermilk, which actually tastes good too! Then it’s off to the ice bath to wash off any remaining liquid. Followed by squeezing the butter dry, which determines the shelf life of the butter.

Array of ingredients from salt, brown sugar, caramel, honey, mustard, soy sauce, pepper flakes, kimchi, seaweed to mushroom. The possibilities are endless.

Mixing in progress ...

Umami Cream - Mixed with Mushroom, Seaweed Sauce, Brown Sugar and a pinch of Salt

Ma Ma Mia! - Mixed with Pepper Flakes, a dash of Salt and a dot of Mustard

Thoughts: Awesome, Delicious and Fulfilling Experience

180B Joo Chiat Road Level 3

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