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

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