When I first saw the menu for this place, I was a tad skeptical. There aren't many menu items, and frankly, most of the dishes just didn't stand out to me. But boy oh boy, was I pleasantly surprised!
My favourite dishes, and what I found to be the highlights of the meal, were the spicy charred brussels, market fish curry, roasted squash salad, and the Japanese deviled eggs. All beautifully incorporated Asian flavours in a very natural way. My companions loved the Sinigang wings, brussels, and market fish curry.
We came as a group of seven, and thus chose to order everything on the menu. We asked the server to decide for us, and he seemed a bit overwhelmed / nonplussed.
I started with the 4am Birdsong and expected a lighter drink, given the lychee flavour. However, it ended up being a much strong whiskey drink. Next time, I should definitely order the Thai Gin Fizz instead, as it is their most popular cocktail product.
Japanese Deviled Eggs:
These were the first to arrive, and we had one half each. I was NOT expecting them to taste like wonderful bites of sushi, but they had the pleasant umami flavour of the ocean! It must have been the salmon roe, combined with the nori and furikake. The kewpie mayo and yuzu added a slight tangy note, but not overwhelming by any means.
Duck & Chicken Liver Mousse:
The server had initially proposed only getting one of these, but then after careful consideration, he came back with two orders. Good call on his part! The liver mousse was so wonderfully creamy and earthy, and paired perfectly with the housemade Filipino sweet bread (pandesol). The pomelo was okay - slightly bitter (obviously not in season), and the shallot jam was a sweet addition. The mousse killed it though!
Za'atar Roasted Cauliflower:
Out of all the dishes we ordered, I found this to be the most underwhelming. The Za'atar gave it a nice curry kick, but the flavour profile was weak and the edamame hummus wasn't very prominent. I still had seconds though, as I was trying to get some veggies in ahead of a protein-packed meal - though I regretted it shortly afterwards when everything arrived and was so delicious!
Roasted Squash Salad:
I don't think that my companions appreciated this dish much, but I absolutely loved it! The squash was roasted to be wonderfully creamy, and the arugula was coated in this umami-filled Thai dressing. You could really taste the dried shrimp and fish sauce, and I loved every bit of it. This dish has really inspired me to go home and experiment with these flavours, because the Asian fusion reminded me of home in a very modern way. I definitely consumed half the dish, but I'm not ashamed to admit it!
Sinigang Wings:
We ordered three dishes (15 pieces) to share among the 7 of us. Everyone at my table adored this dish - some even went so far to state that it was the "best wings" they've ever had! On my part, I found the wings very flavourful; the tamarind sauce with peanuts and chilies really shone through. However, it wasn't my preferred dish, as I thought the wings were too salty and saucy. Had to gulp down multiple glasses of water after consuming just one!
Spicy Charred Brussels:
Don't be fooled by the appearance of this dish... the brussel sprouts look blackened, saucy, and mushy, and they'rehidden under this fresh green bed, but are so delicious! The sprouts are coated generously in this very salty and spicy oyster sauce, but there's a very rich and earthy flavour coming from the anchovies. My companion kept asking incredulously, "Is there meat in this dish?!" but all the flavour definitely came from the crispy anchovies. We got two orders of this, and everyone really enjoyed it.
Rice w/ Mushrooms:
This was my least liked dish of the night - the taste was quite bland. Perhaps it would have been better to start with this dish due to the subdued flavours, as the richness and saltiness of all the other dishes probably overpowered the profile of this dish. The slow-cooked egg didn't really mix well with the rice (maybe they could consider a poached egg), and the porcini flavours didn't really come through.
Market Fish Curry:
This came with Malaysian roti and jasmine rice, and was by far everyone's pick of the night (we ended up getting three orders!). Though I forgot what type of fish it was that night (some sort of trout) but it stayed warm in the hot stone pot. The curry was sinfully creamy (probably had a can of coconut cream in each pot), and I loved the hidden mustard greens. I did find that there were too many peanuts though - filled me up much too fast.
Grilled Bavette:
The steak was very well-marinated, and there was an unexpected spicy kick to it! A little chewy/tough, but still very delicious. Unfortunately, it paled in comparison to all the other Asian dishes!
Ricotta Donuts:
These deep-fried goodies resembled Chinese style donuts, but by then I was too full to have an entire one. Wasn't my favourite though...
To conclude - an amazing, indulgent meal!