When Sky on 57 closed, we thought we would never savour Chef Justin Quek’s signatures again. So when he opened his new all-day dining at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, we head back to try. The new place under his wing is called JustIN Flavours of Asia with a focus on local food. The restaurant overlooks the light show at Marina Bay Sands so it is a good option for those want to dine and watch at the same time. We spot some foreigners dining there while we were there and we wondered what they think of atas local food. HA

In any case, we decided to go for the set menu (Experience Menu, min 2 pax $68++) since we got to try a little of everything but we got them to change the Yusheng for us due to dietary requirements. The food comes out pretty fast, in fact so fast that there was no more space on our table to put the dishes

Fried Sakura Chicken with Lemon Mayo, Sesame and Coriander Dip (Replaced)

Very tender chicken pieces though I probably won’t order it again

Signature Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao

I thought the taste of Foie Gras was pretty strong but the friend said it was okay, considering she doesn’t like Foie Gras. Packed with a firm meat filling and filled with a hearty broth, it was an elevated from the usual Xiao Long Bao

Wok Fried Angus Short Ribs with Sea Salt, Garlic and Chilli

The joke behind this was we didn’t know what the dish was. The meat was so tender we mistook it for chicken and finally it dawned on us we were having the short ribs. That being said, I thought the short ribs was quite flavourful. I love the fragrance of the garlic and the kick of the chilli to give it a little spiciness

Signature Wok Fried Live Main Lobster Hokkien Noodles

Probably the star of the night. The broth was delicious. The noodles had a wok-hei taste to it. I would come back for the hokkien mee, though at $40 (ala carte pricing) it might be a little extravagant

House-Made Ondeh Ondeh Cake

We were quite impressed with the ondeh ondeh cake. The fragrance of the coconut and the sweetness of the ondeh ondeh blended well without being too sweet. And topped with a little crunch was smart and creative

If I have friends visiting from overseas, it probably be a good place to impress. I felt like they brought local food to another level, retaining familiar flavours but elevated to something different. Though one can also justify you need to enjoy local food at a hawker centre to fully appreciate the culture here. In either case, it’s a case of budget, ambience and company. And one has no lack of options

JustIN Flavours of Asia

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

10 Bayfront Avenue  

Bay Level, L1-83

S(018956)