Met the friends for dinner and we decided to visit the pop-up restaurant by Masterchef S2 winner Derek Cheong which is currently held at Jen Singapore Orchard. You can choose between lunch and dinner and the menu is priced differently for different days. We went on a Wednesday night where the 5-course dinner is priced at $88+
It was so empty I thought we were the only guests
We started off with some Kombu Brioche w Kombu Butter. It was good. The bread was really soft and we could taste the sweet and saltiness in it. Though it would be probably be better if they could distinguish the butter with something else. Cos Kombu + Kombu seems like an overkill
Chawanmushi
Crab | Ikura | Yuzu Ponzu | Wasabi
We really enjoyed the chawanmushi. The sweetness of the crab meat, the burst of the ikura and balanced by a citrusy yuzu ponzu sauce. It was flavourful and delightful
Hokkaido Scallop
Ramson | Fava Bean | Asparagus | Kailan
The scallop was nicely done but I didn’t quite like the sauce. I felt it was the taste of the bean was a tad too strong and the plate makes it really hard to slice the scallop. Your hands had to be lifted which puts it in a really awkward position. We were curious nobody feedback about this challenge. I was like, hmm, maybe they were just too focused on the food? The friend was like.. but it’s so uncomfortable!! lol. Point taken
Black Cod
Razor Clams | Sake Lees | Beurre Blanc
The cod was really disappointing. It was a slight too rubbery (like scallop texture) and a bit fishy. I thought it was a little overdone as well. Well, we all know cod doesn’t taste like that. The razor clam sauce was good though, just that the protein failed beyond imagination. We feedback to the staff and they mentioned they will let the chef know. Well, there was no service recovery which was a slight disappointing I guess. I’m not sure if cos this was held at the premises of Hotel Jen which makes it tough for the chef to do anything. Regardless, if he was going into the direction of fine-dining / semi fine-dining / opening his own restaurant in the future, guests would have expect you to do something even they did not mention it outright. He has a long way to go
Pork Jowl
Miso | Apple | Cabbage
The friends find it a little salty and the portion a little small. All I was looking forward is the post-drinks session we gonna have after this dinner
Apple
Shiso | Pine | Kiwi
Refreshing palate cleanser. You can taste the sweetness of the apple and kiwi, alongside the fragrance of the shiso leaf
Roasted Banana
Chocolate | Peanut | Coffee
We actually enjoyed the dessert. The combination of chocolate and coffee reminded of tiramisu and the taste of the banana was really evident. It was delicious
Dinner also came with free coffee/tea which was.. nothing to rave about
And so we quickly paid up, went across the road and had round 2. lol
I felt like it was a roller coaster ride having dinner here. It started off great, then it went down and ended off above average. Yes, quality of food is essential but one has to note that the whole guest’s experience is important as well. And to survive in this competitive F&B industry, winning a title does not mean everything
Twelve Flavours x Makan@Jen
Jen Singapore Orchard
277 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238858
Easily satisfied, Hard to please 