Violet Herbs (Closed)

A session at Violet Herbs for food tasting was definitely a highlight for that week! Overall, the flavours tried and tasted were new (atleast to my buds, my taste buds) and they stuck true to Herbs as per their name.Key takeaways:1) Good food comes with a price, but doesn't have to be overpriced.2) Passion always shows in your work - like this experienced couple delivering such interesting concoctions infused with herbs.3) Eggs poached for 1-hour are just WOW - lovely in colour, taste and richness.Located "diagonally" opposite Orchid Hotel and along along Tras Street (first after the grass patch) – so it’s easy to get to from Tanjong Pagar MRT Stations. This French feat Modern European (a course meal diner with ala carte options) was opened in Dec 2014 by local couple, Dani and Chef Edward (previously at The American Club Singapore, Fish Market & Bistro and Restaurant Ember) with more than 22 years of combined experience in F&B, Singapore. Because it was a tasting session, we were treated to 6 dishes of sample size and a surprise Amuse Bouche of Beef to start the ball rolling. The name itself amused me - my great inexperience showing as I drew blank and had to ask what was that?! The Amuse Bouche, according to Wikipedia, is a single, bite-sized hors d'œuvre and different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons, but, when served, are done so free and according to the chef's selection alone.So, thank you Chef for serving up this aromatic dish. The beef was tender, easy on the palate and served with Madeira sauce and fried saffron strips. It was served with Saffron Bread which smelt so good and chewy in its thickness. First time trying a full-on Saffron Bread and it was delish!Next up – Mango Scallops served on Parsnip Puree topped with Mango Gel, a thin Potato Chip, Mango Salsa and Micro Herbs. I liked the Mango Salsa and the Gel is interesting (easily assumed as fish roe instead but it’s not).Parsnip Velouté. Parsnip… huh?! Velouté referes to thick soup. AH!!! And so, this dish was a nice thick, creamy soup that was smooth with fresh Sri Lankan crab meat and drizzled with herb oil, fresh herbs, chocolate soil (crumble) and edible flower petals. A very rich comforting dish with subtle flavours! Truffle Foie Gras, Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly and Marinated Red Miso Cod were the lined up mains for us to sample. And between the first 2 mains we were given a Yuzu Sorbet to help clear our palates. Pretty smart move as both the dished have very distinct flavours that stick to your senses. I enjoyed savouring the Truffle Foie Gras amongst the 3 mains. Accompanied with poached egg, poached for 1 hour egg which gave the yolk a strong, thick yellow/orange tint and the white was silky smooth. At the slice of the yolk, it blended well into the cepes reduction and summer black truffles. Summer Black Truffles which costs a pretty dime from what we heard! Check out that egg yolk below.The Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly has a high fat marbling and melts away in your mouth (atleast in mine!). Served with homemade herb fries, spicy blood orange sauce, asparagus and micro herbs – I was just glad we were sharing this richness. As I’m a confused fan of Seafood - the Marinated Red Miso Cod it was tender and not too sweet to me (only ‘cause I don’t particularly know how to enjoy fish) and of course… fishy. So you may want to check out the others' opinions on this dish.Bring on the dessert - Frozen Nougat for a bittersweet and cooling ending. Served with raspberry sauce, mixed fruits/berries, chocolate soil, crumbles and lychee sorbet – it was a refresh end to our beautiful tasting night at Violet Herbs. I wanted seconds of this!Final Verdict: I would go there again whenever I’m looking for interesting flavours aside from our day-to-day #nomnomnoms. (Also, to show-off my newly acquired knowledge.)Thank you #OpenRice & Violet Herbs for this session!…Read More

Violet Herbs - a Modern European restaurant with exquisite dishes deriving from French and Italian Cuisine. Once I heard of Modern European, the first thing come to my mind is Heston Blumental, followed by Ferran Adrià. Although I've never been to the Fat Duck or El Bulli, watching them created multisensory and sophisticated dishes on Food Channels, tingle my taste buds.Opened in December 2014, Violet Herbs are the brain child of Chef Edward Hoe and his wife Danni. Chef Edward Hoe has more than 19 years experience in Modern European Cuisine, and being made a head chef at the age of 25. His CV will include executive roles in Fish Market & Bistro, Restaurant Ember and The American Club Singapore. We started our tasting session with Amuse Bouche of Beef Tender with Madiera sauce and fried saffron. The cubed beef are well-seared and tender. The sauce is bold and thick, while the fried saffron and strips of fried egg provide a crisp texture to the dish. On the side, there is a saffron crusty bread. The saffron flavour on the bread has a unique taste. Mango Scallops. This dish have a multiple layer of flavours. Creamy yet subtle Parsnip Puree, nicely seared scallops with sweet mango salsa on top. To savour this dish, you need to poke the mango gels before you spread it to your scallop. The potato chip with parma ham suppose to add to the crispy texture, however this time around it tasted a bit rancid and the taste of the parma ham seems to be missing. Maybe skipping the potato chip, just singly use of crispy parma ham will maintain its flavour yet remains the crispiness. Next was Parsnip Velouté. In simple English Velouté means thick soup. The soup was dense, creamy, smooth yet subtle in flavour. This allowed the freshness of the crab meat, fresh herb and flower petal to stand out. Unfortunately I can't taste the crumble though. Truffle Foie Gras. This dish was just delightful in my mouth. Accompanying the perfectly seared foie gras was one hour poached egg. Using sous vide technique, the egg was cooked in immersion circulator at the temperature 65°C for an hour. This result in an intense orange colour yolk and in thicken texture, more gooey egg white with velvety texture in your mouth. The perfectly poached egg binds well with the thick Cepes (Porcini Mushroom) sauce and lighter flavour of summer black truffle. I was actually tempted to ask for second serving He..he.. In between the heavy flavoured dish, we had Yuzu Sorbet, which was a refreshing palate cleanser. It can taste a bit sweet, but definitely prepare our taste sensory for the next dish. Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly. This dish is not for the faint hearted. Kurobuta pork is similar to the comparison to Wagyu beef. Meaning high in marbling (fat content). The pork belly looks fatty, and it just melts in your mouth. The spicy blood orange sauce helps to balance the dish, and crunchy asparagus for texture. The fries was double fried, however I expected to be more crispy. Marinated Red Miso Cod. The cod fish was well marinated with the right amount of red miso. The fish was flaky and tender. While I have to admit I don't like to eat eggplant unless they are crispy, I find Chef Ho manage to incorporate well the mushy eggplant with the crispy chips. The roasted pumpkin puree gave the slightly intense and sweet flavour to the dish. For a sweet ending, we had Frozen Nougat. The soft texture nougat was mild in its sweetness was paired with refreshing lychee sorbet. The raspberry sauce which almost in dried state with strawberry and blackberry provide the balancing of acidity to the dessert. A nice ending to the meal. I noticed all the dishes served with either micro herbs, flower petals or aromatics. While it does not provide a strong aroma to influence the dishes, the presence and subtle flavours mean a lot to the multi sensory experience when you are dining at Violet Herbs. Violet Herbs has two levels of dining area. On the first floor it has the purple violet theme, with the bar which served their signature herb cocktails feature prominently. On the second floor, the theme is more simple and natural. During the day, there will be lots of natural light came in from the windows to brighten up the room. Other than the semi formal dining experience here, Violet Herbs are suitable for corporate or private functions. Overall, I really enjoy my dining experience here. I think the decorations and lightings of the dining area are just right. The food are delicious and with a little bit more on tweaking the dishes, it will be excellent. Can't wait for my next visit here. Cheers!! Thank you very much to Open Rice and Violet Herbs team for the tasting invitation.For the complete Chubby Botak Koala dining experience, click / copy the below link.http://www.chubbybotakkoala.com/2015/05/violet-herbs.html…Read More