Wild Rocket

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The place was packed for lunch during Saturday. I decided on the omakase lunch which was consisted of 7 courses (S$97++). My only request was the dessert not to be the restaurant's signature Wild Rocket Chendol which I just had a couple of weeks ago. Ice water was served after placing order.Course 1 : Bah Chor MeeNegitoro (minced fatty tuna) topped with chopped spring onion and chilli padi, crispy lards, fried shallots, on top of a bed of warm glass noodles.Course 2 : Thai Pomelo SaladServed with tiger prawns & frozen coconut dressingThe dressing was like a scoop of ice cream and made of coconut, chilli, fish oil, and shallot. It tasted quite lemak. Having it with mint leaf, pomelo, and cilantro, it tasted quite refreshing with hint of spicy and sweetness of fruit. Course 3 : Chilli CrabCrab cake made of blue crab and spanner crab, served with chilli crab sauce.The crab cake was packed with nothing but crab meat. Quite juicy and yummy on its own.Course 4 : Hokkien MeeFresh pasta cooked with prawn stock, and hae ko (black shrimp paste). It was quite flavourful but a bit too salty for me.Course 5 : Wild Rocket Strawberry CheesecakeIt served deconstructed style in a Martini glass. Creamy without too sweet or sour.I was surprised that I was served dessert before my main. I later asked the staff who thought I already had it. In the end I went through what I had with 2 different staffs and decided that there was 2 more courses.Course 6 : Black vinegar iberico pork jowl with pickled cabbage and chestnut pureeThe meat was quite tender and pulled out easily. Quite appetizing with the pickled vegetables.Course 7 : Lychee sorbet with lychee martini gummyThe sorbet was topped with ginger flower and blue pea flower. Interesting flavours of the light lychee and the slightly stronger ginger flower. Quite refreshing.Overall the food was not bad but was a tab upset about my course of dishes being overlooked. By the way as the place was full house, it was quite noisy too. continue reading

Being one of the ten restaurants that had made it to Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants of 2016, Wild Rocket sits at the 38th position on the list amongst other restaurants in various parts of Asia. Wild Rocket is started by Chef Willin Low, who used to practice law before his foray into the F&B industry in 2005. Nestled in the tranquil environment of Hangout Hotel, Wild Rocket is within walking distance from Little India MRT, though it is a steep climb up a hill. In 2014, the space was renovated to what it looks like today, exuding a clean, Japanese-inspired vibe that is classy, comfortable yet without being pretentious or over the top. For lunch hours on weekdays (which was the time we had made our visit), diners can choose from the ala-carte menu, the 3-course set lunch menu ($38++) or the Omakase menu (between $120++ to $160++), while the 3-course set lunch menu would be replaced with a 4-course set dinner menu ($75++) in the evening.First to arrive at the table would be the bread service, where we were served house-made Brioche with an accompanying olive oil to dip in. Baked in-house, the Brioche may seem just a tad dry initially, but it turns out to be fluffy afterwards as the bread simply disintegrates into smaller pieces instead of clumping up so there is pretty much close to zero effort to chew. The consistency of the bread might be done intentionally so that it does not turn too mushy if dipped into the olive oil, which is pretty fragrant and flavourful. For those who prefer their bread to go with butter, they do also offer salted butter on request.For my starter, I have decided to go for the Giam Chye Mustard Leaf Duck Consommé with Duck Confit Cubes, which is Wild Rocket’s take on the Chinese Salted Vegetable Soup that is served with daikon, tomatoes and duck confit cubes. I am one who does not really fancy Chinese soups, but this was one that got me going for more. While seemingly light to drink, the soup was immensely flavourful especially for how clear it was; never a moment too oily. Duck Confit cubes were spectacular; felt pretty smoky and savoury at the same time and definitely gave a good flavour contrast to the soup. Indeed, a great starter to the meal ahead.My dining partner picked the Barramundi Carpaccio with Orange Shallot Oil. A harmonious marriage of the Chinese Yu Sheng into Carpaccio, the fish was amazingly fresh and drizzled with orange shallot oil for a little tanginess going hand-in-hand with the shallot was fragrant of its roasty flavour; that flavour you would have expected from the same shallots you add into a piping hot bowl of Porridge. It’s really that comforting.Picking from the selection of mains, my choice was the Iberico Pork Char Siew with Shanghai Kao Cai & Quinoa (supplement $8++). The instructions to enjoy this dish was as follows; peel off the rice paper over the bowl, then squeeze the Calamansi to release the juices over the dish. Digging into the Iberico Pork Char Siew first, the tenderness of the slab of pork was mind-blowing; a really soft, tender, juicy slab of pork where you can pull the streaks of flesh effortlessly with a fork. Coated with a layer of sauce that exudes a smoky sweetness, the pork itself really stood to the occasion basking in the limelight for how stellar the execution was, making every bite an ironic moment because it’s just so good to have, but every bite that was taken would mean one bite less afterwards. The Quinoa was decent, but the Kao Cai was umami which helped to lift the flavours of the Quinoa while the lone Shiitake mushroom at the side also deserves a little mention for that subtle sweetness that sets it apart from the usual Chinese dried mushrooms that we are used to having. It is told to us that this dish is their take on the “Tau Yu Bak”, and the rice paper served alongside is intended to be the replacement of the bread that usually comes along as a carb; the wait staff however advice patrons against eating the rice paper as the texture of a half-steamed rice paper is not something everybody might fancy, but it is known that some patrons still do eat it.Unlike the Iberico Pork Char Siew, the Baked Halibut with Curry Hollandaise (supplement $6++) would really hit those who prefer softer flavours. Twice-baked; once just by itself and the second time with the Curry Hollandaise on, the Halibut achieved flakiness without losing moisture within. Since the Curry Hollandaise is baked along with the fish rather than being simply drizzled over the top, the Curry Hollandaise actually “sticks” on the fish instead, which definitely helped to lock in the flavours of the sauce above the fish. The Curry Hollandaise helps add a hint of curry fragrance into the dish, and alongside with the root vegetables did seem like Wild Rocket’s twist on Fish Curry. While the root vegetables on the side seemed to be devoid of excessive seasoning, they were still flavourful from their natural flavours; possibly an intended move to bring out the unadulterated, natural flavours and sweetness of the root vegetables with no distractions.With four desserts on the menu to choose from, we have decided to go for the Trio of Flowers and Strawberry Cheesecake (supplement $2++). Between the two, the Trio of Flowers would fit well for those who prefer lighter desserts; coming with Osmantnus & Chrysanthemum Granita, the flowery flavours work as a good palate cleanser for a flavour-intensive main. Together with the Elderflower Jelly sitting beneath the granita, it adds a tasteful sourness that provides for a flavour contrast with the granita, making the dessert a truly refreshing after-meal treat. For those who crave for something more conventional-sounding, the Strawberry Cheesecake is actually Wild Rocket’s signature dessert. Served deconstructed with layers of cream cheese, digestive biscuits and macerated strawberries, they were bound together with a Maple Walnut ice cream that introduces a mildly sweet, yet nutty flavour to the dessert. Despite how normal it might sound, this is probably one of the best renditions of a cheesecake out there; Wild Rocket had made their own twists to the elements that make up the dish, hence the flavours are really balanced and uplifting that one will never get sick of. Truly living up to the name of signature indeed.For more photos and the full review, head over to jiaksimipng in the link below:https://jiaksimipng.wordpress.com/2016/06/03/wild-rocket-upper-wilkie-road/ continue reading

Whenever I visit Singapore, I always try to meet up with my former colleague, S (who also blogs here). She always takes me to the coolest places, which makes sense as she's lived there all her life. For this trip, S took me to Wild Rocket at Mount Emily.Wild Rocket serves “Mod Sin” cuisine (Modern Singaporean) as pioneered by its chef and owner Willin Low. Drawing inspiration from his travels and his passion for food he grew up with, the lawyer-turned-restaurateur conceptualises his dishes by twisting ingredients and turning presentations without losing the spirit of tradition. The result? A very exciting and contemporary take on Singaporean food. Think hawker food but gourmet.The space, refurbished recently, is contemporary and clean-looking. There's an omakase bar where the chef serves an 8-course degustation menu (SG$118, roughly £55) and a area you can hire for private dining.As we munched on the complimentary bread (served with really good olive oil), S and I both opted for the set lunch. It's great value for money at SG$33 (roughly £15) especially when some of the mains are set on that price.Our first course came and the server instructed us to pull our drawers for cutlery. I liked this idea. I also liked the fact that as we were in Asia, it's almost customary to take photos of your food first! Lol.For starters, we had the gyam chye mustard greens in duck consomme with duck confit ravioli and foie gras bits. S tells me it's a modern take on the classic Peranakan dish itek tim, a soup of duck, vegetables and salted vegetables and salted plumps simmered together (like the Filipino dish tinola).The bits of foie gras and the gyam chye (pickled mustard) gave the dish good texture and the duck confit ravioli was really good. The consomme itself looked spectacularly clear, except S & I both couldn't finish it as it was a bit too kiam (salty).We asked for a separate order of their famous pomelo salad with tiger prawns and frozen coconut sauce (SG$17) which S had been raving about for yonks.It looked so deceptively simple yet the freshness of the ingredients made this dish sing. The frozen coconut sauce, sweet with notes of fish sauce and savoury things, is genius. Each bite was exciting as textures from green beans, nuts, crispy garlic, chilli and coriander play freely in your mouth. Yummy.For mains, I had the catfish masok merah with spicy tomato relish served with asparagus. It looked rather simple but captured the flavour profile of masak merah, a classic curry dish often served with chicken. I thought I'd be hungry after this but two fillets of catfish in that awesome sauce later, I was pretty satisfied.S ordered the krapao thai basil pork bee tai bak topped with onsen egg. I had a bit before she poked the yolk and I liked it a lot. Pork had a bit of a kick and the noodles were interesting.That said, for someone who doesn't eat egg I truly appreciated the food porn the onsen egg created.Onsen is a Japanese term relating to hot springs that flow, and look at how that egg yolk flowed...Impressive, no?I had the ji ma hu black sesame soup with milk ice cream for dessert. It was a generous portion for what it is but anyone who loves peanut butter would consume this with much gusto. I wish the texture was a bit smoother but overall, the taste was moderated by the milk ice cream.S had the coconut ice cream with salted gulab malaka. I love all things coconut but thought the ice cream was just average. I thought the salted gulab malaka (palm sugar) would taste like salted caramel but actually, it has less smoky/burnt flavour with a bit of tang and a smoother texture. Quite pleasant.Overall I reckon my Wild Rocket experience was made better by dining with a local who was able to explain origins of each dish. With each forkful of contemporary food, my mind traipsed through history, culture and tradition. I enjoyed it very much and though the location is a bit tricky to get to, it's pretty worth the trek.Wild Rocket SingaporeHangout Hotel, 10A Upper Wilkie Road Singapore | +65 6339 9448Ave spend pp: SG$50 for lunch, $75 for dinnerLike them on Facebook. Follow Chef Low on Instagram. continue reading

I've always had a penchant for brunch - whiling the lazy mornings away in a serene setting coupled with hearty fare and great company. What better way to unwind and enjoy the intricate subtleties of life And I've found just the place to do so - Wild Rocket. The man at its helm is none other than lawyer turned chef, Willin Low, who has built up a reputation for cooking dishes which are Singaporean at heart but with a twist.Nestled at the top of a hill (Mount Emily), Wild Rocket is a quaint little eatery/restaurant docked on the first level of Hangout Hotel. The decor is simple, focusing on the simplicities and the giant glass windows complete with semi transparent curtains allow sunlight to peer through, creating a cheery and lively atmosphere sans the heat. An air of serenity and elusiveness lingers in this dreamy and charming little outfit.Though not billed as a fine dining restaurant, Wild Rocket still serves up complementary bread, which didn't quite impress me honestly. For one, the bread was too porous and came across as a tad too dry and bland. Thankfully, it was served warm.Ricotta Jackfruit Pancakes with Maple Syrup - No this isn't a picture of left over pancakes. Its what we got for $8.50 - 2 small pancakes and 1 piece of deep fried jackfruit. It was excellent though, soft and fluffy with a tinge of jackfruit taste. Bits of jackfruit were also embedded within for added texture/flavour and the sweetness of the maple syrup was just about right. Now someone please explain to me why do good things always come in small packagesLaksa Pesto with Spaghetti with Tiger Prawns & Quail Egg - A most interesting dish. As the name suggests, its spaghetti covered with coriander and bits of chilli flakes which is supposed to have a mild laksa taste. And by golly, it certainly does! The pasta was al dente but a tad too dry for my liking. I counted 3 average sized prawns and 3 quail egg halves, which certainly doesn't place this dish in the generous ingredients category. Honestly, this is not something I'll order again cause I don't find it outstanding.Scrambled Eggs, Fresh Beef Sausages with Toast - A greedy mistake on my part. I had spied the adjourning table ordering this dish and the serving certainly looked generous. Oh boy, how wrong I was. 2 sausages, a small serving of scrambled eggs and a side of toast. The dish was clean in less than 5 mins, but not that it tasted great in case you are assuming. The sausages were rather salty and the meat didn't seem firm. As for the scrambled eggs, it was too salty as well and tasted like too much milk had gone into it.The Wild Rocket Burger with Sun Dried Tomato Salsa - Notice the usage of the word "The" in the name of this dish. Its obviously Wild Rocket's signature offering and is THE must try burger. Pleasing aesthetics aside, the burger weighed in slightly bigger than Iggy's offering but smaller than those of Carl's Junior. The patty was huge by the way and rather well mashed, chewy and moist yet not overwhelming. Interestingly, the sun dried tomato salsa atop the patty was a tad sweet but complemented the beef almost flawlessly. The accompanying potato cubes were a little too soft and salty (I could make out the salt granules on the potatoes).Kueh Buloh Tiramisu - Here's another classic example of how much of a mountain tortoise I am. I have no inkling whatsoever as to what in the world is Kueh Buloh. Shame on me. But the Kueh Buloh Tiramisu was quite good if you ask me. Soft with a nice layer of ice cream beneath it. But it kinda loses the Tiramisu flavour and composition though, which is rather ironical.Dark Lava Chocolate Gateau with Ice Cream - Few molten chocolate cakes can match the truly splendid rendition by Mortons or the value for money offering at Abof. Wild Rocket's version comes close. Well almost. Its decidedly as good as Abof's but significantly more expensive as well (not as expensive as Morton's though). The shell was slightly hard while the spongy interior was soft and moist. Thick oozing, not too sweet chocolate completed the picture. But it was small, even smaller than Abof's.I had a good and leisurely brunch, no doubt about that. But >$100 for 3 pax does seem a little steep especially with the smallish portions. Its a nice place to hang out though and service is good. They will definitely be seeing more of me. On a side note, please let me reiterate that the place is tiny and you are looking at about probably 30 people max so please please please make your reservations. continue reading

My starter of stir-fried shiitake “noodles” on grilled polenta ($13.80++) was pretty bland and heavy cuz of the creamy gorgonzola truffle sauce. And the truffle fragrance was totally masked by the strong cheesy seasoning.Without trying too hard, the chilean seabass with winged bean and chin cha lok fermented shrimp salsa ($33.80++) was the best dish of the night. The hint of heat was just right and the fish was roasted nicely. Another creation that appears like a must-get from the menu: salted caramel kaya banofee pie ($12++). Doesn’t that sound like a dream?I love the combi but alas, less than midway through, the whole concoction got too creamy and left a nauseating oily mouthfeel. But that’s just me, I have a low tolerance for cream! If only the cream is replaced with ice cream.. Now, that would be a dream dessert~ continue reading