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Business Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Food review: Peking duck for S$9.90? Cheap and good Chinese food at Mansion 7
NEW RESTAURANT Mansion 7 30 Maxwell Road #01-03 Singapore 069114 Tel: 6038-0295 A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Open daily for lunch and dinner: 11am to 3pm; 5.30pm to 10 pm. (From 9 am on Sat & Sun) IF you had S$98 to spend on dinner for two, what would you choose? A few tapas in a sharing plates joint? Or a blow-out, one-for-one abalone set menu served with a side of Broadway Beng? You find the latter at Mansion 7, a strangely unlikely Chinese restaurant that we can't help but like. It's just six months old, but it feels as if it's been hidden in an obscure corner of Tanjong Pagar since 1987. Yet it's so unattractively retro, it would fail any audition to be the filming location of a period drama. You don't so much find as stumble into this nondescript low-rise, industrial-like block that houses Mansion 7 and a fitness equipment showroom. This is also where you'll run into Alex – part restaurant manager, part fastest tongue this side of Maxwell Food Centre. Ok, he's Beng without the Broadway, but just as entertaining, unleashing corny zingers as easily as he reels off the day's specials. 'Are you open?' We ask him tentatively, 20 minutes before opening time. 'For you, of course,' he deadpans without missing a beat. He's service in a no-nonsense way, letting us in and making us comfortable, needlessly apologising that the kitchen isn't open yet, while offering drinks as we wait. He works with an equally friendly and down-to-earth service team, immune to his constant ribbing. When it comes to the food, though, Alex knows his stuff, so just leave it to him to sort out your order. You know that business is on the slow side when you see one-for-one offers on the menu, but in this case, take advantage of it while you can, because it's a genuine steal. Pick from the lobster set menu at S$118 for two diners, or abalone for S$98. We decide on the latter, and, like a gift that keeps on giving, Alex says we can top up an extra $9.90 for an order of Peking duck. Mind you, this offer is only until the end of June, and who knows if there'll be similar deals after that? Even if not, the a la carte menu is priced quite sensibly, if not cheap. And it's reasonable for what you get – cooking that's confident and well-executed in a comforting and reliable way. Crispy deep-fried silver fish. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT For starters, we pick crispy fried silver fish (S$18) from the regular menu, and get a basket of deep-fried battered baby fish with a crunch that should humiliate a few tempura chefs. A little spice gives it a bit of kick. Artfully presented Peking duck for S$9.90 PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT The Peking duck comes next, and it's the best S$9.90 we've ever spent. Crisp duck skin, already sliced with some thin pieces of meat for contrast, is artfully presented on a ceramic platter encased in a wooden tray, with compartments for dipping sauce and condiments. Instead of flour pancakes, we get thin crepes to roll everything in. It's not stellar, but still enjoyable, especially when it's S$42 for half a duck on the regular menu. Char siew and salted egg-crusted abalone. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT The abalone set starts proper with two cubes of sticky-sweet, meaty char siew and a whole, smallish abalone crusted with a salted-egg coating. The abalone is tender and you cut through it with little effort. The salted egg isn't necessary, but adds some depth. While Roberta Flack kills us softly and painfully over the sound system, we focus on a thick fish broth packed with slices of grass carp that have been prepared in a way that gives them an almost crispy, cartilage-like texture. Unusual, but good. Golden crispy prawn ball is a reinterpreted cereal prawn. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Cereal prawns are reinterpreted as large, bouncy specimens coated in a thick and sticky sauce with cornflakes only for decoration. It's a bit of an overkill, but the prawns are nice and juicy. There's also a decent-sized slab of foie gras, pan-fried till crisp around the edges and paired with a meaty dried mushroom in a brown sauce. Pan-fried foie gras with mushroom. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT You end off with truffle fried rice – fragrant with wok hei and studded with baby abalone, oily but well-fried with individual grains retaining their bite. And for a sweet finish, it's classic mango puree, with bits of pomelo and sago for a refreshing taste of nostalgia. Black truffle fried rice with abalone. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Don't miss the Teochew yam paste (S$9), but order it early because it takes 30 minutes to prepare. The smooth cream has the distinctive aroma of lard, and it's surrounded by a sweet, creamy pistachio sauce which doesn't detract, but we prefer it without. Yes, we're won over by the set-menu pricing, and we're not sure if we would be as enamoured if we were paying full price. But with seasoned chefs in the kitchen and Alex's hospitality, we're betting that we will. Rating: 7 WHAT OUR RATINGS MEAN 10: The ultimate dining experience 9-9.5: Sublime 8-8.5: Excellent 7-7.5: Good to very good 6-6.5: Promising 5-5.5: Average Our review policy: The Business Times pays for all meals at restaurants reviewed on this page. Unless specified, the writer does not accept hosted meals prior to the review's publication.
Business Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Sushi satisfaction at Keijo
NEW RESTAURANT Keijo 76 Bras Basah Road Singapore 189558 Tel: 6338-6131 Open for lunch and dinner Mon to Sat: 12 pm to 3 pm; 6 pm to 10:30 pm SUSHI restaurants are like cockroaches – you can kill them, but another one will spring up to take its place. For the past couple of years, we've been predicting the demise of Japanese restaurants in Singapore, as local diners follow their yen to the motherland of raw fish and rice. They may be down, but they're certainly not out. Good ones still trundle along, even if they don't have waitlists to show off anymore. They are banking on reputation and regulars who still need their sushi fix when they're not queuing at Haneda immigration, so it looks like reports of their death have been grossly exaggerated. One thing we do see is that prices have moderated to somewhat saner levels, with more options under S$200, and in some cases, even below S$100. That Keijo manages to limbo itself just under that three-digit threshold is one way that the new sushi-ya hopes to endear itself to customers. The Carlton Hotel eatery has big shoes to fill. It used to be the one-Michelin-starred Shinji by Kanesaka, which has now consolidated its operations in its remaining outlet at St Regis. Former head chef Ishizawa now goes by his own name at Raffles Hotel. Helming Keijo is a new face, Naoya Nakamura, and a familiar one, Andrew Lim – the latter helming one corner of the long sushi corner, entertaining a coterie of regulars. You might remember Nakamura from Aoki – a quiet presence at the sushi counter in both the old and new Millenia Walk location for some eight years. Now he's front and centre at Keijo, and from the looks of it, well deserving of his own spotlight. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up We can't help thinking that the cheapest lunch set, at S$98, is really a ploy to tempt you to upsize to the next level menu at S$168. It's quite a big jump, but the server plays on your greed by saying 'you don't get uni' with the cheaper set – comprising one starter and nine pieces of sushi. The S$168 menu gets you two starters and 12 pieces of sushi. Both have maki and dessert included. Fresh bamboo and kinome paste; tuna in tofu sauce. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT We confess we took the bait and went with the pricier option. The two otsumami seem skimpy, though: a little dish of fresh bamboo topped with a perky paste of kinome leaves; and an equally small dish of mountain vegetables and tuna cubes in a tofu sauce. Aji, or horse mackerel sushi. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT The sushi starts immediately, and the first thing we notice is the shari (rice). Warm, with a good chew from the individual grains which are not sticky or soft, and just enough seasoning. The second is how there's a bit more rice in relation to the fish, almost dominating it. But we enjoy the rice enough not to quibble, especially when it distracts from occasionally not-stellar seafood. In fact, we like it enough that we do the unthinkable – upset a Japanese chef's carefully organised work flow by asking to upgrade to the S$268 menu after four pieces of sushi. Seeing the chef's obliging facade while his eyes betray the cartwheels his brain is performing makes us feel bad, but we want to see how high the quality can go. Starter of botan ebi, bafun uni and ikura. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT It may not be a good idea if you're sushi-focused, because this set gives you only seven pieces of nigiri, but six otsumami. But we're rewarded with a very good combination of botan ebi, bafun uni and ikura daintily piled onto a lacquer dish. It's followed by passable bonito in a sharp onion sauce, and a grilled slab of tilefish. The winning dish is vegetarian – melting-soft grilled eggplant smeared with sweet, dark miso and topped with a crispy burdock chip. Bonito in onion sauce. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Overall, it's the sushi that makes the bigger impression, with more-than-acceptable quality tai, kinmedai, shima aji, chutoro and uni, done gunkan style, albeit with more rice than necessary. In fact, the best mouthful is when he gives you a piece of sushi with less rice because he's run out of it and needs to fetch a new batch. Chutoro or tuna belly sushi. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT While the ratio of fish and rice could be improved, it's not that big an issue because of the strong harmony between the two. Nakamura is even-handed with the vinegar, knowing when to keep things subtle, and when to ramp it up a bit. Your best bet is to go with sushi all the way, and pay according to your appetite. Dessert-wise, there's ice cream with rice puffs, and a monaka wafer stuffed with mochi and red beans. The pricey menu includes a wedge of musk melon. Keijo may be starting from scratch, but with good sushi, cosy surroundings and a friendly vibe, everything's in place for it to be a new, reliable standby. Rating: 7
Business Times
15-05-2025
- Business Times
Violet Oon serves up more of the same at new Dempsey Hill outlet
NEW RESTAURANT Violet Oon Singapore at Dempsey 7 Dempsey Road, #01-05 Singapore 249671 Tel: 9834-9935 Open daily for lunch and dinner: 12 to 3 pm; 6 to 11 pm [SINGAPORE] The best way to enjoy your meal at Violet Oon's is to not think about the food. At all. Go with other people. Friends. Lovers. Start a quarrel. Propose. OK, maybe don't do that. Gossip. Anything but scrutinise what you're eating. This way, you won't quibble that the food is too salty, the spice proportions are out of whack, and how the restaurant is more about the idea of Peranakan food, than the dedication and skill that goes into making it so special. But – you can marvel at how striking the space is. It may have the same DNA as its other outlets, but here in Dempsey Hill, with its colonial roots and garden setting, it's full-blown British Raj on steroids. It has the kind of over-the-top opulence you would admire in someone else's house, but not want it in yours. Oh, and if the weather report says heavy rain when you're scheduled to eat there, wear rubber boots. We're not kidding. The (single cubicle) toilet is outside, and you have to wade through flood water to get to it, even though the diligent cleaning person is trying his darndest to sweep it away as fast as he can. No wonder the server inspected our Gore-tex footwear before giving us the green light to go out. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up That the restaurant is packed, even on a Monday at lunchtime, shows just how strong the Violet Oon branding is. It's a well-deserved success built on the right optics, clever marketing and a general soft spot for a heritage personality. Have overseas visitors? It's a no-brainer decision to bring them here. It's like taking them to Newton Circus or Jumbo for chilli crab – a tick-the-box of local exotica. Durian optional. Apologies to Bill Gates. With down-to-earth pricing, pleasant and polished service and an easy-going ambience, it's not hard to like. It's perfect for a gathering of aunties, for family dinners, people of varying levels of importance, anything. But the key is just that – a place to gather, with food. Not for it. The familiar favourite, kueh pie tee. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT That said, conversation and lots of sambal belacan make it all go down. We're in the mood for familiar favourites, so we zero in on kueh pie tee (S$15 for six) and ngoh hiang (S$16). Satisfying crunch aside, the turnip filling of the pie tee shell overdoses on fermented soya beans (taucheo) and skimps on bamboo shoots. Ngoh hiang are ugly little nuggets but at least there's crunch from water chestnut and the stuffing is juicy. Drown it in sweet sauce and chilli and all will be well. Pork satay with peanut and pineapple sauce. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Chicken satay (S$18 for three) is better than pork (S$21 for three), simply because the former is plumper and holds its marinade well. The pork version is thick and dry, with a nicely charred surface, but the lean tenderloin just doesn't cut it. We can't say no to the peanut sauce and pineapple though. Hati babi bungkus are pork liver balls served with pickled mustard greens. PHOTO: VIOLET OON We're cheered up by hati babi bungkus (S$24) – a row of savoury liver ping pong balls that are seasoned with enough coriander powder to mitigate the gaminess of offal, while giving you plenty of chunky and smooth textures to bite into. Lightly pickled mustard greens offer contrast without clashing. Fuyong hai features an omelette topped with crab meat. PHOTO: VIOLET OON We can't say the same about fuyong hai crab (S$24), a sopping wet omelette crowned with crabmeat that's on the fast track to being not fresh. Now, we've always believed that eggs can do no wrong, but this is scrambled beyond redemption. OK, belacan helps a bit. The dry laksa is a shadow of what it used to be. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT No excuses for the dry laksa (S$29), which we remember from years back as one of our favourites. Not any more. It looks like it, smells like it, but between the under-fried dried shrimp and stodgy noodles, taste found an escape route and ran off to Tanglin Halt. Roti jala with banana pengat. PHOTO: VIOLET OON Thank goodness for dessert, where we don't mind that the roti jala pancakes are on the papery side and lack resilience (S$16). We use it to mop up gooey, caramelised bananas in a smooth pengat base. And you can't go wrong with coconut jelly, ice cream and shaved coconut flesh (S$16) – the three textures of tropicality a failsafe and refreshing end to an inconsistent meal. Mind you, we stuck with the classics although, like the hati babi bungkus, there were other new menu additions we didn't try which might have changed our mind. But it feels too much of a gamble to take. Still, there'll be gatherings in the offing, no doubt – and pretty soon, one may land here at Dempsey Hill. In which case, we'll likely be back, for better or worse. Either way, we'll be prepared – with water-resistant shoes. Rating: 6
Business Times
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Tapas meets izakaya at Humo
NEW RESTAURANT Humo 21 Keong Saik Road Singapore 089128 Tel: 8566-5899 Open for lunch and dinner Mon to Sat: 12pm to 2.30 pm; 5.30 pm to 10.30 pm QUESTION: Why would two Catalan chefs with impressive credentials decide to open Humo – an izakaya serving their own version of sushi, tempura and donabe, in eclectic surroundings decorated with Japanese lanterns, graffiti posters and manga? One: To showcase the wonders of Japanese cuisine in a Spanish context; to engage in retaliatory cultural appropriation in a restaurant industry that calls dim sum 'Chinese tapas' just to sound trendy; to appeal to discerning palates hungry for a fresh dining experience. Two: There's another Spanish restaurant a few doors away, so they needed a different concept. Yes, Humo dabbles in cliches and dreaded fusion. And the Japanese accent intrudes more than it improves, but – the strength of its chefs ensures that it doesn't sink to overly gratuitous or cartoonish levels. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Carolina Garcia Santamaria previously headed the kitchen of Tapas 24 in Robertson Quay. Jordi Jou has stints with Gaig in Barcelona (and Singapore) in his resume, along with Lumbre and Tapas 24, where he first met Santamaria. They are both very personable and hospitable, but they are not husband and wife. 'I wish,' says the manager, attending to us in mock exasperation. Looks like he gets asked this every time, so do him a favour and get your facts here first. Still, his good humour and a genuinely friendly service team add to Humo's warm and welcoming vibe. The food is mostly Spanish, with the expected switcheroos to Japanese produce here, and infusions of wasabi and yuzu there. Tapas rule, and portions get progressively bigger as you go along. Two chefs of equal stature in the kitchen mean they could easily raise the bar, but they're hampered by the scenario they work in: one that demands price-friendly, casual but trendy fare with a quirky edge. Straight Spanish fare wouldn't fly either, not when Humo and the higher-end Nomada – also on Keong Saik Road – belong to the same restaurant group that owns Kulto and Cenzo. Canadian oysters splashed with chilli crab gazpacho. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT We don't know what kind of gastronomy awaits at Nomada but at Humo, expect easy-pleasing bites that offer instant gratification, if no lingering impact. To start, slurp some slippery, fat Canadian oysters (S$12 for two) splashed with 'chilli crab' gazpacho – for a jolt of spice that's a refreshing change from the norm. 'Sushi' of fried rice cake topped with prawn tartare. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT A sushi master may only slightly grumble at the crossover version here – a tablet of fried risotto or flattened arancini, topped with a generous mound of Argentinian prawn tartare, dusted with obligatory tobiko to complete the imagery (S$24). Crunchy outside, squishy inside, sashimi on top, what's not to like? Roasted sweet potato, nori butter and ikura. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Roasted Japanese sweet potato smeared with nori butter and covered in ikura (S$18) has us on the fence. We're trying to enjoy the deliciously sweet gooeyness of the satsumaimo, but the briny-fishy seaweed cream and roe keep butting in like a busybody interrupting a private conversation. It's the same with crab and prawn croquettes (S$10), two recognisable balls of bechamel and crustacean, fried to a requisite crunch on the outside. On top? Aioli and bonito flakes. Not unpalatable, but not entirely necessary either. Octopus and potatoes dressed in shishito vinaigrette. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT We prefer it when the food leans closer to its origin. Ubiquitous octopus (S$34) comes tender and sliced, on a simple bed of chunky mashed potato drizzled with a shishito or Japanese green pepper vinaigrette so that you get alternate mouthfuls of mild acid just for contrast. Add chopped onions for texture, and that's all you need. Iberico pork ribs and Japanese cabbage. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT The only Japanese element in the grilled and fatty iberico pork ribs is the cabbage (S$38). Richly marinated, robustly coloured and glazed, this is Texan BBQ without the crassness. Charred cabbage on the side is all it needs. Seafood paella with unagi, scallops and clams. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Seafood paella (S$38) is Spanish glory at its finest, and even the Japanese unagi crowning it feels like it has a good reason to be there. A very thin layer of rice is charred at the edges, so it's crunchy and al dente in parts while infused in the heady broth it's cooked in. The eel might not make the grade in a bona fide unagi don shop, but it's adequate. It's joined by some scallops and clams, and dots of wasabi aioli make a good contrast. Strawberries and Hokkaido milk ice cream. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT We would prefer churros to end off but you only get matcha cheesecake or strawberries and Hokkaido milk ice cream (S$14). You can't go wrong with the latter. Blazing neon letters above the kitchen spell out the words Humo (Spanish for 'smoke') and 'oishii' (Japanese characters for 'delicious') in a bold statement of East-West camaraderie. A bit like forced joy in the corporate environment, this union is more manufactured than organic. But what's real is the sincerity of the chefs and team, decent food and good pricing. We'll take that over concept anytime. Rating: 6.5
