The pressure was high to not screw up with my restaurant selection for Ehren's birthday this year round. (Note: White Rabbit wasn't terrible, just not the right place for two bros.)
Restaurant Ibid serves contemporary Chinese cuisine, and is opened by Masterchef Asia's Winner, Chef Woo Wai Leong. I think that's enough accolade to warrant a try.
Starting off the night with Longan Tea that tasted exactly like the one my mum makes on Chinese New Year.
Snacks: Fried Radish Cake (which I really liked) and... a Kueh Pie Tee-esque thing. I don't remember what that is LOL.
Hokkaido Scallop with Shitake Broth. I was expecting this to be a cold dish for some reason, and was still under the assumption that it was a cold dish when it was served. Imagine my disappointment when the warmth of the broth hit my tongue. But it's just me. Good broth.
Squid Noodles with Taiwanese Basil and Caviar. This is the dish that came to my mind when I had Cure's laksa squid noodles. I prefer Cure's version.
Ibid Pan Fried Bao with Foie Gras and Ginger-Black Vinegar. This was Ehren's favourite dish.
Steamed Halibut. Decent, very standard. You can probably taste the same thing from a zi char stall.
Wagyu Short Rib. Decent.
Liang Pi Noodles with Toasted Sesame and Winter Truffle. This was a cold dish which served as a great refreshing end to our savoury courses.
Chinese Pear Sorbet. It was okay.
Pineapple Tart with Winter Honey and Pink Peppercorn. This was my favourite dish of the night! The restaurant features an open concept kitchen and we were seated along the counter looking into the kitchen, so we were greeted by wafts of this buttery pastry goodness whenever they open the oven door. It's so good.
Petit Fours of Chocolate Mochi Cake and Sweet Potato. Great end to the meal.
Starting off the night with Longan Tea that tasted exactly like the one my mum makes on Chinese New Year.
Snacks: Fried Radish Cake (which I really liked) and... a Kueh Pie Tee-esque thing. I don't remember what that is LOL.
Hokkaido Scallop with Shitake Broth. I was expecting this to be a cold dish for some reason, and was still under the assumption that it was a cold dish when it was served. Imagine my disappointment when the warmth of the broth hit my tongue. But it's just me. Good broth.
Squid Noodles with Taiwanese Basil and Caviar. This is the dish that came to my mind when I had Cure's laksa squid noodles. I prefer Cure's version.
Ibid Pan Fried Bao with Foie Gras and Ginger-Black Vinegar. This was Ehren's favourite dish.
Steamed Halibut. Decent, very standard. You can probably taste the same thing from a zi char stall.
Wagyu Short Rib. Decent.
Liang Pi Noodles with Toasted Sesame and Winter Truffle. This was a cold dish which served as a great refreshing end to our savoury courses.
Chinese Pear Sorbet. It was okay.
Pineapple Tart with Winter Honey and Pink Peppercorn. This was my favourite dish of the night! The restaurant features an open concept kitchen and we were seated along the counter looking into the kitchen, so we were greeted by wafts of this buttery pastry goodness whenever they open the oven door. It's so good.
Petit Fours of Chocolate Mochi Cake and Sweet Potato. Great end to the meal.
And they gave us a cookie as a take-home gift!
Friends, I present to you Singapore's alternative to Levain Cookies. JFC this is SO DAMN GOOD LIKE WHO NEEDS TO FLY TO NYC ANYMORE??!
Friends, I present to you Singapore's alternative to Levain Cookies. JFC this is SO DAMN GOOD LIKE WHO NEEDS TO FLY TO NYC ANYMORE??!
Would I eat at Ibid again just to get this cookie? Hell yes.
But cookie or not, the food was great with a clear theme executed.
An aside-
Restaurants with an open kitchen should keep in mind that whatever happens in the kitchen is part of their presentation and affects the diner's experience. The sous chef at Ibid was berating one of the line cooks almost the entire night for small things which we both felt was uncalled for. (E.g. "Hold the pan this way!!!!!") Said sous chef was also pretty rude when interacting with diners (we were not spared), but behaved like a different person when working with Chef Woo. Mehhhhhh I don't know, is this how you show your ranks?
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