Caffe B – the unsung gem of Marina Bay Sands
PUBLISHED March 28th, 2013 04:44 am | UPDATED May 27th, 2016 04:09 pm
Dinner date at MBS? One of those celebrity chef restaurants is sure to impress your other half.
A little tight on budget? Rasapura Masters, though a slightly overpriced food court, should still make do.
Looking for awesome views? Ku De Ta is the unmistakable choice; even a casual waterfront eatery like Bazin has sublime vistas to boast.
Caffé B, however, is the poor kid drowned out by the bling of other flashier concepts, a little helpless gem devoid of fanfare. It is hardly the place to see and be seen – the shopfront is a dramatic but lifeless arc of a glass-walled wine cellar, obscuring any view of the restaurant’s inside. Neither does it boast big-name chefs, and it surely isn’t cheap dining at the 70-seater – how does one even go about marketing this Italian fine-dining establishment?
And then, there’s the food. We found our answer.
Executive Chef Pierpaolo Fadda is clearly a master of modernist cuisine, wielding his molecular techniques with masterful finesse, not aimless flair. A pesto espuma acts as a counterpoint to sweet honey mascarpone and firm buffalo mozzarella in an antipasto dish, injecting a frothy nuttiness to a duo of cheeses which seldom share the same stage. Parmesan in the forms of a cheese air and a round tuile sit atop a shaped rectangle of saffron risotto, playfully adding a rich, sharp twang to the flavourful rice. Furthermore, beetroot juice reduced to syrup is a sweet foil to the deft construction – if only we could get more than just tiny swirls on the plate.
The soy jelly in a wakame salad amuse bouche is meant to mirror the Japanese seaweed’s texture assumedly, but doesn’t quite hit the mark. Still, its accompanying apple tempura is crusty and juicy, sour and savoury all at once, exciting the palate with slightly much more substance than swoon.
Even without syringes, immersion blenders and synthetic food additives, Caffé B is still capable of delivering gastronomic thrills. A good ol’ squid ink pasta with clams and mussels is littered with mini-bombs of umami, whether in the form of bottarga or ikura roe.
The surf and turf of scallop with foie gras is not so much some pompous display of luxury than a simple, winning combination of sweet leanness and rich fattiness. It renders the ginger puree, pomegranate seeds, sake jelly and black caviar as extras on the already magnificent set, at the same time serving as a hint of the danger of a chef over-thinking his dish.
Unprecedented ingredient pairings might raise eyebrows, but most at Caffé B will surprise you with the new flavours that food can present. Surely polenta doesn’t work with fresh berries, peach and apple? Well, it could. The tartness of the fruits replaces the richness of its usual accomplice – parmesan cheese – in enlivening the fried cornmeal cuboids, resulting in refreshing bites (they accompany a classic slow-cooked duck with fig sauce that is just plain delicious).
Fungus in ice cream? Well, your worst dreams have come true – in a good way. Earthy truffle gelato imparts a complex depth of flavour to a ridiculously airy pistachio soufflé that rises perfectly.
Try this understated restaurant yourself, to truly understand what both imaginative and grounded culinary techniques can do at the same time. Ignore all externalities – sparse crowds, chandeliers that are so yesterday, and temperatures that can get quite high, literally. Next time you gravitate toward the obvious choices at MBS, think again – Caffe B might be the break you’ve always been waiting for.
The 6-course degustation menu costs $160++. Wine pairing is available at an additional $65, which also includes a 375ml bottle of Popora wine.
Written by Mr Nom Nom
On this occasion meal was compliments of Caffe B
