PUBLISHED October 22nd, 2013 11:49 pm | UPDATED May 9th, 2018 03:13 am
You’d be surprised that the servers at Pidgin Kitchen and Bar aren’t decked in lab coats, that its dishes aren’t divvied up in test tubes or beakers, or that you aren’t issued an indemnity form that protects the Dempsey newbie from a culinary fallout. At the reincarnation of Franco-Asian bistro Pamplemousse, experimentation is its raison d’être. You’d know well to expect nothing less than odd-ball combinations that work delightful charms, or the occasional misfire that deserves plaudits more for thought than execution.
Cough syrup (Pipargao), wolfberries and gula melaka, which feature prominently on the cocktail menu, might warrant a momentary double-take. In fact, they are just a tip-of-the-iceberg precursor to Pidgin’s unique Singaporean twists to well-known dishes of foreign exotica. Malcolm Lee and Willin Low as custodians of Mod Sin cuisine have met their match in chef-owner Adrian Ling, who together with wife Cleo Chiang, implore you to suspend all judgements and indulge in the fruit of their multiple recipe test-runs and refinements.
Like the mystery that is Razor Clam Tau Suan ($20). It inverts your expectations of the mung bean soup – it’s gently savoury instead of sweet. The starchy, dashi-spiked medium enlivens the juicy clams, while dough fritters add a textural one-up to the elegant re-interpretation. Bak Kwa Mac and Cheese ($20) takes the other extreme by compounding sin on sin. The brash combination of Singaporeans’ favourite caramelised pork belly treat, penne pasta and sharp gruyere are like pantry neighbours unaware that they are a match made in heaven. Heaven is exactly where you’d go. Who would have thought?
Then there are small bites that might not go too far in terms of sharing, if you are so inclined to go for seconds like we did. Crab Otak Croquettes ($12) are panko-breaded pods of substantial crab slivers in a sweet, tomato-heavy sauce, giving Maryland crab cakes a run for their money. Italian arancini can take a backseat with Singapore’s very own Chicken Riceballs ($8), oozing with stretchy scarmoza cheese and paired with a familiar garlic chilli sauce.
With brand new creations come misses that are hard to dodge. For instance, the chicken rice in the riceballs came way too mushy. Lamb Meatballs ($12), while splendid with a rich tulang merah sauce balanced with tangy goat milk yoghurt, were dry and ground slightly too fine. Canadian lobster that’s torn up and deep-fried in dumpling skin, and frog legs that are seared to death with brown butter are surely befitting of more delicate preparations, even if served with a fragrant capellini and a light barley risotto respectively.
As a group of bulky male customers beside us made a third round of orders, evidently dismayed at the small portions of their dishes, we came face to face with one of the poster dishes of the 2-month old eatery – the Kaya Bread and Butter Pudding ($15). Like a cross between a fluffy soufflé and a dense angel food cake, the whiff of kaya was a nostalgic throwback. A hojicha ice cream provided a bittersweet counterpoint to what was quite a perfect ending.
Pidgin is made for unwinding – the tall ceilings, spacious layout, and uncluttered aesthetics make letting loose quite easy. But there is a complex science – and art – to its cooking that belies its unfussy exterior. With a few tweaks to sort out the kinks, it’s ready to make a splash in local gastronomic circles.
Written by Mr Nom Nom.
On this occasion the meal and photos were compliments of Pidgin Kitchen and Bar.