Restaurant Review: The Guild’s New Menu Cements Its Reputation For Creative Comfort Food & Drink
PUBLISHED January 25th, 2024 06:00 am | UPDATED January 26th, 2024 09:13 pm
More often than not when visiting bars, we prioritise drink quality over innovative bites. However, The Guild, nestled in Keong Saik and affiliated with Hong Kong’s Young Master Brewery, excels in harmonising top-notch drinks and food, gathering a loyal following over the past five years. Now, they’re back, better than ever, with a brand new menu emphasising a diverse gastropub selection that perfectly complements their craft beers and cocktails.
Cool, refreshing tipples awaits, courtesy of Bar Manager CK Ong’s spirit-forward signature and draft cocktails—perfect for effortless, casual sipping. The Higher Than Salted Lime (S$19+) draft cocktail perked up our palates with a sweet-salty splash of Hong Kong flavour, following Young Master’s famed canned Highball Salted Lime cocktail spiked with vodka and cane sugar, quickly becoming friends with any plate. Meanwhile, new menu addition Goslar Clover (S$24) dazzled with an unexpected union of berry and brine, as gin, homemade berry syrup, puckering lemon, and a splash of Gose blends seamlessly into a balanced, berry-filled drink with a salty twist.
Under the skilled guidance of Chef Alton Huang, the exciting new food menu takes a joyous dive into comforting flavours meticulously crafted to dance in harmony with your drink of choice. Whether you’re a casual snacker or a serious food enthusiast seeking a substantial meal, there’s something delightful for everyone. Kicking off our culinary adventure with the starters, the Cherry Tomato Salad (S$15) emerged as a refreshing overture to the evening. Imagine sweetly macerated tomatoes, a roasted vegetable medley, and orange slices artfully arranged atop velvety mascarpone, all adorned with a tantalising drizzle of basil oil.
Next up, we delved into the vibrant Palate Tinglers section, featuring the grand debut of their latest creation: Chye Poh Hummus (S$13). This innovative dish takes the classic Middle-Eastern dip to new heights, infusing it with the delightful crunch of stir-fried pops of salted radish. The result? A perfect symphony of textures, as the creamy hummus meets the contrasting pops of flavour. Of course, their masterpiece isn’t complete without their signature homemade sourdough slabs and crisp cucumber sticks, adding an extra layer of artisanal delight to every bite.
Amongst the new additions to The Guild’s gastropub menu, their show-stopping Sandos stand out as perfect drinking companions. The Black Pepper Glazed Pork Belly Sando (S$18) sings with complex flavours, starring mouthwatering, four-hour braised then pulled pork lacquered in a zesty black pepper glaze that had us salivating with the first bite. However, if you’re a lifelong mac and cheese devotee, the Good Ol’ Mac ‘N Cheese Sando (S$17) is sure to steal your heart. Here, The Guild’s signature aged cheddar stars in an ooey-gooey mac and cheese patty sandwiched between slices of homemade bread and topped with a luscious mushroom mayo and chilli jam. This blissful marriage of rich, nostalgic comfort food with spicy, tangy accents takes the classic beer pairing to new heights of savoury satisfaction.
Venturing into The Guild’s new menu section of larger, shareable dishes known as the Guild Signatures, the complex medley of flavours in the Wild Mushroom Rice (S$29) transported us into a whimsical forest flush with fabulously funky fungi. This risotto and claypot rice hybrid stars bomba rice wok-fried with a bevy of sautéed mushrooms—including earthy chanterelles and shiitakes along with wood ear—then left to simmer to perfection in a claypot styled earthenware. Best eaten when stirred with the velvety egg yolk, crispy fried shallots, sweet scallions, and creamy butter sauce atop the dish, each mouthful unveils new layers of flavour—a veritable tango of sweet, salty, and umami sensations for the taste buds.
Nonetheless, for us, the true star of this menu was Alton’s Fried Chicken (S$30). After being brined for eight hours, this juicy, remarkably tender half chicken gets dipped into a proprietary blend of spices before hitting the fryer for that requisite ultra-crispy exterior. Served alongside divinely smooth potato puree with its tart and spicy fermented hot sauce for swiping, this comforting staple epitomises Chef Alton’s knack for elevating simplicity into sublimity – fun fact, the name of the dish was inspired by Chef Alton as this is the dish he makes for his team every Sunday. Truly the best things in life are often the simplest and flavourful as this fried fowl proves.
For a sweet finale, we were served The Guild’s Stout ‘N Coffee Tiramisu (S$14). Expect layers of soaked ladyfingers and light mascarpone mousse imparting delicate flavours of chocolate and espresso, against the crunch and deep flavour of the stout lace tuiles. However, the dessert didn’t quite hit the spot this time as we found it slightly mild in terms of coffee and stout intensity, which we hope can be improved in the future.
The Guild is located at The KēSa House, 55 Keong Saik Rd, #01-01, Singapore 089158, p. +65 9042 3900. Open daily, 4pm-11.30pm.
All images courtesy of The Guild.
