PUBLISHED March 13th, 2017 06:00 am | UPDATED June 25th, 2017 12:46 am
Salted & Hung has been on our radar ever since its days at Hotel Vagabond when it was known as 5th Quarter, and truth be told, we really miss their free-flow Sunday brunch (especially the fried chicken and pancakes). That said, with the move to their own premises on Purvis Street, Executive Chef Drew Nocente has had more time to experiment, bring us wonderful – and uncommon – dishes like seafood charcuterie, kangaroo tartare, and Anzac biccies with bacon and salted caramel.
Those who’ve been to Salted & Hung won’t be a stranger to their Chef’s Sharing Menu. Priced at $75++ per person (minimum two to dine), the eight-course meal is a comprehensive showcase of what the contemporary Australian restaurant has to offer. And late last year, they’ve eschewed the traditional wine pairing to introduce a Stockade Brew Company craft beer pairing with the tasting menu. Even though it’s priced at a reasonable $58++ for a flight of five bottled beers, we’re happy that we were allowed to share one flight between two people because some people (ie. me) just don’t have the physical capacity to drink that much beer.
After an amuse bouche of pork head croquettes – nothing is off-limits at Salted & Hung – our first course of Chef Selection of Charcuterie arrived. All charcuterie is made in-house are served with pickled cucumber and fennel caraway crackers, which have a nice, slight heat from cracked black pepper. Our platter of chorizo, lardo with truffle honey, and pork loin was paired with Stockade’s 8 Bit IPA; the rather aggressive hoppy flavour and sweet malt character balanced out the savoury characters of each type of charcuterie.
Coming up with a pairing menu is more art than science, but when the Rare Ink Session Stout was pulled out for the grilled second and third courses, we were intrigued, because the next pairing actually goes back to the lighter beer. Purposefully light on the palate, the slight roast character of the stout played well with the char on the chunky Pork Sausages with pickled cabbage, cured egg yolk, and black garlic mayo while the sweet maltiness was best friends with the rich, savoury notes from the Wagyu Bresaola accompanied by earthy portobello, confit egg, and onion jam.
After all that meat, things lighten up a little with the grilled Cauliflower with a sprinkling of malt vinegar and onion salt, roasted Beetroot on hazelnut horseradish, and Barramundi Fish Tail grilled on the Josper with prawn butter, topped with wakame and chives. Stockade’s Duel Hoppy Lager turns its head on the traditional lager with a hopped-up experience with a rich tropical nose and a crisp finish, which complemented the trio, in particular the flavoursome fish tail!
The last savoury dish is one of our favourites – a well-charred Westholme Wagyu Flank cooked to a perfect medium rare, accompanied by a luscious anchovy cream and beef fat breadcrumbs. While a green salad with pickles and chardonnay vinaigrette served satisfactorily as a palate refresher in between slices, we enjoyed the pairing with the Chop Shop Pale Ale. The sweet malt flavour and a balance between bitterness and citrus spice is perfect for robust dishes like this.
The most surprising pairing, however, has to be the Pavlova, served the Fallen Angel chili mocha pale stout. The dessert, especially the burnt parts, was a great foil for the dose of coffee and cacao with a hint of spice.
Even if you don’t drink craft beer as a rule, give Salted & Hung’s beer pairing menu a chance. The tasting menu chances ever so frequently so you might not get the same dishes as me, but Chef Nocente’s food is generally excellent and we’re confident that they’ll get the pairings right. Who know, you might – like me – end up being a convert.
Salted & Hung is located at 12 Purvis Street, Singapore 188591, p. +65 6358 3130. Open Tue-Fri 11.30am-2.30pm, 5pm-10.30pm, Sat 11.30am-4pm, 6pm-10.30pm, Sun 11.30am-4pm. Closed Mon.