The regular menu ainât no slouch either, with the Peri Chicken ($32++) being a fine example of how delicious chicken can be in talented hands. The large, joyously juicy chicken leg was meticulously marinated in a Pilotâs own peri peri marinade, and the salty spiciness of that penetrated deeply into every last morsel of chicken. Itâs like a cheeky Nandoâs but way better. The watercress salad on the side was an exemplary refresher, resetting your tastebuds to better appreciate the chicken. The sunchoke purĂ©e was sweet & creamy, and could be a cracking carb replacement.
Due to @pilot.sg inherently experimental nature, their weekly specials board always has something thatâs sure to tickle your fancy. We had the Blackened Tomahawk ($52++), which wasnât as blackened or as beefy as its name may suggest, but it is still supremely sumptuous all the same. The bone-in cut of pork chop is gargantuan, and is chargrilled to porcine perfection. The fatty, juicy and tender pork is simply but superbly seasoned, relying solely on salt, smoke and a little pepper to tantalise your tastebuds, and it works wonders.â
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The hot honey wholegrain mustard is a classic condiment, and the spicy heat of the mustard breathes fiery life into the pork. The roasted cabbage slaw brought a fresh crunch to accompany the smokiness along with what I think is curry powder tossed into the slaw. I couldnât get enough of that stellar slaw, and I was bummed when it finished too early.
Before we get into the meat of the matter at @pilot.sg , we gotta fly in and meat-sorry, meet, the meatier starters. The Beef Tartare ($20++) was plenty palatable, but the savoy cabbage chips sitting on top of the tartare totally stole the show. The beef was quite delicious as it was seasoned in fermented chili butter, resulting in a slightly spicy & beautifully buttery beef experience.
However, the delicate yet divinely delish savoy chips flew away with our hearts thanks to the sweet prune powder sprinkled on it. The sublime sweet & sour flavour profile will whet your appetite, and it will compel you to get every last bit of that piquant prune powder sprinkled all over the savoy chips.â
Before we get into the meat of the matter at @pilot.sg , we gotta fly in and meat-sorry, meet, the meatier starters.
Pilotâs Duck Menchikatsu ($17++) seems to be a celebrity, as everyone whoâs ever been a patron here has ordered it. There are no surprises here; itâs superbly savoury shredded duck breaded with panko crumbs & deep fried just like a regular Japanese cutlet (katsu). The deeply delicious duck has lost a little moisture, but the sprightly spring onion aioli adds lubrication, richness & freshness to the brilliantly breaded & crispy katsu. â
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However, the Duck Menchikatsu felt like it had been left high and dry without backup. The inclusion of a coleslaw or a pickled vegetable medley wouldâve made this a super starter. Heck, take this delectable Duck Menchikatsu, shove it betwixt the house baked milk buns along with a smear of the spring onion aioli and a fistful of âslaw, and boom you have a new entrĂ©e. I really do like the Duck Menchikatsu, but it currently has the most untapped potential out of all the small plates.â
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Fortunately, Pilot Kitchen is an experimental restaurant, so they will probably make some improvements, and I will be making a return voyage when they do.
@pilot.sg starters pull double duty as both appetisers as well as sides to the bigger plates (entrĂ©es). For the last carb laden starter, here is my crack. More precisely, my order of Hasselback and Crack ($14++). Taters are cut up like accordions, which maximises the surface area on which the Moroccan spice blend and thousand island inspired sauce can spread onto. The potatoes are baked until they get a crunchy exterior and a soft, starchy interior. There is no cocaine involved here, but the Moroccan spice blend is so absolutely addictive that itâs like crack. Itâs simply scintillating with the savouriness & spice all delighting your tastebuds, while the sauce adds lushness & creaminess to the potatoes.â
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With starters this sublime, we simply couldnât lose.
@pilot.sg starters pull double duty as both appetisers as well as sides to the bigger plates (entrées).
The best companions to an entrĂ©e are almost always carbs, and Pilotâs buns are meant to be clapped. The Homemade Milkbun ($8++) features fluffy, airy Japanese style milk buns baked in house, paired with the most stunning special butter ever. Itâs rendered down mushrooms incorporated into butter, turning it into the most amazing compound butter. Mushrooms are naturally loaded with MSG, so this butter was unbelievably umami, rich and luscious. In fact, if Pilot Kitchen sold this butter in bulk, theyâd be multi millionaires in about a month.â
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With starters this sublime, we simply couldnât lose.
@pilot.sg starters pull double duty as both appetisers as well as sides to the bigger plates (entrĂ©es). Starting our night out right was the special of Cheese Balls ($16++), which was a blend of gruyere & pecorino cheese balled up, breaded and deep fried. Itâs a bunch of deep fried cheese balls, it was always going to be fantastic. The gruyere melts marvellously, giving you that stretchy cheese pull, while the pecorino added saltiness to the balls. The pineapple ketchup dip was a flawless combination to the savoury cheese balls with its sweet & salty qualities, and the dip reminded me of sweet & sour sauce but more refined.â
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With starters this sublime, we simply couldnât lose.
Iâve always been partial to @souprestaurantsingapore, but Iâd never consider dining alone there as itâs always been the restaurant for a fulfilling family dinner. Soup Restaurant knows this quite well, which is why theyâve started a new, no frills casual dining eatery called @littleteahousesg. Itâs primarily focused on dim sum, but I was there for their Individual Rice Set.â
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$9.90 before GST gets you a decently sized bowl of Black Bean Pork Ribs Rice, along with a serving of green leafy vegetables of your choice, and soy milk. The black bean pork ribs were a little too salty in certain parts, but overall the ribs were juicy, tender and profoundly flavourful, the perfect pairing with the superbly steamed white rice. The vegetable was served as a full portion, so for all my folks out there who desperately need a large dose of fibre, this is the meal deal for you.â
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In the current climate of nine percent GST, nine ninety for a wholesome meal with a drink is quite the bargain.
Iâve had a fair few French onion soups, but a French Onion Miso Soup ($12.90++)? Thatâs new to me. The classic French soup is elevated by upgrading the standard beef stock with miso. The rich, heavy body of the beef stock is even more savoury thanks to the umami miso, and this is possibly the most savoury French onion soup on Singapore. It does border on being too salty at certain points, especially given the inclusion of the melted cheese blanketing the soup. However, the superbly sweet caramelised onions counter the sodium levels with their sweetness, and all was right with the world again. Thirteen bucks might seem extortionate for soup, but youâll slurp up every last drop and conclude that it was worth every last penny.â
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Besides their Chicken Cordon Bleu, @alkove.sg have more unique entrĂ©es, which Iâll definitely be back for.
The last time I had chicken cordon bleu was when my age still started with a 1, so when I heard that this Swiss chicken classic is one of @alkove.sg signatures, I cleared my calendar one weekend afternoon to sample it. At $22.90++, this deep fried stuffed chicken was served with a mound of French fries and a healthy helping of salad. The chicken may look dishearteningly diminutive, but itâs more than sufficient for most appetites.â
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Chicken breast fillets are stuffed with camembert cheese and bits of ham, and breaded then deep fried till a glorious golden brown. The breading adheres well to the chicken, and itâs thin, crispy and most crucially, it didnât soak up too much oil during frying. The chicken breast fillets are a little dry, which is expected, but the molten camembert cheese alleviates the problem with its cheesy, oozy lubrication. The ham provides little hits of extra salinity and adds to the overall savouriness of the cordon bleu. â
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As for the sides, they were capable complements to the chicken. The fries were absolutely addictive with their crispy, salty goodness, and the zesty dressing on the fresh salad wiped my palate clear of all the fried greasy goodness, keeping me going strong. Grab this delicious bird for dinner, and wash it down with a cold pint of Sapporo beer for just $6.90++. â
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Besides their Chicken Cordon Bleu, @alkove.sg have more unique entrĂ©es, which Iâll definitely be back for.
In the run up to Chinese New Year, I was wondering where to have a nice new year family dinner. Google decided to throw me a bone and suggested @tunglokgroup A La Carte Deluxe Seafood Buffet, which offers an impressive all you can eat selection of Chinese staples at $59.80++ per person. The variety on offer on the menu was incredible, but the individual dishes themselves didnât inspire the same level of awe.â
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Each table gets one serving of several special dishes, which includes Tung Lokâs famous chili crab. The crab portion is tailored to the number of patrons per table, so since it was only my dad & I, we got a claw, two legs and a whole lot of chili crab gravy. Pro tip: pull up to Tung Lokâs buffet with a big group for maximum crab. Iâm not sure if itâs a difference in the standards between outlets, or if there was a drop in standard, but the chili crab wasnât as sumptuous as I remember it to be. The gravy was a little watery, and it was lacking a bit of salt. Fortunately, the crab itself was fantastically fresh, so thatâs a bit of a save.â
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Itâs not all doom and gloom though, as the Braised Whole Abalone With Vegetables in Oyster Sauce and the SautĂ©ed Scallops and Broccoli in XO Sauce were downright delish with flawlessly fresh & expertly cooked seafood starring in both dishes. The two most impressive dishes to feature from the buffet menu were the stellar Salmon Sashimi and the Deep Fried Sea Bass with Light Soy Sauce, and I wasnât expecting either to be such a hit.â
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The salmon was sliced to a tasteful thickness, and it was so breathtakingly fresh it puts sushi restaurants to shame. I never expected Tung Lok to serve up such sublime sashimi, but Iâm glad they did. As for the sea bass, there was a distressing lack of sauce, but the fish was fantastically fried and remarkably fresh, boasting moist, firm flesh that was just begging to be devoured.â
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Even though the dishes arenât particularly superb, the extent of the spread alone makes the $59.80++ price of admission fairly worth it.
Easy come easy go seems to be the unfortunate catchphrase of many F&B businesses these days, as the famous Nian Nian You Yu at Maxwell closed mere months after opening. However, Fish Village spawned right in as its direct replacement, also specialising in steamed fish and miscellaneous seafood. On the evening I visited, they were slammed with an odyssey of orders, so they wonât be worrying about a lack of business for now.â
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The Thai Sauce Scallop ($14) is decently delicious, albeit nothing particularly special. An abundance of scallops are doused in a subtly spicy & sweet Thai chili sauce, and garnished with pickled onions & what appears to be julienned cucumbers. Itâs sour enough to stimulate your salivary glands & your appetite, and itâs suitably savoury, with the hints of sweetness & spice from the chilies jumping in at the end. The scallops were dangerously close to being overcooked, but fortunately they stopped just short.â
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Fish and seafood are exorbitantly expensive these days, so to find such fresh produce at such a bargain is truly a blessing.