Private Dining

I first learnt of the mustard seed pop up months ago but alas, I was too late. When I checked the website, they were completely booked out. I managed to contact Chef Ming and begged that if he ever opens up new slots, I'd like to have one. So you can't imagine my sheer joy when he told me I could come in October. Chef Ming told us his cuisine is modern Singaporean with hints of Japanese influences from his previous training. Our Omakase dinner started with kueh pie tee. Here instead of the traditional fillings, we had Angus striploin tartare, laksa leaf pesto, green apple, shallots and a quail's yolk. Mix them all up and squeeze the calamansi juice on top and fill up the gossamer thin shells. If only you saw the expressions of my fellow companions tonight, you will know how good this was! We were all speechless.

Pulut tekan or pulut tai tai is a popular Nyonya or Peranakan dessert. I grew up eating this. The blue hue is derived from the juice of blue pea flowers and the glutinous rice is cooked in coconut milk and then pressed to form squares or rectangles. The harder it is compressed the nicer the end texture of the kueh. Here, it was spot on in texture and taste and the star which shared the kueh's limelight was the kaya made from kurozato sugar (Okinawan black sugar, derived from sugar cane). The kaya was made using Chef Shin Yin's family recipe which Chef Ming says it's the best kaya he's ever tasted. I totally agree with him that this kaya was the bomb! This was the perfect ending to a perfect meal. Every single course shone and was spectacular. Chef Ming is extremely talented and he truly understands his ingredients well and knows how to bring out the best in them. His food is refined and yet so comforting. I can't wait for him to open his own restaurant. You can surely count on me being in the queue for a reservation. Yes, it's the morning after and I am still thinking about last night. That's how good it is. Chefs @mkthehansum and @xshinyinx , thank you for hosting us last night. It was truly amazing. Thank you!

Such a refreshing palate cleanser.

Until I tasted this last night. Humbly named homemade egg noodles served with braised local duck, don't be deceived by its modest looks. When Chef Ming served us this, we were all gobsmacked by the fragrance and aroma of the stock, made from the braising stock. The stock was made from braising local duck bones. The breast and thigh meat of the duck were not braised as Chef Ming explained that this would not allow him to control their doneness. Instead the meat was marinated in the braising stock for 3 days so that they absorb the stock fully and then cooked. The result, the most amazing bowl of duck noodles I've ever tasted. This was so delicious that each of us just slurped our noodles in silence, sipped our soups and intermittently, sounds of oh, the duck, it's so good. This bowl of noodles brought me back to Rakuichi in Niseko where after queueing in the snow, you are rewarded with the most delicious duck soba noodles ever. Chef Ming told us to appreciate the soup on its own first and then to try it with some yuzukosho for a different dimension. So good! I can just have this and die happy.

This was Chef Ming's take on Chilli Crabs. This dish had all of us in tears, tears of joy! The sauce was made from scratch and so were the milk buns which accompanied this dish. The buns were freshly baked today and they were perfect for mopping up every single bit of the crab sauce. There was also a nice side dish of dressed mud crab meat. Truly, truly enjoyed this course.

Here it's taken to a next level. The hiryozu (deep fried tofu) and ngoh hiang were amazing. The broth made from ikan bilis and yellow beans were out of this world, so light, full of flavour and so comforting

This was insane! 16 local vegetables, prepared in different ways to bring out their best flavours, topped with a special sauce. I love this! Chef Ming even had petai and drumstick (a vegetable used in Indian curries) in this salad. Honestly, even those amongst us who don't like vegetables finished this salad. That was how good it was!

Our enchanted Peranakan evening at @fat_fuku came to an end on a super high note with these prosciutto smoked salt dark chocolate cookies. So good that evidently for some, one or even two isn't enough. You know who you are! Annette, once again, thanks for hosting us and we looking forward to our next meal at Fatfuku.

Who can resist a good sugee cake and what more, one that has been lightly toasted, served with malted corn ice cream and caramel tau you and little white crunchy chocolate balls? This was so good, worth every calorie.

Annette gave her mother's and grandmother's beloved recipe a new twist and it was amazing! Inspired by JB Ah Meng's crispy bee hoon, she crisped up the bee hoon which was already cooked in rempah. The crispy vermicelli is then topped with prawns and quail eggs sambal and there's the most delicious sambal to go with it. This was a much loved course and our party of 9 fought for seconds and some even third helpings. All our manners flew out of the window. Yes it was that delicious.

The Wagyu beef cheeks were so tender that it almost melts in your mouth. I really enjoyed this rendang with the Nasi Kuning. When Annette kindly asked us if we needed a second helping, I shamelessly said, "Yes, please."

The pork bellies were so tender and juicy and the sauce, complemented it so well. Along with the sambal timun and nenas, it was a marriage made in heaven.