Lewin Terrace Tasting Session
21 Lewin Terrace
Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 3pm (Lunch), 6:30pm - 11pm (Dinner)
http://lewinterrace.com.sg/
This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session.
Attended with representatives from Heat Branding, Pinky Piggu, Hazel Diary, and SG Food On Foot.
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| Japanese Wagyu Beef Steak, Nippon-Rossini Style |
Exquisite Japanese French Fusion Fine Dining For All Your Senses
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 9
Ambience & Setting: 9
Food & Beverage: 10
Service: 10
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $230 / $370 per person.
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Established in March 2014 and quickly gaining acclaim for its exquisite Japanese French fusion fine dining, Lewin Terrace is regarded amongst the most romantic dining destinations in Singapore, well placed with its proximity to the Registry Of Marriages. Named after the General Officer Commander in Singapore from 1933 to 1935, and housed in a charming, stately restored colonial bungalow, Lewin Terrace is situated at the edge of Fort Canning Park & Battle Box, accessible via a hidden flight of garden stairs next to the Singapore Philatelic Museum.
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| Lewin Terrace Signage |
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| Lewin Terrace Exterior |
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| Lewin Terrace Interior |
Ambience at Lewin Terrace benefits from the tranquil, unhurried aura, and lush greenery of the hill. The elegant locale exudes an old-world charm, aided by cleverly designed atmosphere. The rustic wooden floor boards are comfortably spaced with sturdy furniture, laid out with fine silverware and gleaming wine flutes. Curious eye-catching designer lamps hang overhead, casting a soft glow. Choose to sit indoors and marvel at the tasteful elegance, or sit outdoors in a cozy veranda. However, it can get warm and stuffy outdoors. Lewin Terrace also hosts events, and the area can hold up to 80 guests, perfect for intimate ceremonies.
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| Lush Greenery |
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| Stairs |
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| Display Table |
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| Bar |
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| Foyer |
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| Lamps |
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| Event Area |
Service at Lewin Terrace is exceptional, truely befitting its fine dining status. Staff are professional, courteous, and efficient, delivering attentive, personalised service that is memorable. They change all the plates after every course, proactively refill drinks, explain in detail each dish before serving, and engage guests in conversation. I feel staff work well as a team, are observant, attend to requests quickly, yet are unobstrusive if you're occupied. Minor quibble, some staff have heavy accents, which makes understanding their words slightly difficult. The sommelier does an excellent job of pairing wine with Chef's creations, and I like that staff carry out Chef's vision of engaging all the senses well. Memorable and enjoyable experience!
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| Seating Indoors |
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| Seating Indoors |
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| Seating Outdoors |
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| Seating Outdoors |
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| Table Setting |
Food at Lewin Terrace is a distinct fusion of Japanese and French cuisines, with a menu that changes alongside the seasons. Executive Chef Keisuke Matsumoto heads up the kitchen, applying over 30 years of experience in both classical French and Japanese culinary techniques, the result of which is exquisite, creative dishes, made with fresh ingredients, that are delicious in taste and beautiful in looks. But he doesn't just stop there, crafting a unique, memorable dining experience that reaches far beyond just plates, engaging all 5 senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The individually portioned set menu includes tasteful performance style presentations to whet the appetite. All this outstanding fine dining however, does come at a price, which is the biggest barrier to dining at Lewin Terrace. Expect to splurge SGD $230 per person without drinks, and about SGD $370 per person with wine.
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| Lewin Terrace Menu (Autumn 2016) |
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| Range Of Japanese Wines |
Loved the 'Home Baked Wholemeal Bread, Original Soya Butter', with its warm, soft, fluffy texture, and taste of bread and grains. Creatively served in a cute burlap drawstring haversack, with hot stones within that keep the bread constantly warm and toasty. The soya butter is rich and creamy smooth, lending a hint of salty flavour to the warm bread.
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| Home Baked Wholemeal Bread, Original Soya Butter |
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| Home Baked Wholemeal Bread, Original Soya Butter |
The word 'omotensahi' roughly translates to 'hospitality', and we were treated to a trio of amuse bouche as a start. The 'Omotenashi - Sweet Corn Mousse With Popcorn' looks delightful being served in a egg shaped cup, and the creamy smooth corn mousse has a fragrant sweetness. Garnished with crunchy salty nuggets of home made popcorn, which lends a clever contrast of textures.
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| Omotenashi - Sweet Corn Mousse With Popcorn |
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| Omotenashi - Sweet Corn Mousse With Popcorn |
The 'Omotenashi - Kisu / Japanese Whiting Fish Carpaccio With Green Olives' features a delicate looking slice of kisu / Japanese whiting fish, done sashimi style. Bouncy and sweet, the fish is contrasted sharply by the salty sour diced pickled green olives beneath. Still pleasant, not overwhelming in flavour, this goes down well.
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| Omotenashi - Kisu / Japanese Whiting Fish Carpaccio With Green Olives |
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| Omotenashi - Kisu / Japanese Whiting Fish Carpaccio With Green Olives |
Interesting that the omotenashi is eaten in a certain order, as the texture of each gradually progresses from soft to firm. The 'Omotenashi - Hokkaido Abalone With Tapioca Chip' thus has a nicely chewy Hokkaido abalone slice, fresh and sweet, garnished with a crunchy tapioca chip on creamy mascarpone cheese, and briny salty caviar. Presented on a beautiful sea shell, calling to mind the ocean, the combination of flavours and textures make this the most bold tasting amuse bouche of the trio.
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| Omotenashi - Hokkaido Abalone With Tapioca Chip |
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| Omotenashi - Hokkaido Abalone With Tapioca Chip |
The 'Hassun - Sea Urchin, Smoked Tofu, 10 Years Miso' has the dish smoked on the plate, and when presented, the billowing clouds of smoke perfume the atmosphere with an appetizing fragrance. A thing of beauty, vibrant briny Spanish and Japanese Hokkaido sea urchin, creamy and rich, sits atop soft, wobbly tofu beancurd, which is imbued with savoury salty smoke. A base of crunchy fried green beans, savoury 10 year aged miso sauce, a bright hibiscus flower, and a crunchy fried tofu beancurd chip complete this. Small morsel, yet packing big flavour, I savoured every single bite of this.
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| Hassun - Sea Urchin, Smoked Tofu, 10 Years Miso |
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| Hassun - Sea Urchin, Smoked Tofu, 10 Years Miso |
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| Hassun - Sea Urchin, Smoked Tofu, 10 Years Miso |
Chef drew inspiration for the 'Mushroom, Prosciutto Blancmange, Coffee Beans', from coffee, specifically modelling it after a cup of Cappuccino. While the traditional blancmange is a sweet, milk, gelatin, and almond dessert, Chef has reimagined this as a savoury dish, rather akin to mushroom soup. Airy coffee foam on a bouncy, chewy, wild button mushroom and prosciutto ham infused blancmange, topped with crisp, wild button mushroom and garlic chips. Taste is earthy savoury salty sweet, very intense in flavour.
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| Mushroom, Prosciutto Blancmange, Coffee Beans |
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| Mushroom, Prosciutto Blancmange, Coffee Beans |
The aromatic introduction to the 'Hokkaido King Crab, Japanese Apple, Gazpacho, Yuzu Jelly' dish was a spritz of sherry liqueur on the serving plate, perfuming the air with its woody, oak fragrance. Served on a decorative rock salt, the deshelled Hokkaido king crab leg meat is so fresh and sweet. Served with crunchy celery root ball, juicy Japanese apple, and encased in zesty tangy yuzu jelly, with the refreshing watermelon and tabasco gazpacho on the side having a sweet spicy kick. This dish allows you to create your own experience, eat each component separately, or plate everything together. I had it together, and I love how the taste all comes together, yet you can still taste the contribution of each ingredient. Highly recommended!
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| Hokkaido King Crab, Japanese Apple, Gazpacho, Yuzu Jelly |
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| Hokkaido King Crab, Japanese Apple, Gazpacho, Yuzu Jelly |
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| Hokkaido King Crab, Japanese Apple, Gazpacho, Yuzu Jelly |
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| Hokkaido King Crab, Japanese Apple, Gazpacho, Yuzu Jelly |
The 'Amadai / Tile Fish, Black Truffle, Koshihikari Rice, Seaweed' is more than a delicious dish, but a wonderment inducing performance art as well. A base of pre-baked Japanese Koshihikari rice and edamame is used to create a risotto, resulting in nicely al-dente grains that are slight crisp at the edges, with a lovely savoury sweet nutty taste. Strings of earthy briny okahijiki / salsola, a land seaweed, cushion a tender fillet of fresh amadai / tile fish, which has a lovely flaky buttery texture and rich sweetness. The highlight is the soup / broth, prepared in front of your eyes via a siphon, lending a wonderful sweet salty flavour to the dish. Topped with a generous slice of black truffle, this dish still manages to be warm and comforting. Loved it, was the best thing I ate here. Highly recommended!
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| Amadai / Tile Fish, Black Truffle, Koshihikari Rice, Seaweed |
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| Amadai / Tile Fish, Black Truffle, Koshihikari Rice, Seaweed |
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| Amadai / Tile Fish, Black Truffle, Koshihikari Rice, Seaweed |
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| Amadai / Tile Fish, Black Truffle, Koshihikari Rice, Seaweed |
With the signature 'Japanese Wagyu Beef Steak, Nippon-Rossini Style', Chef carves the beautifully roasted beef steak, done to a medium rare, at the table, then plates each ingredient in front of your eyes. It is by all accounts, a good, straightforward piece of meat, tender and moist, yielding easily, with meaty savoury flavour. Sitting on the beef is a creamy, decadent foie gras terrine, topped with earthy black truffle. Plated with sweet Madeira fortified wine sauce, crisp red and yellow beetroot chips, a tangy baked onion, and a tasty yam taro ball filled with seaweed butter that has a light earthy sweetness. The dish has the look of autumn, with colour hues of red, yellow, white, and brown.
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| Executive Chef Keisuke Matsumoto |
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| Carving |
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| Plating |
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| Japanese Wagyu Beef Steak, Nippon-Rossini Style |
The 'Passionfruit, Unshu Mikan / Tangerine, Lychee' acts as a palate cleanser after the heavier main courses. Presented as a fruit basket, each serving features a passionfruit which has been hollowed then refilled, sweetened with zesty tangerine juice, and lychee jelly cubes. I did feel it was overly sweet though, and I wish there was more juice. A light, fruity beverage, and fun to drink!
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| Passionfruit, Unshu Mikan / Tangerine, Lychee |
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| Passionfruit, Unshu Mikan / Tangerine, Lychee |
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| Passionfruit, Unshu Mikan / Tangerine, Lychee |
The 'Smoked Leaves Aromatherapy' engages your senses before the dessert, using native, local leaves, and setting the edges alight, creating a smoky aroma. Presented in tandem with the 'Yaki-Imo / Roasted Japanese Sweet Potato Chips, Caramel Ice Cream, Maple Syrup' dessert, which is plated to resemble fallen autumn leaves on a path. The base is sweet potato glutinous dumplings, made by mashing Japanese sweet potatoes then baking it with eggs, butter, and cream. Paired with caramel ice cream, drizzled with maple syrup from Canada, topped with crispy sweet potato chips, sprinkled with chocolate lashings that resemble twigs, and purple sweet potato powder. Good!
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| Smoked Leaves Aromatherapy |
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| Yaki-Imo / Roasted Japanese Sweet Potato Chips, Caramel Ice Cream, Maple Syrup |
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| Yaki-Imo / Roasted Japanese Sweet Potato Chips, Caramel Ice Cream, Maple Syrup |
The 'Small World' is their version of a Petit Four, aptly, with only 4 items. Loved the creamy 'White Chocolate Cream With Matcha', the rich white chocolate is contrasted nicely by the intense grassy flavour of the matcha green tea paste. The 'Jasmine Dark Chocolate' is a straightforward dark chocolate infused with the floral essense of jasmine flowers, the light bitterness is pleasantly contrasted by floral sweetness. The 'Vanilla Canelé' was the best item of the 4 here, a warm, moist, sponge pastry with floral vanilla flavour, with a surprising center of sweet bees wax. The 'Dorayaki' was decent and straightforward, with smooth sweet azuki red bean paste sandwiched between fluffy pieces of castella pancake.
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| Small World - White Chocolate Cream With Matcha, Dorayaki, Vanilla Canelé, Jasmine Dark Chocolate |
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| Small World - White Chocolate Cream With Matcha, Dorayaki, Vanilla Canelé, Jasmine Dark Chocolate |
While the 'Butter Biscuit, Rooibos Oolong Tea Leaves' features a large, butter biscuit that has good buttery flavour, it's further enhanced by the earthy floral scent of the mixed rooibos tea leaves and oolong tea leaves. What I didn't quite like was the tea leaves sticking to the biscuit, when bit, there is a tinge of bitterness.
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| Butter Biscuit, Rooibos Oolong Tea Leaves |
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| Butter Biscuit, Rooibos Oolong Tea Leaves |
With their intimate ambience, professional service, and delicious contemporary Japanese French fusion food, it's little wonder that Lewin Terrace is ideal for special occasions including anniversary celebrations, well-heeled corporate events, and wedding celebrations. If you're prepared to splurge, you can't go wrong with a meal at Lewin Terrace.
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CONVERSATION