Wine & Chef

Wine & Chef
7 Keong Saik Road

https://www.facebook.com/Winenchef/

http://sgwinecellar.com/

Angus Beef Short Rib & Foie Gras (SGD $42)

Tasty Modern Singaporean Plates & Fine Italian Wines

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 9
Value for Money: 9
Spent about SGD $30 / $50 per person.


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Established since December 2016, Wine & Chef is an exciting modern gastrobar, whose concept is modern Singaporean. Featuring a cuisine blend of Chinese Hokkien with Italian in their dishes, and offering an extensive range of wines from across Italy, all at affordable prices in a comfortable, casual setting, Wine & Chef has quickly but quietly gained a loyal following. We visited for a birthday celebration.

Ambience at Wine & Chef is casual and comfortable. The dimly lit area is neatly spaced with heavy but sturdy wooden furniture. An open kitchen lines half the area, offering diners a view of chefs preparing their food. Ventilation here is good too, I didn't detect any food odours in the air. The extensive and well-stocked wine racks at the front offer ample opportunity for browsing, and they even have a small outdoor al-fresco dining area.

Service at Wine & Chef is attentive and friendly. Orders are quickly fulfilled, and staff will introduce each dish as it's served, displaying decent product knowledge. They're helpful with requests, and will assist to clear away empty / dirty plates and tables efficiently. If the owners are present, you'll see them move around and engage diners in conversation, offering personalised attention.

Food at Wine & Chef is modern Singaporean, innovative, exciting, and delicious. A heady, hearty blend of Chinese Hokkien and Italian flavours, each dish is bold in flavour, beautifully presented, and generally well executed and tasty. Portions are large for individuals, and sharing is recommended. Despite their position as a gastrobar, Wine & Chef actually offers affordable, wallet-friendly prices. Budget about SGD $30 per person for a meal here. Will return for more!


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Wine & Chef Exterior

Wine & Chef Interior

Seating Outdoors

Seating Indoors

Italian Wine Map

Open Kitchen

Wine Rack

Wine Rack

Water Glasses

I like the straightforward and well executed Crispy Cajun Fries (SGD $6). Piping hot, with a slightly crisp exterior and a fluffy interior, each of these shoestring fries have good potato flavour, complemented by a touch of savoury spicy seasoning. Worth ordering!

Crispy Cajun Fries (SGD $6)

Crispy Cajun Fries

Loved the fresh, clean-tasting Egg Tofu & Century Egg (SGD $6). This homemade appetizer features a silky smooth, homemade egg tofu, garnished with diced century egg, red radish, century egg sauce, and super crispy pok cui crackers. The combination of soft and crispy textures, and the contrast of earthy sweet salty savoury flavours is so delicious. Highly recommended!

Egg Tofu & Century Egg (SGD $6)

Egg Tofu & Century Egg

What I like about the Curry Pork Knuckle With Achar (SGD $20) is the generous portion, a huge pork knuckle with a good ratio of tender, lean pork meat to succulent fat. The homemade curry sauce is nicely thick and savoury salty in flavour, however, it does make the Curry Pork Knuckle skin / crackling less crisp than it should ideally be. The surprising highlight was the delicious Achar, a medley of homemade pickled cabbage, cucumber, carrots, and pineapples, juicy sweet sour yet still pleasant.

Curry Pork Knuckle With Achar (SGD $20)

Curry Pork Knuckle With Achar

Achar

Achar

Curry Pork Knuckle

Curry Pork Knuckle

Being Chinese Hokkien, the Crab Meat Hokkien Mee (SGD $26) here resembles the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia style noodles in taste. Thick, bouncy linguine pasta noodles in a dark, slippery, savoury salty seafood stock, shellfish, and soy sauce gravy, garnished with premium seafood. This includes mussels, tiger prawns, deshelled blue swimmer crab meat, and crispy pork lard. Tasty for sure, but less intense in flavour than the Malaysian version, ultimately, rather forgettable.

Crab Meat Hokkien Mee (SGD $26)

Crab Meat Hokkien Mee

The Soya Sauce Chicken (SGD $16) features a half chicken, prepared French rotisserie style, except that instead of Western herbs, the marinade uses 5-spice powder, dark soy sauce, and a house blend of Asian herbs. The cooking method results in a tender, juicy, bouncy texture, while the marinade lends a herbal salty savoury flavour, complementing the natural sweet taste of the chicken. While tasty, I felt the flavours become rather one-note after awhile, and it could be better if there was some contrast.

Soya Sauce Chicken (SGD $16)

Soya Sauce Chicken

The Seafood Ciambotta (SGD $38) is a hearty Italian summer stew. A fresh, sweet savoury seafood broth filled with potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, mussels, tiger prawns, Hokkaido sea scallops, octopus, and a fillet of hamachi / yellowtail fish. A luxurious yet comforting stew, delicious and warming. Great soul food.

Seafood Ciambotta (SGD $38)

Seafood Ciambotta

The Angus Beef Short Rib & Foie Gras (SGD $42) is an excellent dish. The slow braised Australian angus beef short ribs have tender, succulent, juicy beef meat which slides right off the bones. Coated in a reduced au jus, with bold notes of savoury meaty flavours. Equally delightful and surprising was the stir-fried royal garlic chives which formed the bed, rivaling any good Chinese Zi Char stall out there with its fresh, crunchy texture and smoky sweet flavour of garlic and wok hei / breath of the wok. This luxurious dish is completed with a creamy fatty slab of rich foie gras. Highly recommended!

Angus Beef Short Rib & Foie Gras (SGD $42)

Angus Beef Short Rib & Foie Gras

The Wine Elegant Red - Masseria Cardillo Vigna Giadi Basilicata IGT Primitivo (SGD $6 per glass) is an elegant red wine made with 100% primitivo / zinfandel grapes, produced by Masseria Cardillo, in the comune of Bernalda, in the Basilicata region of Italy. It has a deep, dark ruby red colour, with aromas of raspberries, blackberries, star anise, and pepper. It has a robust, perfumy, medium body with soft tannins, and tastes of redcurrants, blackcurrants, blueberries, and oak. Very approachable with smooth, fruity sweet notes, and a short finish.

Wine Elegant Red - Masseria Cardillo Vigna Giadi Basilicata IGT Primitivo (SGD $6 per glass)

Wine Elegant Red - Masseria Cardillo Vigna Giadi Basilicata IGT Primitivo

The Wine Refreshing White - Terre Forti Romagna Bianco DOC Trebbiano (SGD $6 per glass) is a refreshing white wine made with 100% trebbiano / ugni blanc grapes, produced by Terre Forti, in the comune of Faenza, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It has a clear, pale yellow green colour, with aromas of honeydew melon, green apple, lemon, and lily flowers. It has a crisp, acidic, light body with some minerality, and tastes of pear, slate, jasmine flowers, and sage. Very undistinguished with smooth, grassy sweet notes, and a short finish.

Wine Refreshing White - Terre Forti Romagna Bianco DOC Trebbiano (SGD $6 per glass)

Wine Refreshing White - Terre Forti Romagna Bianco DOC Trebbiano

The Wine Happy Sweet - Beppe Marino Piemonte DOC Bramusa Brachetto (SGD $6 per glass) is a sparkling dessert red wine made with 100% brachetto / borgogna grapes, produced by Beppe Marino, in the comune of Mango, in the Piedmont region of Italy. It has a bright, delicate pink red colour, with aromas of lime, apricot, rose flowers, and cherries. It has a full, fresh, structured body with some persistance, and tastes of strawberries, redcurrants, rose syrup, and peach. Lively and best consumed when young, with delicate sweet notes, and a lingering finish.

Wine Happy Sweet - Beppe Marino Piemonte DOC Bramusa Brachetto (SGD $6 per glass)

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Update Oct-2018: Returned to Wine & Chef after more than 1 year, for their excellent Italian wines. Ambience remains casual and comfortable, though there now seems to be a faint cooking odour that sticks to your clothing. Service is still attentive and friendly, and all staff seem well versed in both the food and drink menus, with extensive knowledge on recommending wines. Food is still Modern Singaporean, but nearly the entire menu has changed; I can't find any of the dishes I had last time. Portions are still large and suitable for sharing, but prices have risen slightly. Budget about SGD $50 per person for a meal with drinks here.

Us

The Wine Filellu Rosso Piceno DOC (SGD $55 per bottle) is a red wine, made with a blend of 50% Montepulciano grapes, and 50% Sangiovese grapes, by the Finocchi Viticoltori winery in Staffolo comune, Ancona province, Marche region of Italy. It has a deep ruby red colour, with aromas of cherry, black pepper, black truffle, and redcurrant. The body is smooth, medium, and lively with bright acidity, with tastes of plum, clay, redcurrant, and rhubarb. Has a fruity sweet bitter flavour, with a sharp finish.

Wine Filellu Rosso Piceno DOC (SGD $55 per bottle)

Wine Filellu Rosso Piceno DOC

The Wine Quota 101 Fior D'Arancio Colli Euganei DOCG (SGD $65) is a sparkling moscato, made with 100% Moscato Giallo / Yellow Muscat grapes, by the Quota 101 winery in Torreglia comune, Padua province, Veneto region of Italy. It has a bright, straw yellow colour, with aromas of marigold flowers, orange, lime, and green apple. The body is lively, dry, and refreshing, with tastes of raisins, flint, tangerine, and grass. Has a bubbly fruity floral sweet flavour, with a mineral finish.

Wine Quota 101 Fior D'Arancio Colli Euganei DOCG (SGD $65)

Wine Quota 101 Fior D'Arancio Colli Euganei DOCG

The Chicken Little (SGD $10) features 4 chicken drumlets, coated in crisp shrimp paste batter, dressed with a honey and soy glaze. Bite in and you get a satisfying crunch, followed by the savoury sweet salty burst of juicy flavour. Would have liked the shrimp paste to be more bold in flavour, as it's a little too light at the moment.

Chicken Little (SGD $10)

Chicken Little

The Seared Foie Gras (SGD $16) features a slab of pan-seared foie gras duck liver, atop a crisp toasted ciabatta bread, garnished with sea salt and crushed pistachio nuts, with a chunky caramelised apple, thyme, and brandy compote on the side. The compote lends bold fruity boozy sweet flavour to the tender, succulent, savoury salty fatty foie gras, complemented by the earthy nutty crushed pistachio nuts on top. Good!

Seared Foie Gras (SGD $16)

Seared Foie Gras

For the Charcuterie Platter (SGD $48), it's garnished with tender sweet caramelised shallots, crunchy sour pickled gherkins, firm nutty walnuts, and juicy earthy salty green olives. We chose 2 meats; the salty savoury, 20 months aged, air-cured Prosciutto Di Parma / Parma Ham; and the herbal savoury spicy, juniper berries and spices cured smoked pork collar Coppa Ham. We chose 2 cheese as well; the straightforward semi-hard 24 months Aged Comte, which has a mild earthy nutty sweet flavour; and the unique semi-soft Truffle Gouda, which has black Italian truffles dotting the cheese, giving it a earthy milky sweet flavour. Served with crisp Toasted Ciabatta Bread on the side. Good!

Charcuterie Platter - Prosciutto Di Parma, Coppa Ham, Truffle Gouda, Aged Comte (SGD $48)

Charcuterie Platter - Prosciutto Di Parma, Coppa Ham, Truffle Gouda, Aged Comte

Toasted Ciabatta Bread

The Salmon Risotto (SGD $20) features a tender, soy and coriander cured salmon fish fillet, plated over chewy mascarpone barley risotto, along with soft sweet peas, crunchy pomegranate seeds, ikura / salmon roe, and tobiko / flying fish roe. The salmon is nice and flaky, with sweet salty herbal flavour, complemented by the light sweet earthy flavour of the barley grains. The fish roe lend a burst of briny salty freshness. Overall, a dish with flavours that are light and comforting on the palate, very satisfying. Highly recommended!

Salmon Risotto (SGD $20)

Salmon Risotto

Salmon Risotto

The Bak Chor Mee Minced Meat Linguine (SGD $24) features al-dente linguine pasta noodles, tossed in preserved bean sauce, Iberico pork lard, and chili, giving it a bold earthy salty savoury spicy flavour. Completed with chewy minced chicken chunks, juicy zucchini, tender shiitake mushrooms, and truffle oil infused wanton fish paste dumplings. Overall, has a somewhat familiar flavour of the hawker dish that it's inspired by, though a little lacking in the sweet sour notes. Decent at best.

Bak Chor Mee Minced Meat Linguine (SGD $24)

Bak Chor Mee Minced Meat Linguine

Bak Chor Mee Minced Meat Linguine

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