Montana Brew Bar / Montana Singapore Tasting Session 2017
1 Selegie Road
#02-25 PoMo
Opening Hours:
Daily: 8am - 10pm
https://www.facebook.com/montanasingapore
This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session, but I did pay the standard price during subsequent visits.
Attended with representatives from Chubby Botak Koala, msginginly, Her Pen And Fork, The Arctic Star, and Purple Taste.
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| Meal Flat Lay |
Year-On-Year Improvement
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 8
Value for Money: 7
Budget about SGD $27 ++ per person.
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Having visited Montana Brew Bar / Montana Singapore several times over the past few years (including in 2015 and in 2016), it comes as no surprise that they've re-invented themselves again this year. While service has remained as good as before, the ambience has greatly improved, specifically, the ventilation, as there isn't any cooking odour lingering in the air. The food has moved beyond Western and Asian fusion, becoming more Modern Singaporean in style, thanks to the new head chef at the helm.
The once varied menu at Montana Brew Bar / Montana Singapore has also been toned down, now focusing on several key areas and dishes. The popular, signature favourites remain on the menu, joined by new creations from the head chef, including several new plated desserts. The biggest change is in the taste of the dishes, where it previously was bold, full-flavoured, and robust in taste; now their dishes are light, clean-tasting, and refreshing. Prices remain reflective of a high-end cafe.
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| Montana Brew Bar / Montana Singapore Menu 2017 |
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| Signature V60 Cacao Menu |
The 1st of its kind in Singapore, the V60 Chocolate (SGD $6.80) is a chilled beverage concoction, made by pouring heated coconut water over ground cacao nibs, through a coffee V60 filter in a pour over style. With the Original, you get the light, refreshing beverage that looks visually like tea, but carries a strong earthy bitter sweet chocolate flavour in taste. The Mint has the addition of the refreshing mint herb, while the Smoky Infusion has the strongest profile of all, carrying a bold presence of smoke on the palate. Interesting and novel creation. Worth ordering!
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| V60 Chocolate (SGD $6.80) - Original, Mint, Smoky Infusion |
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| V60 Chocolate - Original, Mint, Smoky Infusion |
The Whitebait With 5-Spice Seasoning (SGD $11) makes for a perfect appetizer. The crisp, crunchy, airy texture of the deep-fried whitebait fish is addictive, and the 5-spice seasoning lends a savoury salty flavour. Goes great with a round of drinks!
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| Whitebait With 5-Spice Seasoning (SGD $11) |
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| Whitebait With 5-Spice Seasoning |
The Sweet Potato Fries With Masala Seasoning (SGD $11) stands out here, because of the novel combination of flavours. The crisp outside soft inside sweet potato fries lend a nice sweet contrast of flavour to the heavier savoury spice flavour of the garam masala seasoning. Tasty, I kept reaching for more. Good!
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| Sweet Potato Fries With Masala Seasoning (SGD $11) |
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| Sweet Potato Fries With Masala Seasoning |
The Fried Chicken Wings With Garlic Mirin Sauce (SGD $12) were decent. The chicken wings were well-fried, with a decent portion of meat, and the crisp, savoury buttermilk batter lends a lovely flavour. Texture is moist, with the meat coming clean off the bone. The garlic mirin sauce didn't quite lend as much flavour as I'd hoped though.
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| Fried Chicken Wings With Garlic Mirin Sauce (SGD $12) |
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| Fried Chicken Wings With Garlic Mirin Sauce |
The Truffle Eggs Rosti (SGD $19) features a crisp and fluffy waffle potato rosti, adorned with crunchy curly endive / frisée, salty savoury parma ham, and poached eggs coated in truffle hollandaise. Love the taste of the potato rosti, and cutting open the egg to watch the runny yolk burst forth, coating the other ingredients in luscious eggy goodness. Fortunately, they've used the truffle oil lightly here, nicely perfuming the dish with a delicate earthy fragrance. Good!
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| Truffle Eggs Rosti (SGD $19) |
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| Truffle Eggs Rosti |
The Baked Salmon With Poached Egg (SGD $18) is really delicate in flavour. The salmon fish fillet has a moist, tender, flaky texture, with a crisp skin. The bed of salad features crunchy curly endive / frisée, grainy herbed couscous, tender chunks of shoyu infused shiitake mushrooms with a salty earthy flavour, crunchy vinegared black fungus / cloud ear fungus that is earthy sour in flavour, and juicy cherry tomatoes that are fresh and sweet. The best component here was the poached egg, which has a runny yolk, and is best used to aid in eating the couscous. Worth ordering!
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| Baked Salmon With Poached Egg (SGD $18) |
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| Baked Salmon With Poached Egg |
The Spicy Bacon Linguine (SGD $17) has a fierce fiery kick! The soft linguine pasta noodles are garnished with sauteed bacon, bacon bits, ginger paste, and lots of bird's eye chili. Flavours of salty, savoury, spicy, super shiok. Each mouthful is so addictive, though it gradually numbs your palate. Best eaten as a last dish before dessert, else, it's hard to taste anything else for awhile. Also, note that it's slightly oily.
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| Spicy Bacon Linguine (SGD $17) |
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| Spicy Bacon Linguine |
The Cold Crab Truffle Capelli D'Angelo (SGD $21) is served chilled, and features a bed of long, thin, soft, angel hair pasta noodles, infused with earthy truffle oil. Garnish of crunchy kombu / seaweed, and chunks of fresh, meaty sweet, deshelled crab meat complete this dish. I like that it's clean-tasting, with fresh ingredients, and refreshing on the palate. Good!
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| Cold Crab Truffle Capelli D'Angelo (SGD $21) |
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| Cold Crab Truffle Capelli D'Angelo |
The house Signature Mac & Cheese Waffle (SGD $15) is now in its 5th iteration. It's visually different from the last few times I tried it, now served as a whole waffle. The key ingredients of fluffy soft buttermilk waffle, truffle oil, jalapeno peppers, macaroni, and mozzarella cheese remain, however, the ingredients are now mixed into the waffle batter itself. The result; a dish that is gooey soft chewy in texture, with flavours of earthy, savoury, sweet, cheesy, spicy. Compared to previous versions, it's much lighter in flavour, and lighter on the palate too.
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| Signature Mac & Cheese Waffle (SGD $15) |
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| Signature Mac & Cheese Waffle |
The Rosso Plated Dessert (SGD $13) is a creative and visually attractive dessert. It features a stack of moist chocolate brownies, surrounded by crunchy chocolate soil and soft macerated raspberries, garnished with crunchy meringue bits, creamy smooth vanilla ice cream, and a light sugar net. Pour the shot of Irish whisky over, then try and get all the components together in 1 mouthful. Layered flavours of sweet, sour, boozy, and spicy. Delicious, but very rich. Good!
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| Rosso Plated Dessert (SGD $13) |
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| Rosso Plated Dessert |
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| Rosso Plated Dessert |
The Bianco Plated Dessert (SGD $13) is a unique and creative dessert. It features a creamy smooth horlicks cheesecake, surrounded by crunchy horlicks soil and thick orange gel, garnished with crunchy meringue bits, creamy smooth vanilla ice cream, soft blueberries, and crisp buttermilk wafers. Each mouthful is a nostalgic blast from the past, that familiar taste of childhood, with layered flavours of sweet, milky, and fruity. Not too heavy on the palate, it's nicely balanced. We loved every bite of this. Highly recommended!
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| Bianco Plated Dessert (SGD $13) |
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| Bianco Plated Dessert |
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| Bianco Plated Dessert |
The new direction at Montana Brew Bar / Montana Singapore is a complete change from their prior culinary creations. For what it's worth, they're commendable for continously re-inventing themselves annually, as it keeps repeat diners hooked. Consistent standards, but with refreshing new flavours... I can't wait to try more!
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CONVERSATION