Basdban Tasting Session
51 Telok Ayer Street #01-01
Basdban has been re-branded to Sichuan Alley. Were you looking for the newer post about this? It's here! : https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2023/06/sichuan-alley-tasting-session.html
https://www.facebook.com/basdban.sg/
This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session.
Attended with representatives from Her Pen And Fork, msginginly, Chubby Botak Koala, and Purple Taste.
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| Lalalalalala Fried Chicken (SGD $28) |
Exciting Modern Sichuan Flavours
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Budget about SGD $55 per person.
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Formerly 51 Soho, the same owners behind Birds Of A Feather and Halcyon & Crane have revamped the place, launching it as Basdban in November 2021. Named for the phonetics of the Chinese Sichuan exclamation '巴适的板 (bā shì dé bǎn)', which means 'awesome' or 'shiok', Basdban serves East-Meets-West fusion contemporary dishes, bringing together the flavours of both worlds in communal style dining.
Ambience at Basdban is casual and relaxing. Styled like a lounge, the gastrobar is dimly lit, with spotlights and a neon glow illuminating the place. Furnishings are lower than normal, designed for partial reclining, and are relatively comfortable. There's limited indoor seating, but a good amount of outdoor seating, which is thankfully sheltered.
Service at Basdban is friendly and efficient. Staff accord each table good attention (provided you catch their attention first), and respond enthusiastically. They offer to clear finished plates throughout the meal, and introduce each dish as they serve, demonstrating competent menu knowledge. Good engagement too, as they buzz about the place.
Food at Basdban is Modern Chinese Sichuan cuisine, infusing the traditional Asian plates with a smattering of Western techniques or ingredients. Chef Eugene See brings his culinary expertise, curating robust flavours and visual treats. Portions are large, designed for communal sharing. Prices are comparable to other mid-tier gastrobar, budget about SGD $55 per person.
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| Basdban Signage |
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| Basdban Exterior |
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| Basdban Interior |
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| Neon Decor |
The Cocktail Kyoho (SGD $23) features a blend of vodka, Kyoho purple grape juice, lime juice, elderflower syrup, and soda water, garnished with a flower petal and orange zest emblazoned with 'Basdban'. This striking purple violet cocktail beverage has a lovely strength, being floral zesty sweet sour fruity boozy in flavour. Good!
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| Cocktail Kyoho (SGD $23) |
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| Cocktail Kyoho |
The Cocktail Peach Blossom (SGD $25) features a blend of moutai prince baijiu, white wine, peach juice, and cucumber juice, garnished with a flower petal, orange zest emblazoned with 'Basdban', and decorative ice plant leaves. This deceptive lime green cocktail beverage has a hidden spine, being boozy floral vegetal sweet fruity in flavour. Good!
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| Cocktail Peach Blossom (SGD $25) |
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| Cocktail Peach Blossom |
The Cocktail Basdban Old Fashioned (SGD $25) features a blend of whisky, angelica root, and bitters, bottled with smoke and garnished with orange zest emblazoned with 'Basdban', and decorative ice plant leaves. When opened, the cloud of woody earthy smoke wafts all around, perfuming the air with class. However, this intense copper brown cocktail beverage is unbalanced, being smoky boozy bitter herbal in flavour, rather like drinking strong medicine. Could be improved.
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| Cocktail Basdban Old Fashioned (SGD $25) |
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| Cocktail Basdban Old Fashioned |
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| Cocktail Basdban Old Fashioned |
The Mocktail Oriental Flare (SGD $12) features a blend of hawthorn juice and osmanthus flower extract, visually appearing like a Bloody Mary cocktail. This has interesting floral earthy sweet flavours, rather like the traditional disc-shaped hawthorn candy. Available as a cocktail as well. Worth ordering!
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| Mocktail Oriental Flare (SGD $12) |
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| Mocktail Oriental Flare |
The Funky Fish (SGD $18) lives up to its name as an appetizer, featuring thick succulent slices of tender sashimi-grade salmon fish, shaped like a rosette, dressed with juicy corn kernels, creamy yoghurt, and sticky 'funky sauce' - which is just light soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. This carries lovely sweet salty savoury spice flavours, mild but addictive. Good!
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| Funky Fish (SGD $18) |
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| Funky Fish |
Loved the Sticky Pork Ribs (SGD $18), which features bone-in pork ribs marinated in a Chinese Sichuan sticky glaze, coated with crunchy crushed pistachio nuts. Bright with sweet spicy salty savoury nutty flavours, the pork ribs were tender and chewy. Accompanied by juicy crunchy carrots and purple cabbage pickled in a sweet sour vinegar glaze, sharp with vegetal sour sweet flavour. Highly recommended!
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| Sticky Pork Ribs (SGD $18) |
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| Sticky Pork Ribs |
The Two To Tango (SGD $23) is so delicious you wouldn't know it's vegetarian-friendly. Comprising beautiful florets of crunchy broccolini and caulilini with vegetal sweet notes, alongside grainy minced tofu bean curd tossed with dried red chili with salty savoury spice flavours, very addictive. Highly recommended!
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| Two To Tango (SGD $23) |
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| Two To Tango |
Loved the Lalalalalala Fried Chicken (SGD $28), their house take on laziji / spicy firecracker chicken / mala chicken. This has tender chicken cubes, plump clams, crisp white sesame seeds, and crunchy pickled green chili, wok-fried to perfection. With bold sweet savoury spice nutty flavours, and served in a large communal portion, this was incredibly satisfying. Would order again. Highly recommended!
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| Lalalalalala Fried Chicken (SGD $28) |
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| Lalalalalala Fried Chicken |
Who would have guessed that the Furikake Rice (SGD $1), being just a simply seasoned bowl of fluffy sticky white rice, could be so tasty? With its grainy sweet savoury salty spice notes, this was better than I expected. Good!
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| Furikake Rice (SGD $1) |
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| Furikake Rice |
Holy spicy fish my friends! The Wholey Fish (SGD $48) is their take on the traditional Chinese Sichuan spicy numbing grilled fish, with a medium-sized fresh tender flaky barramundi fish simmered in a mala peppercorn broth with pliant celeriac, crunchy roasted peanuts, and spongy dried tofu bean curd sheets. The sweet savoury spicy vegetal nutty earthy flavours kept us reaching for more, and we polished this off. Highly recommended!
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| Wholey Fish (SGD $48) |
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| Wholey Fish |
The BB Prawn Aglio Olio (SGD $28) is a modern fusion dish, with a base of long smooth spaghettini pasta noodles swirled with garlic, juicy cherry tomatoes, and Sichuan chili, al-dente chewy with sweet savoury spicy flavours that tingle the palate. Garnished with plump clams which pick up the flavours of the gravy, and large succulent shell-on tiger prawns with bright natural sweet savoury flavour. A slice of biscotti accompanies, delightfully crunchy with bready sweet flavour. Can get a little messy while eating, but the taste profile is delicious. Good!
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| BB Prawn Aglio Olio (SGD $28) |
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| BB Prawn Aglio Olio |
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| BB Prawn Aglio Olio |
The star of our visit was the Basdban Unagi Donabe (SGD $45), in the style of a claypot rice. The claypot ensures even heat all around, making the soy seasoned rice against the edges super crisp without being overly burnt, yum. Over the base of grainy soy seasoned rice goes tender morel mushrooms, chewy baby shrimp, crunchy leeks, crisp spring onions, chewy waxed pork sausages, crisp pork lard, and a silky soft unagi / grilled fresh water eel marinated in tare sauce (made from a blend of usukuchi shoyu / light soy sauce, koikuchi shoyu / dark soy sauce, mirin rice wine, brown sugar, sake rice wine, sherry vinegar, garlic). Mix everything together, and the combined savoury salty sweet earthy vegetal meaty smoky flavours are beautiful. Highly recommended!
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| Basdban Unagi Donabe (SGD $45) |
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| Basdban Unagi Donabe |
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| Basdban Unagi Donabe |
The Glutinous Rice Three-Way (SGD $15) is a unique dessert. As named, this features a base of wobbly dense glutinous rice pudding, topped with crisp battered glutinous rice cakes, and chewy boiled glutinous rice balls. Dressed with sticky caramel sauce, garnished with juicy watermelon cubes, this has interesting play of textures, with grainy sweet fruity flavours. Worth ordering!
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| Glutinous Rice Three-Way (SGD $15) |
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| Glutinous Rice Three-Way |
The Pick Me Up (SGD $16) is a deconstructed tiramisu, with a base of soft ladyfinger biscuits / sponge finger biscuits, topped with creamy mascarpone cheese, grainy espresso crumble, cocoa powder, and crisp milk chocolate wafers. Finished with rum! Generally alright, with grainy milky toasty sweet chocolately boozy flavours, fun but less decadent than the regular version of the dessert. Worth ordering!
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| Pick Me Up (SGD $16) |
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| Pick Me Up |
Enjoyed our visit to Basdban! The ambience is suitably relaxing, the service engaging, and the food quality excellent. Prices are slightly high, but represent good value, especially for larger groups. Will be planning to revisit Basdban in the near future!
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CONVERSATION