AIR CCCC
25B Dempsey Road
https://www.aircccc.com/
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| Jackfruit Ice Cream, Waffle Crumble, Whipped Yoghurt, Pandan Honey |
Transcending The Traditional Restaurant, We Had The Best Meal Ever
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 10
Ambience & Setting: 10
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 10
Value for Money: 10
Spent about SGD $68++ / $98++ per person.
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Opened in January 2024 by renowned chefs Matthew Orlando of Amass and Will Goldfarb of Room4Dessert, together with entrepreneur Ronald Akili of Potato Head, AIR CCCC (Awareness, Impact, Responsibility, Circular Campus And Cooking Club) is a combination of many things; a sustainable farm-to-table restaurant, research lab, cooking school, and farm where produce for the restaurant is grown. AIR CCCC sits on a sprawling 40,000 square metres of greenery on Dempsey Hill.
Ambience at AIR CCCC is an experience. Guests traverse a 100-metre meandering wooden walkway surrounded by greenery, climbing the stairs to the restored colonial-era building. The restaurant itself is warmly lit with ample natural light, the idea of transparency spanning from the open kitchen and common dining hall to the natural surroundings. The facade features ribbon windows that open up views to the lawn, while paths take guests beyond to the urban farming gardens run by social enterprise City Sprouts. The fixtures and furniture were designed by Spanish product designer Andreu Carulla, using recycled timber, styrofoam packaging, and plastic bottles sourced from a former art installation, as well as paper mache and bamboo ceiling lights.
Service at AIR CCCC is an experience. Staff accord guests personalised attention, exercising great care with dietary restrictions. They communicate well in fulfilling requests and taking orders, and Chef even came over to clarify preferences. I note staff work quickly, greeting and seating guests, clearing finished plates throughout the meal, and cleaning up efficiently when guests leave. Staff also demonstrate good product knowledge, being able to describe dishes on the seasonal menu, which changes monthly and features fresh ingredients grown on-site. The open kitchen offers a view of the team at work. No surprise that AIR CCCC is usually fully-booked, advance reservations are highly recommended in order to avoid walk-in disappointment.
Food at AIR CCCC is an experience. Style is Modern European and Modern Singaporean fusion, and true to its name, aims to provoke deeper contemplation about food, sustainability, and community. Dishes are creatively put together, with both fresh ingredients, and others that would typically be discarded transformed into delectable bites. Flavours are bold, and uncompromising, yet wholesome and nourishing. Of note is the range of vinegars they make in-house. Portions are designed for communal dining and sharing, except for desserts which are individually-portioned. Prices command a premium for their casual gourmet dining experience, yet is well worth it, budget about SGD $68++ per person for weekend brunch, and SGD $98++ per person for dinner.
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| AIR CCCC Exterior |
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| AIR CCCC Exterior |
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| AIR CCCC Interior |
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| AIR CCCC Interior |
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| Open Kitchen |
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| Home Made Vinegar |
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| Seating |
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| Seating |
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| AIR CCCC Menu May-2024 Food |
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| AIR CCCC Menu May-2024 Drinks |
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| Table Setting |
The weekend brunch is a fixed set menu priced at SGD $68++ per person, and includes free-flow of sparkling water. The Sparkling Water here is refreshing and clean-tasting, with lively bubbles and good mouthfeel, and a minerally minty flavour.
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| Sparkling Water |
The unique Tea Marigold was described like a mild chrysanthemum tea, which is mostly accurate. The warm thin texture and bright floral earthy bitter sweet flavour of the marigold flower tea is nicely calming, enjoyable. Good!
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| Tea Marigold |
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| Tea Marigold |
The Beer Hitachino Nest White Ale (SGD $14) is a unique Japanese interpretation of the Belgian witbeer style, brewed by the Kiuchi Brewery Inc. in Naka city, Ibaraki prefecture, Kanto region of Japan. It has a hazy straw yellow colour, with aromas of wheat, coriander, orange zest, and nutmeg. The body is crisp, inviting, and lively, with fruity bitter sweet zesty sour tangy spice flavour, an interesting contrast that works. Has a refreshing finish.
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| Beer Hitachino Nest White Ale (SGD $14) |
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| Beer Hitachino Nest White Ale |
The Grilled Young Cabbages, Smokey Eggplant Yoghurt, Thai Basil And Candlenut Pesto features fresh seasonal young cabbages grown on-site, grilled till crunchy and crisp in texture with robust smoky vegetal bitter sweet flavour. The smokey eggplant yoghurt is creamy and thick, lending bright milky vegetal sweet smoky flavour. The Thai basil and candlenut pesto is chunky and grainy in texture, bursting with bright vegetal herbal bitter grassy sweet nutty spice flavour. Yum, feels wholesome and satisfying. Highly recommended!
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| Grilled Young Cabbages, Smokey Eggplant Yoghurt, Thai Basil And Candlenut Pesto |
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| Grilled Young Cabbages, Smokey Eggplant Yoghurt, Thai Basil And Candlenut Pesto |
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| Grilled Young Cabbages, Smokey Eggplant Yoghurt, Thai Basil And Candlenut Pesto |
Loved the Double Fried Potatoes, Citrus Emulsion, which features chunky double-fried potatoes that are liberally salted, with tender texture that holds good bite, and loads of smoky starchy salty savoury flavour. Paired with a creamy smooth citrus emulsion that lends a zesty tangy sour milky sweet flavour to contrast the richness. Highly recommended!
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| Double Fried Potatoes, Citrus Emulsion |
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| Double Fried Potatoes, Citrus Emulsion |
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| Double Fried Potatoes, Citrus Emulsion |
The Confit Duck Leg Benedict And Grilled Vegetable Frittata is a two-in-one dish. The confit duck leg benedict comprises crunchy crusty cassava bread with bready earthy sweet savoury flavour, wok-fried seasonal greens such as crisp spinach with vegetal salty bitter sweet flavour, tender shredded duck meat with smoky meaty savoury salty flavour, a wobbly runny poached egg with eggy sweet flavour, all coated in a thick creamy black pepper hollandaise and chili oil gravy with milky sweet sour peppery spice flavour. The grilled vegetable frittata features a soft spongy spinach and egg frittata that's vegetal eggy savoury sweet in flavour, topped with a juicy tomato slice with vegetal sweet flavour, and a creamy garlic and herb crème fraiche with bright milky sweet sour flavour. Highly recommended!
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| Confit Duck Leg Benedict And Grilled Vegetable Frittata |
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| Confit Duck Leg Benedict And Grilled Vegetable Frittata |
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| Confit Duck Leg Benedict And Grilled Vegetable Frittata |
A similar creation made for those with lactose-intolerance, the Confit Duck Leg Benedict And Scrambled Eggs replaces the frittata with soft fluffy scrambled eggs with eggy sweet savoury flavour.
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| Confit Duck Leg Benedict And Scrambled Eggs |
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| Confit Duck Leg Benedict And Scrambled Eggs |
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| Confit Duck Leg Benedict And Scrambled Eggs |
Loved the Jackfruit Ice Cream, Waffle Crumble, Whipped Yoghurt, Pandan Honey. There's good textural and flavour contrast in every bite, from the creamy smooth jackfruit ice cream with fruity sweet flavour, the crunchy waffle crumble with bready sweet savoury flavour, the creamy thick whipped yoghurt with milky sweet flavour, and the thin sticky pandan / screwpine leaf honey with floral earthy sweet flavour. Highly recommended!
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| Jackfruit Ice Cream, Waffle Crumble, Whipped Yoghurt, Pandan Honey |
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| Jackfruit Ice Cream, Waffle Crumble, Whipped Yoghurt, Pandan Honey |
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| Jackfruit Ice Cream, Waffle Crumble, Whipped Yoghurt, Pandan Honey |
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CONVERSATION