Skyve Wine Bistro @ Winstedt Road

Nestled in the compound of old Monk’s Hill Secondary School and beside Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) is Skyve Wine Bistro (formerly known as Skyve Elementary Bistro and Bar).

Skyve Wine Bistro turns two this July with newly-appointed Executive Chef Jachin Tan; a revamped menu featuring hearty new creations; and an extended wine list with over 70 labels of affordable, quality wines (with prices starting from S$49++ for a bottle).

First opened in 2011, Skyve Wine Bistro is the brainchild of owner Celine Tan. Born into a family of foodies, Celine developed great appreciation for good food and wine, while her younger brother, Jachin Tan took on cooking as a career. After a decade of culinary honing in the United States, Australia and Singapore, Jachin joins his sister as the Executive Chef of Skyve Wine Bistro, bringing with him a myriad of cuisine influences picked up from his days in California.

Skyve is one of those restaurants where you only get to know through word-of-mouth as the flow of human traffic is low in the area.

I was invited for a tasting session last week and went there with enthusiasm after a long day at work, seeking food therapy to recuperate.

It is more convenient to drive to the restaurant and there are plenty of parking lots available. If you are taking public transport like I did, it takes about 15 minutes to walk to the restaurant from Newton MRT station.

Upon arrival, I like what I saw, with regards to the restaurant’s decor:

The venue is spacious – ideal for corporate functions and private events. The area is quiet, with just a few art studios and offices located beside it.

Pretty lovely:

Let’s get to the food which was what I was there for.

These are the items which I sampled:

How about the food?

Taking the cue from Skyve Wine Bistro’s previous menus, the new menu continues to showcase hearty bistro cuisine, with nuances of Asian flavors.

For starters, the Petuna and Ume Somen (S$20) is a delicate dish of pan-seared petuna, accompanied with ebiko, mango, sesame yuzu dressing, cold somen and mesclun.

Skyve Wine Bistro’s latest menu also features a selection of new oyster flavours – the Chilean Oyster comprises a combination of serrano, lime juice, red wine vinegar and cilantro; the Mentaiyaki Oyster is served with mentaiko, crunchy ebiko, lemon juice and aioli, while the classic English Kilpatrick Oyster is topped with lardon of bacon, Worchestershire, and chives (S$34 for 1⁄2 dozen of each type of oyster) (Recommended to be paired with Champagne or a less fruity Sauvignon Blanc).

For the mains, the Polenta Mushroom Stack (S$34) is a dish of crispy polenta cakes, mushroom fricassee, grilled Portobello, seasonal vegetables and homemade pesto (Recommended to be paired with a bottle of Tamar Ridge Riesling). This is pretty decent for a vegetarian dish.

Meat-lovers can look out for the Spicy Kalbi Beef Short Ribs (S$36), sous-vide short ribs glazed with a Korean-inspired marinade, sautéed brocollini, and crispy root vegetable ribbons (Recommended to be paired with a bottle of Mitolo G.A.M Shiraz). The Sous-Vide Poulet (S$34), glazed with an apricot-based sauce accompanied with candied pecans, baby vegetables, and pommes puree is another one of Chef Jachin’s signature creations on the menu (Recommended to be paired with a bottle of Misha’s Vineyard Pinot Gris).

The cuisines are modern East-West fusion and above average. The Skyve Beef Tartare and Spicy Kalbi Beef Short Ribs impressed on me. The latter will suit Singapore palate well, with a zesty kick to the tender short ribs. Raw beef can taste pretty gross if not executed rightly. The tartare at Skyve went well.

“I am inspired by fresh, quality produce,” shares Chef Jachin, who defines his cooking style ‘organic’ or going ‘back to basics’, allowing the natural flavors of ingredients to come through.

To find out more about the restaurant, visit their official website or download their Skyve app which will update you with their latest promotions and event.

Skyve Wine Bistro

Address: No.10 Winstedt Road, Block E, #01-17
Open Daily: Monday to Sunday (including Public Holidays)
10:00 am till late (last order for food 10.30 pm)
Reservations:+65 6225 6690
Office:+65 6737 1975
Fax:+65 6737 1976
E-mail:enquiry@skyve.sg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SkyveWineBistro
Twitter: www.twitter.com/skyvesg
Instagram: www.instagram.com/skyvesg