Ujong @ Raffles Hotel

There is a new fusion restaurant in town – Ujong.

The restaurant is helmed by Chef Shen Tan, the previous owner of Wok & Barrel at Duxton Hill. Located at Raffles Hotel Arcade, Ujong took over the restaurant space formerly occupied by Empire Café. It is now owned by Caerus Holding Pte Ltd.

Chef Shen has reprised some of her signature dishes, such as Nasi Lemak and Ba Chor Mee Pasta, that have cultivated a good following, but she has also took it a notch further with new interesting creations, such as Hae Bee Hiam Mentaiko Capellini; Claypot Rice with Five-Spiced Pork; Ba Kwa Pork Ribs; and Har Zi Meen, amongst others.

Everything is made from scratch at Ujong, including the most basic pasta. Flavours are naturally built using fresh ingredients and no MSG. The restaurant also offers a selection of wines that are carefully curated and paired with the local fusion fares.

The names of the dishes alone sound like a culinary adventure don’t they?

Yusheng Salmon Ceviche and Salad (S$25.90) – Salmon Sashimi dressed in Chef Shen’s signature lime and plum sauce served with fresh crunchy cucumber, coriander leaves, lettuces and carrots
Close-up on the rolled salmon
Softshell Chili Crab with Deep Fried Mantou (S$25.90) – Singapore’s favourite crab dish reinterpreted by Chef Shen. Softshell crab is deep fried in tempura batter, dressed with tangy spicy chili sauce and deep fried sweet crispy mantou
Close-up on the crabs
Nasi Lemak with Beef Rendang
Fish Curry Laksa (S$23.90) – Lemak and tangy with assam notes in the laksa sauce.
Close-up on the rich curry laksa sauce
Ba Chor Mee Pasta (S$25.90) – Chef Shen’s signature five-spice pork paired with silken handmade tagliatelle that is tossed in a spicy piquant sauce reminiscent of local favourite, Bak Chor Mee
Close-up of the Ba Chor Mee Pasta
Prawn Flavoured Noodles (Har Zi Meen) in Indomie inspired dressing of kicap manis, onion and garlic (S$17.90), with crispy chicken
Prawn Flavoured Noodles with crispy pork (S$17.90)
Hae Bee Hiam Mentaiko Capellini (S$25.90) – Mentaiko pasta given local flavour with simple chili fried dried prawns condiment and crispy lardons. Drizzled with a garlicky prawn infused butter and lard.
Close-up of the hae bee hiam (spicy prawn paste)
Claypot Rice with Five Spice Pork (S$23.90) – Claypot rice cooked with salted fish, goose liver sausage and Chinese sausage, dressed with lard, sesame oil and soy sauce, topped with your choice of duck char siew or five spice pork.
Close-up of the five-spice pork
Kueh Balu Tiramisu (S$11.90) – Kueh Balu soaked in espresso and valrhona chocolate, coconut cream with masrscapone. Dusted with valrhona cocoa.
Shandol Delight: Coconut Pannacotta with Gula Melaka syrup topped with homemade Red Bean Ice Cream (S$15.90) – Chef Shen’s version of local dessert Chendol
Puloh Hitam Pudding with Gula Melaka Butterscotch served with Coconut Ice Cream (S$15.90) – Chef’s Shen take on the Sticky Date Pudding made with Asian Black Glutinous Rice, drenched in Gula Melaka Palm Sugar butterscotch.

Usually, I am rather wary of fusion cuisines that try to give our local hawker fares a new twist. They tend to fall flat because it is hard to compete against familiar hawker flavours which we grew up with and yet deliver a fine dining experience. For such dishes, foreign palates will be easier to please than local palates.

I was equally wary when I went for the tasting at Ujong, but was pleasantly surprised by the delightful and eclectic mix of flavours. Somehow, they just go together and this is coming from someone with a picky local tastebud.

My favourites were the Claypot Rice with Five-Spiced Pork and the Hae Bee Hiam Mentaiko Capellini. Rachel was won over by the Ba Chor Mee Pasta and the desserts.

I have eaten at Empire Café before. The restaurant used to serve very simple local fares, just like those in regular hawker stalls. Ujoing is definitely a vast improvement. I like the vintage coffeeshop setting though and I am glad the new owner has opted to keep these intact:

Well-loved Singaporean food is given a slick update through Chef Shen’s carefully-curated creations while the quaint interior of the restaurant resembles coffeshops of the past, taking you on a walk down memory lane in colonial Singapore. What’s there not to like about Ujong? 🙂

UJong @ Raffles Hotel

Address:
#01-10, Raffles Hotel Arcade, 328 North Bridge Road
Phone:
+65-9107-3028
Opening Hours:
Sat & Sun: 10:00 – 22:00
Mon – Fri: 08:00 – 22:00

alvinology

Alvin is a marketer by day and blogger by night. He is a 100% geek who spends too much time surfing the web.

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