Showing posts with label 8 Macpherson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 8 Macpherson. Show all posts

Sunday, 14 April 2024

Zhup Zhup by One Prawn & Co – The Ultimate Comfort Food [MEDIA INVITE]

One Prawn & Co, known for its Japanese Tonkotsu-style broth prawn noodles and earned a Bib Gourmand spot in the Michelin Guide Singapore 2022 and 2023, is rebranding to Zhup Zhup by One Prawn & Co (“Zhup Zhup”)

Zhup Zhup Store
Their famous Gao-Gao prawn broth has brought enjoyment to many diners and turned them into loyal customers. Executive Chef / Owner Gwyneth Ang and her team have expanded the menu at Zhup Zhup to include the ultimate comfort food.

The Menu
Claypot Lobster Paofan ($58), An entire lobster, prawns, Asari clams and Japanese rice poached in their umami-packed prawn broth. Topped with egg floss and Japanese rice that has been specially dehydrated (not fried) in-house for a lovely textural contrast.

Claypot Lobster Paofan 
The overall dish is so comforting, LD and I cleaned the whole claypot till the last drop.

Claypot Lobster Paofan - Individual Serving 
The Lobster
The Last Drop
The Paofan also come in the seafood version ($16). Poached in Zhup Zhup’s signature prawn broth, loaded with prawns and Asari clams.

Claypot Hokkien Mee ($14). Chef's recommendation, the yummy ingredients include prawns, Asari clams, thick vermicelli, yellow noodle, plus Zhup Zhup umami prawn broth.

Claypot Hokkien Mee 
It is an amazing Hokkien Mee. Pack with flavours and loaded with hips of ingredients. The ingredients are about the same as the cards, I wish they have the option of adding extra noodles.

Claypot Hokkien Mee 
Not forgetting, Singapore’s favourite Zi Char dish, Har Cheong Gai ($9). Crispy externally and the mid-wing fresh is juicy, succulent and bursting with prawn paste marinate. Yummy.

Har Cheong Gai
Overall, Executive Chef / Owner Gwyneth Ang and her team have created a delicious comfort food to add to their menu. Using their Signature prawn broth, the paofan and claypot Hokkien mee are amazing. The same can be said with their Har Cheong Gai. There are more reasons to visit Zhup Zhup as they are now open from 11.00AM to 09.00PM. Cheers!!

A full review of their Tonkotsu Prawn Noodles is available here.

Thank you very much Protegie Consultancy, Chef Gwyneth and Zhup Zhup Team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 8.5/10
Value: 6.5/10
Service: N/A (Media Invite)
Ambiance: 6.5/10
Budget per Person: $11 – 25; $26 - $50

Zhup Zhup by One Prawn & Co
458 Macpherson Road
Singapore 368176

T: +65 9878 8897
OH: Tue – Sun: 11.00 – 21.00
Closed on Sundays

Sunday, 12 March 2023

One Prawn & Co’s – 12 Course Seafood Grill Dinner [Media Invite]

Fresh from earning a spot in Michelin Guide 2022 Bib Gourmand, Executive Chef / Owner Gwyneth Ang and her team are proud to present to you dinner service at One Prawn & Co’s (‘OPC’). Serving 12-course Seafood Grill.

Combining her 10+ years of culinary experience in established restaurants Burnt Ends, Tong Le Private Dining and Forlino, with quality seafood ingredients sourced from different parts of the world. OPC is now ready for its sophisticated evening culinary delights.

The Ingredients
For those who have been to OPC for their prawn noodles, the evening experience is just different. While you can’t change the décor, you can definitely set the atmosphere. From the onset, you will be welcome by the service crew dressed in long sleeves black shirts, black pants and black mask. Once seated, you will be presented with the menu and cold towel as well. To spice up the mood, you will be serenaded by chill music from the BOSE speakers throughout the evening.

One of the Service Crew
The 12-course dinner is priced at $128++, you can choose to top up $30++ for free-flow house pour sake or go for ala carte’s seasonal sake pairing and other drinks. As the team is committed to presenting the best of each course to customers, limited slots are available and all dine-ins will be strictly by reservations only.

OPC 12-Course Seafood Grill Dinner Menu
House Pour Sake
Dinner started with Amaebi - Sweet Shrimp, Avocado, Tomato, Rice Flower. A crunchy sweet shrimp, toss with tangy avocado and tomato mix sitting on light and crispy rice crackers. A nice appetizer to open up the palate.

Amaebi
Amaebi
To accompany our meal, LD chooses the free flow house pour sake and I choose sparkling juice yuzu. LD says the sake helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the seafood.

House Pour Sake
Sparkling Juice Yuzu
The next four dishes are served together. Hyogo Oyster - Fresh Oyster, Mignonette Granita; Amberjack - Cured Amberjack, Soy, Seaweed; White Shrimp - Poached Shrimp, Coconut, Garam Masala; & Soft-Shell Crab - Tempura Soft Shell Crab, Kicap Manis, Baby Gem.

Hyogo Oyster, Amberjack, White Shrimp & Soft-Shell Crab
The Hyogo oyster is big, plump, juicy and naturally sweet, we almost can not taste the granita in the oysters. The amberjack is thickly sliced, and cured with a lovely smoky flavour, soy and seaweed. It was delicious.

Hyogo Oyster
Amberjack
White shrimp has a familiar taste that is close to home. The poached shrimp is coated with coconut cream. Although the menu says garam masala, I feel it tasted closer to rendang spices. The softshell crab has a crispy exterior and juicy flesh. It is sitting on sambal sauce and lettuce. We eat it like a crab wrap. We think it can do with a bit more kick / spiciness on the sauce.

White Shrimp
Soft-Shell Crab
Soft-Shell Crab
Maitake Mushroom - Grilled Maitake Mushroom, Burnt Barley Risotto, Chicken Jus. The team at OPC start to flex their creative muscles. The grilled mushroom on top is light and crisp. While the barley risotto is plump, smoky and when you bite the barley, the chicken jus just burst. A lovely mushroom umami overload.

Maitake Mushroom
Maitake Mushroom
Squid - Squid Noodles, Salsa Verde, Black Olives. We can’t believe that it is squid as it looks like some kind of thick noodle. The squid noodle is chewy with a strong fishy flavour. The jalapeno in salsa verde sauce brings out a nice heat to the dish while the herbs blend well with the squid, together with smoky black olives sprinkle.

Squid
Squid
King Scallop - Scottish King Scallop, XO Chilli Jam. When this dish was served to us, we can still see the sauce in its boiling state. The scallop is huge and juicy, while the XO chilli jam provided a multi-layer spicy flavour, like sambal instead of just a blow of spiciness. Nicely done.

King Scallop
King Scallop
King Scallop - Bite Size
Onglet - Hanging Tender Steak, Sunchoke Cream, Chives. The onglet has a nice sear externally and grill to the point of rare as the centre of the steak is reddish pink. It is meaty and tender with a bit of chewiness in it. The sunchoke cream is sweet, creamy and can easily be mistaken for cauliflower cream. Together with the gravy, it paired well with the steak.

Onglet
Onglet
Turbot - Grilled Turbot, Garlic Brown Butter, Capers, Pickled Papaya. I was surprised that turbot is on the menu as it is known to be a very expensive fish. Although we did not get the whole fish, it is easily one-third of the fish. It is grilled to perfection with a nice charred on the edges of the fish. We enjoy the fattiness of the flesh, infused with a smoky aroma and coated with brown butter capers. Though the capers are generously slathered on top of the fish, it was not sourish at all. The Asian touch of pickled papaya provided a subtle crunchy texture and balance the dish nicely. It is so so good; we clean up the fish to bare bones.

Turbot
Turbot
For the finale, Abalone Poached Rice - Baby Abalone, Signature Prawn Bisque, Egg Floss served in the Signature Claypot. This prawn bisque pao fan is a perfect end to the email. It tasted robust, loaded with umami and so comforting. The abalones are tasty, with a delicate chewy and crunchy texture. Although we were full, we did not waste a drop of the bisque. Yummy!!

Abalone Poached Rice
Abalone Poached Rice
Egg Floss & Crispy Rice
Abalone Poached Rice
Dessert is Seasonal Fruits - Specially curated from the local marketplace. Well, we had a bit of surprise this time, it was Japanese musk melon, strawberry and orange. The petite portion is just enough to cleanse the palate and leave you with sweet memories.

Seasonal Fruits
When we thought the dinner service is finished, the team surprise us with Burnt Ice Cream. A mini chocolate chip ice cream, infused with a smoky flavour. I must say, Chef Gwyneth sure enjoys playing with fire, OPC dinner service is her version of “Asador”.

Surprise!! Burnt Ice Cream
CBK Verdict: It was a lovely omakase treat by Executive Chef Gwyneth Ang and her team. The dishes are creative, superb and delicious. The portion is very generous, we heard some diners waiving the white flag during the fish dish. Although you can’t change much about the space, the team put in a lot of effort to change the atmosphere. For the amount OPC is charging, it is a steal. A must-visit. Cheers!!

One Prawn & Co’s – 12-Course Seafood Grill Dinner
Where: 458 Macpherson Road, Singapore 368176.
When: Tue – Sun, 18.00 – 23.00
Price: $128++ per pax / $158++ with free-flow Sake
Note: Dinner Service is by Reservation Only

Drink Menu - Alcoholic
Drink Menu - Non Alcoholic
Thank you very much Protegie, Chef Gwyneth and OPC Team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 9/10
Value: 8.75/10
Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Budget per Person: $81 & Above

One Prawn & Co by Red Marble
458 Macpherson Road
Singapore 368176

T: +65 9639 8668
OH:
Lunch, Tue – Sun: 11.00 – 17.00
Dinner, Tue – Sun: 18.00 – 23.00
Closed on Monday

Sunday, 10 April 2022

One Prawn & Co – Tonkotsu Prawn Noodle [MEDIA INVITE]

On a never-ending quest to create the perfect bowl of Prawn Noodle, Executive Chef / Owner Gwyneth Ang has invented her version of Prawn Noodle. Armed with more than 10 years of culinary experience in established restaurants Burnt Ends, Tong Le Private Dining and Forlino, the technique, execution and the use of fresh ingredients transcends into the kitchen at One Prawn & Co (‘OPC’)

One Prawn & Co 
The simple equation is 18kg of prawn heads, plus 30 kg of pork bones, plus 20 hours of boiling, equal to 100 litres of collagen-rich prawn broth. Unlike the Singapore version of Prawn Noodle soup, OPC version is in between Penang Prawn Noodles and Japanese Tonkotsu-style broth.

Executive Chef / Owner Gwyneth Ang 
So, how does OPC prepare the prawn noodles? The passionate and dedicated Chef Gwyneth proudly takes us through the steps.

The Jumbo Prawn
Step 1. Five Fortune Jumbo Prawns Claypot ($30). A claypot is filled with the prawn broth, followed by the jumbo prawns, tobiko prawn balls, pork ribs and shabu sliced pork. The jumbo prawns are still raw, while the prawn balls, pork ribs and sliced pork are parboiled to ensure the cooking time is in sync with the prawns. Cooked on high fire for a while, the lala is added followed by the lala juice. Once the broth reaches boiling point and foam arises, the prawn soup is ready to serve.

Five Fortune Jumbo Prawns Claypot - Boiling
Step 2. At the noodle station, the noodle is cooked together with kangkong and bean sprouts. For the dry version, shallots oil, chilli, shallots, pork lard and a dash of OPC prawn broth are added and tossed together. For the soup version, the noodle is still served separately from the soup. It is mixed with shallots oil, shallots, pork lard and a few scoops of OPC prawn broth.

OPC Prawn Noodle - Dry Version
Now the OPC Prawn Noodles are ready to eat.

The Spread
For the Shabu Sliced Pork & Prawn ($14), regular prawns are used. It followed a similar process, the claypot is filled with prawn broth, regular prawns and shabu sliced pork. Unlike the Five Fortune Jumbo Prawns Claypot, no lala juice is added on this broth.

OPC Prawn Noodle - Soup Version
My Noodle - Yellow Noodle + Bee Hoon
When we slurp the broth of the two claypot, we realised the unique difference. The Shabu Sliced Pork & Prawn, the broth is robust, sweet and packed with prawn and pork flavour. LD noticed that the pork flavour is stronger than the prawn flavour, resulting in a broth that is similar to Tonkotsu ramen broth. The regular prawns are fresh and crunchy, while the shabu sliced pork is tender and succulent.

Shabu Sliced Pork & Prawn 
Regular Prawn
Meanwhile, the Five Fortune Jumbo Prawns Claypot have all the flavour characteristic above. However, it has a very distinct seafood sweetness that comes from the lala juice. The jumbo prawns are fresh and cooked to perfection, while the prawn balls is bouncy and loaded with flavours. The pork ribs are very soft to the point of form tender.

Five Fortune Jumbo Prawns Claypot, Dry Noodle, Beancurd Skin and Pork Lard
Jumbo Prawn
Lala
Prawn Ball
Chef Gwyneth uses the claypot as it has good heat retention over a long period. Plus, the broth remains consistent from start to finish. It was delicious and comparable to the top ramen broth in Singapore.

Pork Ribs
You can also add a beancurd skin ($1 each) to your order. Dunk it in broth, like how you do it in a steamboat session and the beancurd skin will easily absorb the broth. You can taste the umami flavour in a different texture.

Ngoh Hiang Station
OPC also sells Ngo Hiang. We choose the small Tasting Platter ($8.50) consisting of Ngoh Hiang, Handmade Fishcake, Fried Beancurd, Sotong Youtiao, Crispy Prawn Crackers. In general, the ngoh hiang is good, however, it is lacking the OMPH factors, especially in the crispy prawn crackers. For us, the Ngo Hiang here can be improved. We will order it as a side dish, but not a die die must-eat dish.

Small Tasting Platter
Small Tasting Platter
We went back a few days later during their peak lunch hour and we queue for around 30 minutes to get a seat. As we are queuing, a team member of OPC passed us the menu. Once we are getting closer to being seated, a team member from OPC will take your order. Once we are seated, our order was served within 5 minutes.

The Menu
Occupying a whole shophouse, the kitchen takes up the majority of the area inside the shop. Most of the seats are located along the walkway outside the shop. Due to safe distancing measures, OPC is able to cordon off the walkway area, making it like part of the shop.

One Prawn & Co 
Overall, Prawn Noodles at OPC are unlike other prawn noodles in Singapore. It is unique, delicious and at ramen esque standard. From the queue forming during lunchtime, a lot of customers agree on this. Prawn Noodles lovers, you don’t want to miss out on this. Cheers!!

Thank you very much Protegie Consultancy, Chef Gwyneth and OPC Team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 8.5/10
Value: 6.25/10
Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance: 6.5/10
Budget per Person: $11 - $25; $26 - $50

One Prawn & Co by Red Marble
458 Macpherson Road
Singapore 368176

T: +65 9639 8668
OH:
Tue – Sun: 11.00 – 21.00
Closed on Monday

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