Wine Mansion Keong Saik – Captivating New Menu [MEDIA INVITE]

Wine Mansion at Keong Saik (“WM”) is a cosy wine bar tucked away in Singapore Heritage Landscape at Keong Saik Road. They are known for their diverse wine selections that are popularly priced. To complement the wine, the chefs have prepared a diverse and captivating menu.

Part of Dining Area

Recently, the team at WM unveiled their new menu and I was there with Epicurious Caniggia to sample the new creation.

Fresh Japanese Hyogo Oyster

We started with Fresh Japanese Hyogo Oyster ($28 per half dozen). Every Tuesday & Friday it’s Oyster Night at WM, so each piece is priced at $2.50 only. Additional $1/pc for Baked Version. The oysters are fresh, plump, sweet and juicy with minimum brainy taste. I had mine in two different ways, first with freshly squeeze of lemon juice; and second with lemon juice and the salsa.

Fresh Japanese Hyogo Oyster

Fresh Japanese Hyogo Oyster

The oysters paired nicely with the Prosecco that was served at the start of the meal.

Prosecco

Harissa Eggplant ($14). The eggplant is cooked with Harissa paste, the recipe originated in Tunisia. It is made from roasted red peppers, red chilies, tomato paste, olive oil and lemon juice. I don’t usually eat eggplant due to its soft and mushy texture; however, I find the bold flavour from harissa paste covers the texture of the eggplant nicely. Watch out for the spicy kick that comes out at the end. It is served with a few slices of toast bread, providing a different texture to the dish and help to carry the paste.

Harissa Eggplant

Harissa Eggplant

Baked Spinach ($14). Creamy spinach is normally a side dish found beside your steak order. However, the chef baked this dish to create a crispy cheese crust on top. It is rich and creamy but the bitterness in the spinach helps to reduce the “jelakness”. It is served with a few slices of bread on the side, making a comforting entrée.

Baked Spinach

Baked Spinach

Crispy Pork Belly ($12). The pork belly is light and super crispy. It is served with purple cabbage sauerkraut, which is crunchy and acidic plus homemade chilli sauce. I also paired the red cabbage with baked spinach to offset the rich and creamy flavour.

Crispy Pork Belly

Crispy Pork Belly

Moving to mains, Pulled Pork Cheese Melts Quesadilla with Fries ($18). Juicy and tender pulled pork, infused with Philippines’ Adobo flavour and wrapped in the toasted tortilla. Instead of using fork and knife, I dive in with my fingers and enjoy the delicious quesadilla. The quesadilla is served with fries and garlic mayo. Don’t miss out on their fries, as it is super crispy externally but moist and fluffy internally. Dip with the garlic mayo, it is just a flavour bomb. Yummy!!

Pulled Pork Cheese Melts Quesadilla with Fries

For the mains, the wine served is Shiraz from Australia.

Shiraz

Tomahawk Steak ($148 per portion, 1 to 1.3kg). Every Thursday is a Tomahawk Steak Day, it is priced at $98, making it one of the most affordable Tomahawk Steak in Singapore. It is cooked perfectly to the point of medium-rare. The exterior has a nice charred crust while the flesh is juicy, succulent and with nice chewiness on it.

Tomahawk Steak

Tomahawk Steak

Tomahawk Steak

The tomahawk is served with salad with balsamic dressing, grilled tomatoes and three sauces; Brown sauce, honey mustard and chimichurri. (*Pre-order is required for the tomahawk steak promotional price to apply and waiting time is 45 to 90 minutes)

Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Honey Mustard, Chimichurri and Brown Sauce

Dessert is Black Sambo Panna Cotta ($14). Black Sambo is double-layered gelatin of chocolate and milk flavour. In short, it tasted like chocolate pudding with cream, topped with crushed pistachio, chocolate garnish and strawberries. Smooth bouncy texture and very comforting at the same time. Yumz!!

Black Sambo Panna Cotta

Black Sambo Panna Cotta

The setting of the restaurant is very cosy with dimmed lighting. The walls are purposely left with unfinished looks, showing some part of the bricks, creating the atmosphere that you are entering a wine cellar. Near the bar, a diverse range of wine are displayed prominently.

Part of Dining Area and The Bar

Part of Dining Area

The service team is very attentive. It had been raining before we arrived at WM, once we were seated the service staff immediately served us warm water. This allows us to get settled comfortably. Kudos to the team.

Check out the Daily Promotion for Wine Mansion Keong Saik below.

Daily Special

Overall, it was nice to be back at Wine Mansion Keong Saik. The dishes from the new menu are very delicious and well-executed. I like the Hyogo Oysters, Crispy Pork Belly, Pulled Pork Cheese Melts Quesadilla with Fries, Tomahawk Steak and Black Sambo Panna Cotta. Do visit Wine Mansion Keong Saik for your next dining destination. Cheers!!

Thank you very much Epicurious Caniggia for the invite and Team Wine Mansion Keong Saik for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 7.75/10

Value: 7.75/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 8/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50; $51 -$80.

Wine Mansion

26 Keong Saik Road

Singapore 089133

T: +65 6225 4468

F: https://www.facebook.com/winemansionkeongsaik/

IG: @winemansion_keongsaik

OH:

Mon – Fri: 11.30 – 22.30

Sat: 17.00 – 22.30

Closed on Sunday

Guriru - JPOP X KPOP [MEDIA INVITE]

Guriru is a new concept by Japanese food guru Chef Teppei Yamashita (Chef and Owner for Restaurant Teppei) in collaboration with Anangram Food Lab. Guriru focuses on the charcoal-grilled seafood concept, inspired by Japanese Hamayaki or fisherman’s grill.

Guriru 

Every month, Guriru will run a Pop-Up Theme Event on a Sunday to showcase new creations or collaboration with different chefs from different backgrounds. For July, the theme will be JPOP X KPOP. Helming the KPOP side is High Rollers Gimbab, serving authentic Korean Street Food. The pricing is $68++ per person. The event received a positive response and all the tickets are sold out.

JPOP x KPOP Menu

LD and I are here with T and CK.

Tsukune Shio

For the Japanese side, most of the food will be served Yakitori style. The first round from JPOP served is yakitori Tsukune Shio, Chicken Thigh, Chicken Wing and Pork Belly. I find the Japanese are fixated on inventing the best Tsukune (Chicken Balls). The version here is juicy and succulent. As it is only seasoned lightly with salt, it can taste a bit bland.

Chicken Thigh

Chicken Thigh

The chicken thigh is nice grilled, charred and crispy externally, followed by a succulent interior. The chicken wing sure gives us a surprise, as the mid-wing part is filled with ikura. Once you bit through the crispy skin, you will feel the popping and bursting texture from the ikura. Meanwhile, I find the pork belly in need of more generous basking of homemade yakitori sauce.

Chicken Wing

Chicken Wing with Ikura

Pork Belly

The KPOP side started with Banchan: Cucumber Kimchi, Beansprouts, Fishcake, Mixed Pickled Vegetables, Seasoned Spinach, and Chilli with Soya Bean Sauce. LD feels like their banchan has a more homemade feel, especially the cucumber kimchi, mixed pickle vegetables and chilli with soya bean sauce. The banchan are very good, we ask for a second serving.

Banchan

For the Japchae, the glass noodle is a bit overcooked. Instead of a chewy and bouncy texture, I feel the texture is a bit softer. Also, it can do with a bit more sesame oil to add silkiness to the glass noodle.

Japchae

Pork Bulgogi Gimbap, the star from the KPOP section. The fillings are generous and tasty. I like the combination of pork bulgogi, vegetables, pickle and egg a just great. I just can’t help but compare it to the one that we ate in Seoul. It is almost there, maybe a few more brush of olive oil on the seaweed enhances its shiny presentation and also add flavour. LD says she will like it better if it can be slightly bigger in size.

Pork Bulgogi Gimbap

LD & T also feel that if they serve the gimbap with tteokbokki, it will be awesome.

Chicken Sausage, Beef Yakitori, Tsubugai / Whelk. The sausages are juicy and bursting with flavour. I was surprised by the saltiness level is very minimum and we enjoy it very much.

Chicken Sausages

The beef yakitori is well marinated with its special yakitori sauce. It is tender and a bit bouncy. You must eat this while it is hot, if not the beef will turn chewy. The whelk is great, soft, chewy and filled with natural sweetness.

Beef Yakitori

Beef Yakitori

Whelk

Fried Spicy Chicken and Chijimi (kimchi / chive / seafood). True to its name, the fried chicken is very spicy. I tried my best to finish 1 piece and I end up putting off the fire in my mouth. T on the other hand, enjoy it very much. She said the chicken and sauce are very good and the spiciness level is acceptable.

Fried Spicy Chicken

Chijimi (kimchi / chive / seafood), is also known as Korean pancake. However, it is different compared to what we eat in Korean restaurants here. The size and shape look more like those homecooked pancakes in K-drama. They are about the size of your palm, chewy and tasty. I like the chive and seafood. LD, T & CK finished off the rest.

Chijimi (Seafood, Kimchi, Chive)

Completing our meal are Broiled Scallop with Sea Urchin, Tsukune Teriyaki Sauce, Scallop with Bacon and Geso Karaage (fried squid tentacles). The broiled scallop is a hit with everyone, though we wish there was more uni on each scallop. The scallop with bacon is a nice yet tricky combination. The grill master needs to ensure you get a crispy texture for the bacon, while not overcooking the scallops. It is nicely done here.

Broiled Scallop with Sea Urchin

Broiled Scallop with Sea Urchin

Scallop with Bacon

Compare to the shio version, the Tsukune Teriyaki Sauce is just awesome. The sweetness from the teriyaki sauce adds a touch of caramelisation to the chicken balls plus it extracts the flavour of the shiso leaf mixed into the chicken balls. The geso karaage has a crispy exterior followed by a chewy squid texture.

Tsukune Teriyaki Sauce

Geso Karaage

To accompany the meal, there are a few alcohols you can choose from at a very reasonable price. See below for the complete list. LD and T had the prosecco, while CK choose the red wine. I just go for the trusty non-alcoholic beverage.

The Drinks List

My Coke Light

In case you need something sweet for the ending, try their goma ice cream. Solid and creamy. Yummy!

Goma Ice Cream

Overall, it was a great dining experience where we get to enjoy Japanese Yakitori cuisine together with Korean Street Food. From the JPOP side, we like the Tsukune Yakitori sauce, Beef Yakitori Sauce, Chicken Wing and Broiled Scallop with Uni. From the KPOP side, the Gimbap, Chijimi and Banchan are great. For more great meals, keep a look out for the next Pop-Up Theme Event at Guriru. Kanpai!! Geonbae!! Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 8/10

Budget per Person: $81 and above

Guriru

2 College Road

Level 1

Singapore 169850

T: +65 9010 7020

W: https://www.guriru.sg/

F: https://www.facebook.com/guriru.sg

IG: @Guriru.sg

OH:

Mon - Thu: 12.00 – 23.00

Fri – Sat: 12.00 – Midnight

Hamayaki menu from 16.00

Lunch menu from 12.00 – 16.00

Closed on Sunday

Menus available online