[CLOSED] Basdban – Elevated Sichuan Food [MEDIA INVITE]

Welcome to Basdban! The sister restaurant of Birds of a Feather (review available here), under the umbrella of The Foreign Project Group. While Birds of a Feather showcase the elegant side of Sichuan cuisine, Basdban showcase an elevated version of Sichuan food.

Basdban Entrance

Decor in Dining Area

The décor at Basdban is edgy, funky and you can throw in the element of gastropub as well. While the bar is the centrepiece of the indoor dining area, the playful animated lights will brighten up the place with lively and funky music. There is plenty of seating outdoor as well, though the ambience is not as vibrant as the indoor seating.

The Bar

We kick off the tasting with Funky Fish ($18). Thick slices of salmon sashimi, dressed in funky sauce and yoghurt. The sashimi is fresh, while the funky dressing has the elements of sweet sauce and Sichuan oil. The yoghurt helps to temper the spicy oil. A good start to the meal.

Funky Fish

Funky Fish

Sticky Pork Ribs ($18) – Roasted Pistachio, Sichuan Sweet Vinegar Glaze with Housemade Pickles. Basdban uses the lean version of the pork ribs, similar to the baby back ribs. The sweet, tangy and spicy flavours come from the Sichuan sweet vinegar glaze, complemented with the crunchy roasted pistachio. I like the carrot and purple cabbage housemade pickles that balance the flavour nicely.

Sticky Pork Ribs

Sticky Pork Ribs

Sticky Pork Ribs

Lalalalala Fried Chicken ($28) – Wok Fried Chicken, Lala Clams, and Sichuan Chili. This dish will not be out of place in a Fear Factor challenge, as half of the plate is filled with cut Sichuan chilli. Well, I manage to get a few bites of the chicken cubes, that are aromatic and crispy. For the lala, it is like digging into the landmines, as seeds of the chilli or peppercorn might be hidden behind it. Not the dish for me, but Sichuan food lovers will appreciate this.

Lalalalala Fried Chicken

Two To Tango ($23) – Classic Sichuan Wok-Fried Broccolini, Caulilini and Minced Tofu. A superb vegetarian dish. Multi texture and multi flavour, complete with a kick of spiciness at the end. The tofu flavour completely transformed and can easily be mistaken for minced pork

Two to Tango

Two to Tango

Two to Tango

BB Prawn Aglio Olio ($28) – Sichuan Style Aglio olio, Tiger Prawns and Clams. Basdban interpretation of Aglio Olio. The tiger prawns are fresh and cooked just right. The pasta is cooked to al-dente, smooth, and silky with a touch of spiciness. The cherry tomatoes are plump and bursting with flavours while the Sakura prawns added a crunchy texture to the dish plus enhancing the umami flavour. Yummy!!

BB Prawn Aglio Olio

BB Prawn Aglio Olio

Wholey Fish ($48) – Whole Barramundi served in Mala Broth. Similar to the Chong Qing grilled fish. The whole barramundi is butterflied and deep-fried to seal the juice in the flesh and give the fish a crispy texture. It is then simmered in Mala broth to give it an aromatic and spicy kick. The spiciness level here is mild and easily acceptable to most people. However, if you like the super spicy version, don’t hesitate to ask the service staff to increase the spicy level to match your expectations.

Wholey Fish

Wholey Fish

The fish and other spicy dishes will go well with a bowl of white rice, that is served with furikake topping.

White Rice

Basdban Unagi Donabe ($45) – Sichuan Waxed Meat, Unagi, Morel Mushroom, Sakura Ebi, lard and Special Shoyu Sauce. A must-order dish here. The rice is soft and infused with multi-flavours from the waxed meat, unagi, mushroom, lard and Sakura ebi. The special shoyu sauce binds all the ingredients nicely. Once you scoop it in your mouth, it was a party in your mouth. Yummy!!

Basdban Unagi Donabe 

Basdban Unagi Donabe - The Rice

Basdban Unagi Donabe - The Unagi

We commence the sweet ending with Glutinous Rice ($15). The glutinous rice is done three ways; fried, boiled and pudding topped with grapefruit, pomegranate and sweet sauce. You get to experience different textures of the glutinous rice (crispy, wobbly, creamy) at the same time. An interesting dessert.

Glutinous Rice

Glutinous Rice

Pick Me Up! ($16) – deconstructed tiramisu. I like the coffee crumble, followed by the cream and coffee-liquor infused mascarpone. The dark chocolate sheet is crispy and solid. I feel they can be more generous with the coffee liquor for that extra kick.

Pick Me Up!

Pick Me Up!

Basdban also serves a great cocktail to go with the food. Since I can’t take alcohol, I get to try their Oriental Flair mocktail version.

Oriental Flair - Mocktail Version

Monday Blues - Cocktail

Kyoho - Mocktail Version

Basdban Old Fashion - Cocktail

Overall, it was a great dining experience with Sichuan street food. The team at Basdban successfully elevated the dishes by using better ingredients and controlling the level of spiciness. I recommend the Funky Fish, Two to Tango, BB Prawn Aglio Olio, Wholey Fish and Basdban Unagi Donabe plus the Pick Me Up! Kanpai!! Cheers!!

Thank you very much Kristine, Chef Eugene and Basdban Team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 8/10

Budget per Person: $51 - $80

Basdban

51 Telok Ayer Street

#01-01

Singapore 048411

T: +65 9755 1058

W: https://linktr.ee/basdban.sg

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

IG: @Basdban.sg

OH:

Mon – Sat: 11.00 – 15.00; 17.00 – 23.00

Closed on Sunday

Guriru – Japanese Charcoal Grilled Seafood [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 charcoral-grilled seafood concept, inspired by Japanese Hamayaki or fisherman’s grill.

Guriru

Guriru is nestled at the poolside of NUS Alumni Association, providing a good place to chill out and unwind after a busy day at work. You can almost treat it like your own poolside BBQ party hosted by a professional chef, loaded bar and seated almost 50 people.

The Poolside View

Following the recommendation from Brenda, our super friendly and knowledgeable service staff, we focus our order on the Hyogo oysters.

The Evening Atmosphere

Hyogo Oyster ($10 for 3 pcs, $19 for 6 pcs). It is served 2 ways, sashimi with homemade ponzu sauce; and grilled with butter or original shoyu sauce.

The Hyogo Osyer Sashimi & Grilled Shoshamo

For the sashimi version, the oysters are fresh, plump and juicy. The shoyu together with the fresh lemon juicy brought up the natural sweetness in the oysters. It was just so “shiok” when you slurped those oysters.

The Hyogo Osyer Sashimi 

Frankly, I am not a fan of grilled oysters. I always find that grilled oysters lost the plumpness and juiciness of oysters. However, it is a good option for those who do not eat raw stuff. You can still taste the natural flavour of the oysters, but the brininess and sweetness seem to multiply a few times.

Grilled Hyogo Oysters

Grilled Hyogo Oysters

Guriru Oyster Rice ($18). Chef Teppei signature dish for Guriru. The rice is soft and tasty from infused with a special sauce created by Chef Teppei. The Hyogo oysters remain plump and juicy, while the subtle aroma accentuates the umami in the overall dish.

Guriru Oyster Rice

Guriru Oyster Rice

Black Tiger Prawn ($6.50 for 1 pc, $25 for 5 pcs). Grilled to perfection with garlic butter. It is crunchy and bouncy, while the lovely smoky aroma just hits when you bit into the prawns.

Black Tiger Prawn

Shishamo ($9 for 5 pcs) - grilled with original shoyu sauce. If you love the deep-fried shishamo, you will love this grill version. The small fishes are plump and their tummy is filled with eggs. The grilled produces a crisp exterior and induced a smoky aroma in the fish. The shoyu sauce removes any traces of fishiness in this dish.

Shishamo

Whole Squid ($16). Highly recommended by our host Eunice. I heard a tale from the fishermen, one way to tenderise your squid is to whack it against the rock. Our squid probably faces a similar fate, though I am sure the professional chefs have their secret. It was nicely grilled, tender and succulent. There was a little chewiness at the end, making it a delicious squid.

Whole Squid

Kurobuta Pork Belly ($12). A must-order here. It is slow-cooked for 4 hours, finished on the grill for the charred and smoky finishing touch with the yakitori sauce. The pork belly is soft, tender, yet with a bit of bite and slowly melts in your mouth. The sweetness of the yakitori sauce gives it a touch of caramelisation plus the delicate sweet ending. Yummy!!

Kurobuta Pork Belly

Meltique Beef ($18). The beef is grilled to medium-rare, delivering a juicy and succulent texture. I like the finishing of the garlic chips, but not so fond of the drizzling of the yakitori sauce as it tasted very salty. Instead of pouring it on the plate, they can finish it by a quick brush of the yakitori sauce on the beef, before slicing.

Meltique Beef

Prosciutto Pizza ($21). Thin and crispy pizza dough, topped with tomato sauce, prosciutto, arugula and travel. The toppings are a tried and tested classic combination, however, Chef Teppei added a truffle twist to it.

Prosciutto Pizza

Prosciutto Pizza

We also tried Guriru snacks such as Crispy Salmon Skin ($9), Fugu Mirin Boshi ($14), Eihire ($12) and Kawa Ebi ($10). The salmon skin is crispy and packed with umami flavour. Once you started in this, you just can’t stop. While the Eihire is light and crispy, I prefer the Fugu Mirin Boshi. The marinated puffer fish slices are slightly sweet, aromatic and chewy. The flavours remind me of Singapore Bak Kwa.

Crispy Salmon Skin

Fugu Mirin Boshi

The Kawa Ebi is just awesome. The mini prawns are plump, crispy and lightly seasoned. Once you drizzle the lemon jus on top, the flavours just come alive. Yum Yum!!

Eihire

Kawa Ebi

For the finale, Chef Teppei serves us cinnamon ice cream with foie gras and drizzle with foie gras sauce. The flavour combination is unique, while the foie gras is grilled till crisp. The sauce is bold and it can easily overpower the flavour of the ice cream. I think this dessert is still a work in progress, it will be interesting to see the final products.

Cinnamon Ice Cream with Foie Gras

For the drinks, I tried their mocktail Aki-Momiji ($8) – Lychee, lime and soda. It is refreshing.

Aki-Momiji

Yuzu Highball

Overall, we enjoy our dinner at Guriru. The food and drinks are great and reasonably priced, plus the service is good. Instead of your traditional formal restaurant, Guriru presents a relaxed and chill poolside ambiance. The fresh Hyogo oysters, Guriru oyster rice, Kurobuta Pork Belly, Kawa Ebi and Prosciutto pizza are our picks. We’ll definitely return to try the rest of their menu. Kanpai!! Cheers!!

The Grill Master

Thank you, Eunice (Eloquence), Chef Teppei and Team Guriru for hosting us!

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 8/10

Budget per Person: $1 1 - $25; $26 - $50

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