The culinary scene within Singapore’s CBD is vibrant, however, it can be challenging to find classic American Cuisine. The departure of traditional American casual franchises such as Chilli’s, TGI Friday, Dan Ryan and Tony Roma’s left a gaping hole in American casual dining. Recognising the void in the market, Chef Heman Tan, a seasoned culinary professional and co-owner entered this bustling CBD dining scene with The American Mass Hall (“AMH”). An American-theme restaurant, focusing on classic American cuisine with a vibrant infusion of Asian zest, the signature of Chef Heman.
The Entrance
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| Sofa Seating & Photo Zone |
The décor is a blend of traditional American Southern casual steakhouses with a modern touch. The indoor dining tables and chairs use dark colour wood, usually found in a traditional Southern steakhouse. The modern touch comes in their Instagram Sofa section that invites you to take photos, complete with cowboy hats as props.
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| Part of the Dining Area |
We kicked off the tasting with Mass Hall’s Oyster Bay [$5 per piece] – Ice Smoked, Japanese Oysters, Orange Granita (min 3 pcs). The oysters made a grand entrance with the dry-iced effect when served on the table. They are plump, juicy and refreshing. The orange granita sparks a citrussy flavour and the balsamic vinegar pearls add a lovely sweetness to the oysters.
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| Mass Hall’s Oyster Bay |
Hush Puppy Corn Ball [$8] – Corn Ball, Spicy Mayo. It is a Southern side dish, that originated from Louisiana. Hush puppies are made from deep-fried cornmeal or wheat flour dumplings. It has a crispy exterior and chewy interiors with juicy corn kernels. Served with spicy mayo, it will get your appetite going for the rest of the meal.
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| Hush Puppy Corn Ball |
Mass Hall’s Baked Garlic Bun [$5] – Garlic Butter, Loaf. Instead of using baguettes, AMH uses hot dog buns. Each bun has a crispy exterior and fluffy interior filled with garlic butter. Extra layer of garlic butter mix will make it even better. LD says that it tasted like old school garlic bread from childhood.
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| Mass Hall’s Baked Garlic Bun |
Home Made Mushroom Soup (GF) [$9] – Champignons, Shitake, Cream; French Onion Soup [$9] – Red & White Onion, Vegetable Stock, Gruyere Cheese. Both these soups are made from scratch. If you are gluten intolerant, please inform the service staff and they will leave out the croutons from the mushroom soup. While the mushroom soup is delicious, the French Onion soup is just superb. Sweet, robust and packed with solid vegetable essence. Yummy!
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| Home Made Mushroom Soup |
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| French Onion Soup |
Burrata “Boo-rah-tuh” [$19] – Burrata, Parma Ham, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Balsamic Reduction Salad. Our favourite cheese and salad. The creaminess of the burrata paired well with Parma ham and balsamic reductions. The sweet juices from the watermelon and tomatoes round up the ingredients on the plate nicely.
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| Burrata “Boo-rah-tuh" |
Continuing with the Burrata theme, The Burrata Lava Cheesy Wonderland Lovers [$24] – Burrata, Mozzarella, Gruyere, Tomato Coulis. This American Sour Dough Pizza comes in oval shape and is loaded with generous toppings of triple cheese. It is creamy, cheesy and it has that WOW pull cheese effect when we take a slice.
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| The Burrata Lava Cheesy Wonderland Lovers |
Chili Crab Mac & Cheese [$18] – Crab Meat, Mac & Cheese. An American classic dish with a local twist. When I had my first bite of just mac and cheese, the “Jelakness” just hits me. But once I incorporated the Chilli Crab, the spicy and tangy sauce just cuts through the overwhelming richness from the creamy cheese and balances this dish nicely.
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| Chili Crab Mac & Cheese |
The Octopus [$22] – Sous Vide Octopus, Mashed Potato, Sous Vide Egg. Super tender octopus, combined with velvety mashed potatoes and sous vide egg. Watch out for the spicy paprika kick in the egg that brightens up this dish.
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| The Octopus |
For the Meats, we had Iberico Platters, “Bone-drop” BBQ Iberico Prime Ribs [$39] – 700gm BBQ Iberico Prime Ribs, Cole Slaw, Pineapple Salsa. True to its name, Chef Heman effortlessly pulled out the bones. The meat is very tender, juicy and infused with paprika hickory BBQ sauce. The classic coleslaw is crunchy and creamy, while the pineapple salsa balances the dish nicely.
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| “Bone-drop”
BBQ Iberico Prime Ribs Image Credit: The American Mass Hall |
For the Meats, Steaks, Fish and Chicken dishes, you can choose one or two side dishes to your liking. Those side dishes are Classic Creamy Spinach, Corn Nibbles with Bacon & Cheese, French Fries, Potato Wedges, Baked Potato with Sour Cream & Bacon, Mushroom Ragout, Smashed Potatoes, Coleslaw, Seasonal Veggies, Onion Rings, Butter Rice, and Sous Vide Egg with Brown Jus.
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| The Menu |
Angus Beef Short Rib [$30] – 120-Day Grain Fed Angus Beef Short Ribs. This dish is brought to your table, covered with a glass dome filled with smoke. Once settled, the service staff will slowly remove the dome and the smoke will slowly dissipate, leaving this dish infused with a smoky aroma. The beef short ribs are braised to fork tender and served on top of smooth and creamy mashed potatoes. The additional red wine sauce on the side adds the OMPH factor to this dish. A comforting dish for me.
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| Angus Beef Short Rib |
Cajun Blackened Barramundi Fillet [$25] – Grilled Barramundi Fillet, Cajun Spice, Pineapple Salsa. A Southern-style dish, where the fish is coated with spice blend and seared on a hot pan. The searing released a lovely aroma, while the spices absorbed into the fish and created a nice black crust on our barramundi fillet. It is plated with pineapple salsa and a wedge of lime.
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| Cajun Blackened Barramundi Fillet |
My Premium Fish & Chips [$18] – Battered Barramundi Fillet & Tartar Sauce. A perfectly fried barramundi fish fillet. The exterior is crispy and crunchy, while the fish remain moist and flaky. Our fish and chips are plated with potato wedges and corn nibbles with bacon & cheese. Not to worry, you can still choose the traditional fries for your sides if you want.
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| My Premium Fish & Chips |
Spaghetti Prawn Aglio Olio [$22] – Spaghetti Chilli, Garlic, Bacon, Prawn, Button Mushroom. The aglio olio here is created using Chef Heman’s Aglio Olio Chilli Paste produced with Kwong Cheong Thye Asian Sauce Manufacturer. This al-dente spaghetti dish can only be described as EXPLOSIVE and not for the faint-hearted, but those who are in for kick, this is the best dish.
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| Spaghetti Prawn Aglio Olio |
We finally reached the desserts. Tiramisu [$9] – Espresso infused Tiramisu, Gelato; Crème Brûlée Cempedak [10] – Burnt Cream, Cempedak, Popping Candy, Gelato; and Deconstructed Apple Crumble [$9] – Green Apple, Popping Candy, Gelato. These trio of desserts round up the lunch nicely.
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| Crème
Brûlée Cempedak, Tiramisu & Deconstructed Apple Crumble |
The deconstructed apple crumble has a light buttery crumble, paired well with a touch of sourness from the green apple and vanilla gelato. The tiramisu is creamy and loaded with a solid shot of espresso. The Crème Brûlée Cempedak takes the crown for me. The Cempedak in the crème just explodes when you bite into it, and it is just rocking when it is paired with the caramelised torched sugar.
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| Root Beer Float |
Overall, we had a great time feasting on casual American cuisine curated by Chef Heman and his team. Instead of serving the typical classic dishes, Chef Heman incorporates his signature flair to the dishes. Our favourite dishes are Mass Hall’s Oyster Bay, The Burrata Lava Cheesy Wonderland Lovers, The Octopus, Angus Beef Short Rib and Premium Fish and Chips. Not forgetting the Tiramisu and Crème Brûlée Cempedak. Check out The American Mass Hall for your next dining destination!! Cheers!!
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| Drink Menu |
Thank you very much Engagevu and The American Mass Hall team for the invitation.
Food & Drink: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance: 8/10
Budget per Person: $11 - $25; $26 - $50
American Mass Hall
2 Mistri Road
#01-01 Lumiere
Singapore 079624
T: +65 9743 0116
OH:
Daily: 11.00 – 22.00
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