Birthday Celebrations at Magic Square and Bincho
For my big 42th birthday celebrations, my dear wife decided to indulge in my foodie soul with dinner at two locations: Magic Square and Bincho.
Magic SquareĀ is a unique incubator for young local chefs located at Portdown Road. Chefs are rotated to lead the restaurant with menus revised and fine tuned based on the ingredients selected for the season.
Once you step inside, you will immediately notice that there are only bar seats available in the restaurant which allows more diners to be seated as well as providing a more intimate setting to allow free flowing conversations and interactions with the chefs.
The main theme for the night is fish and the chef incorporates the key ingredient with local inspirations and flavors to concoct his own unique menu comprising of 9 dishes.
Gokko Roe - puffed rice cracker, Gokko infused cream, betel leaf.
Small crisp bite but nothing too memorable.
Tenshino-ebi - jambu granita, cherry tomatoes. sour plum.
Refreshing starter with sour plum and cherry tomatoes helping to brighten up the dish.
Mehikari - ginger sour-cream, pickled cucumber, mehikari bone crumble.
The ginger sour-cream tends to overpower the small oily fish, almost drowning out all of its natural flavors.
Xiao Long Bao - yellowtail, indian halibut, fish soy.
Though delicious, it is missing the sense of satisfaction that you get from a really good pork dumpling.
Egg noodles - hairtail, you mai chai, red wine lees.
It is not too bad though the noodles could have a bit more bite.Ā
Cabbage - lamb belly lardo, fermented mustard greens, tau cheo mayo.
Overall, I feel that the fermented mustard greens performed better than its main star.
Margra Lamb - eggplant, cashew miso, burnt carrot puree.
This lamb dish performed better than its predecessor though the accompanying sauces might need a little bit more fine tuning.
Lime sorbet - coconut husk, green chili, laksa leaf.
An acquired taste with great ideas though it is not a dessert that me and my wife enjoyed.
Pineapple - clove ice cream, coconut, puffed rice.
Similar to the previous dessert, it is interesting trying to pair these flavors together but unfortunately it did not fare well with me and my wifeās taste buds.
Overall, although I did not like all of the dishes for the night,Ā Magic SquareĀ is still a great initiative that I support as it provides a great opportunity for amazing local talents to be cultivated and nurtured for the good of all of the foodies in Singapore.Ā
Next stop:Ā BinchoĀ - my wifeās favorite Japanese izakaya in Singapore. And after dining there, it is hard not to agree with her.
Below is a quick look at all of the dishes that we enjoyed atĀ Bincho. I have nothing more to say about them except that it is a foodie destination for all izakaya lovers. Just open up your wallet and eat away!
Chicken Neck: Deboned and grilled to perfection.
Seasonal Grilled Vegetables: Each vegetable comes with its own sauce to accentuate its natural flavors.
Wagyu Beef Tongue: Chewy and juicy, with just the right amount of salt for a satisfying bite.
Grilled Octopus on a Stick and Baby Octopus: Chewy delicious goodness that goes perfectly with a tall glass of ice cold beer.
Grilled Rice Ball: The best tasting grilled rice ball that I have ever had, served with a small piece of grilled fish and topped with fish roe and bonito flakes. Wrapped it all up in a toasty seaweed and be prepared to be pleasantly surprised.
Grilled Maguro: Two chunky pieces of maguro slowly grilled over charcoal fire for at least 25-30 minutes to draw out all of its flavors.
Chicken Thigh: Ending the night on a high with two juicy pieces of charcoal grilled juicy chicken.
Big thank you to my lovely wife for planning such a special night for me!
