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Food review: Violet Herbs

​SINGAPORE — Good food does not guarantee a successful restaurant. In Singapore’s insanely competitive dining scene, restaurants must stand out with good marketing, compelling ambience and, perhaps, a catchy name — particularly when it is located on a street already occupied by a slew of other restaurants. This endeavour to stand out is perhaps what inspired the owners of Violet Herbs to come up with their restaurant’s name. (We were told that it derives from the fact that since few herbs are violet, the name would connote a sense of uniqueness.)

SINGAPORE — Good food does not guarantee a successful restaurant. In Singapore’s insanely competitive dining scene, restaurants must stand out with good marketing, compelling ambience and, perhaps, a catchy name — particularly when it is located on a street already occupied by a slew of other restaurants. This endeavour to stand out is perhaps what inspired the owners of Violet Herbs to come up with their restaurant’s name. (We were told that it derives from the fact that since few herbs are violet, the name would connote a sense of uniqueness.)

The name, in turn, clearly inspires the restaurant’s decor. On the ground floor, cabinetry is awash in a vivid shade of purple, while ample sofas are upholstered in faux-crinkled fuchsia PVC. The real hurdle is getting diners past the harsh decor, which distracts from the fact that the food is actually pretty good.

Executive chef and owner Edward Hoe has put together a menu that reads like a list of populist classics from the early Noughties: Think miso cod, sakura ebi capellini, braised wagyu beef cheek, lobster cappuccino and more. This list is presented in a turquoise folder that jars the senses just a little more with its contrasting hue.

Thankfully, our first course of foie gras (S$24) was delicious. The generous lobe of duck liver was first lightly roasted and then simmered in a sauce made from mirin, shoyu and shiitake mushrooms so that it absorbed all those sweet-salty flavours. Surprisingly, even though the poaching came after the roasting, the foie still retained a good caramelised crust.

The meal became progressively more impressive as the subsequent dishes arrived. The lobster cappuccino (S$14) was a bowl of velvety lobster bisque deepened with red wine and cognac, and textured with small chunks of sweet lobster meat. The marinated red miso cod ($33) that followed was served beautifully burnished and blistered on the surface, while remaining moist within. Accompanying it was a silky patch of buttery pumpkin puree which, along with the sweet miso, helped to cut through the rich oiliness of the fish.

The wagyu beef cheeks (S$32), which had been cooked sous vide for 48 hours, were spoon-tender, gelatinous and lacquered in sweet-sticky red wine and port glaze. They were smartly paired with Sardinian fregola (a pasta shaped like miniscule pearls) that provided great texture and a toasty nuttiness to all those sweet flavours.

Good food aside, the prices here are also attractive, with tasting menus starting at S$98 for six courses and S$32 for a three-course set lunch. ANNETTE TAN

 

 

 

Violet Herbs

Where: 81 Tras Street. Telephone: 6221 3988. http://www.violetherbs.com.sg

Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays 11.30am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm. Closed on Sundays.

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