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Curious Dim Sum, Edible Art At Janice Wong Singapore

The Singaporean pastry chef shines even when it comes to savoury dishes

By Samantha Francis for Weekender Singapore; Photos: Janice Wong

The dim sum dishes are based on her book “Dim Sum: A Flour-Forward Approach To Traditional Favourites And Contemporary Creations”.

Stepping into a Janice Wong restaurant can sometimes feel like a wondrous trip down a rabbit hole, filled with sweet treats that burst with unusual flavours and dishes that blur the line between art and food.

Yet in every sense, it’s a memorable culinary journey we’d love to take.

 

A Savoury Venture

The dessert maestro’s latest venture is no different. Her flagship restaurant Janice Wong Singapore, situated at National Museum of Singapore, is a 1,500 sq ft candy wonderland that serves interesting sweet and savoury creations.

What looks like paint dripping in rainbow hues, is merely edible chocolate

Walls are graced with humongous paintings created with marshmallows, gummies and her signature chocolate paint in rainbow hues. We also hear that diners will soon be able to create their own masterpieces with these bottles of colourful edible paint.

Till then, be satiated by her modern Chinese savoury creations, crafted in collaboration with Chef Ma Jian Jun, the co-author of her book “Dim Sum: A Flour-Forward Approach To Traditional Favourites And Contemporary Creations”.

The Crispy Charcoal Nest was perhaps the most memorable dish we had.

 

Dim sum And Umami-rich Broths

We recommend starting with the Hot Explosion XLB in Truffle Cheese Chicken ($15). Each jet-black dumpling is packed with tasty broth seeped with the fragrance of truffle and minced chicken entwined with melted cheese.

Once your appetite is whet, go for the Crispy Charcoal Nest ($22). The curious sounding dish is basically a bowl of freeze-dried charcoal noodles, pork belly and a sheet of thin mushroom paper printed with a poem.

As whimsical as it seems, the magic happens once piping hot collagen broth is poured into the bowl. Leave the various components to soak in the goodness of the broth for half a minute or so, then dig in.

The result? Rich umami flavours well retained by the silky noodles and the tender slices of pork belly. It was perhaps the most memorable dish we had.

You’ll also find the Signature 5 Dumplings ($15) on the menu, each bite bearing a different texture, from elastic to crispy. While the presentation was eye-catching, the flavours were a mix of hits and misses. For instance, the Scallop Prawn and Mushroom Dumpling seemed pretty ordinary in a sea of tasty bites.

 

The Chocolate Pop Rocks teased our taste buds and left us wanting more.

Like Kids In A Candy Shop

Like kids in a candy shop, we spent some time gazing at the dessert counter, before eventually settling for scoops of ice cream ($15 for three flavours) and a couple of praline and mochi (Japanese rice cake).

The Smoked Ice Cream was a winner with its distinctive flavour. At once light, yet ‘smokey’, the taste lingered on pleasantly and was a nice palette cleanser of sorts in between all the sweet treats. As for the praline, the Chocolate Pop Rocks teased our taste buds with a fun, popping sensation.

On the whole, the playful dining environment and unexpected dishes left us wanting more.

 

Janice Wong Singapore, #01-06, National Museum Singapore, 93 Stamford Road