11th July 2014.
We were aware that Ding Dong is related to Open Door Policy. Therefore, Liang
Wei was hesitant to visit the restaurant at first but due to a comical
miscommunication on my part, we found ourselves in Ding Dong for lunch one
afternoon.
Ding Dong is contemporary retro-chic if there is such a term
for it. It is full of mischief and very playful which reflects in its interiors
and cuisine. The interior design of Ding
Dong was by Jerry de Souza, the creative director of Spa Espirit (of which Open
Door Policy & Ding Dong are under).
Stepping into the restaurant, you can’t
miss the aluminium Chinese Jianzhi (剪纸) decorations around the
restaurant. These were done by local artist, Edison Teo (aka GalactikCaptain),
an avid illustrator and “doodler” with the local Band of Doodlers.
The restaurant is known for it’s a wild creations like the
Pi Pa Kao Cocktails, but both Liang Wei and I aren’t pretty to fork out money
for the a la carte menu or the cocktails, famous they may be due as they are
pretty expensive.
Instead, we opted for the Lunch Set (35++ SGD) which changes
from time to time. During our visit, we had the Spicy Pumpkin, Prawn and
Coconut Veloute as well as the Kingfish Sashimi with Black Daikon, Wasabi and
Yuzu. Among the two the veloute fared much better with its rich and balanced
flavours that resembled a refined version of the Thai tom yum.
The kingfish sashimi on the other hand, was underwhelming as
the wasabi and soy sauce was mixed up, resulting in a rather messy and
monotonous dish where the flavours of the king fish failed to come through.
The mains were much better. The Asam Pedas Salted Barramundi
with Okra and Baby Eggplant as well as the 48 Hours Beef Cheek Rendang were
both home-inspired creations by Chef Jet Lo who heads the kitchen of Ding Dong.
The barramundi was very succulent and the beef cheek rendang was amazing with
its amazingly tender flesh and good contrast of crispy toasted brown rice and
Chinese coriander a well as tasty rendang gravy.
The desserts were quite interesting too. The Asian Spiced
Gluten Free Cake with Tamarind Sorbet and Roselle Gel is a love it or hate it
affair but it is an entirely different story when it comes to the Malacca
Cendol 2013. While the name itself mentioned Malacca (or Melaka), it was not
the source of inspiration for this dish but rather a fun, exotic name chosen by
the chef.
This dessert is the epitome of Ding Dong, a playful
combination of popcorn, condensed milk, crushed nuts, cubes of gula melaka jelly,
crushed ice, peanuts, ice cream and salted caramel as the divine finishing
touch. This is pure godsend in a hot sunny weather. Both Liang Wei and I
enjoyed this dessert tremendously for its variety of textures and flavours such
as the mix of crunchy popcorn peanuts, the mocha-like smoky sweetness from gula
Melaka, the rich salted caramel as well as the subtle sweet corn ice cream, all
of which worked very well together.
From what both of us gathered, Chef Jet Lo loves using gula Melaka
in his cuisine. Chef Jet Lo hails from Sabah in Malaysia and the food back at
home was a major source of inspiration for him at Ding Dong.
The food at Ding Dong is considerably pricey but portions
are quite decent. What we had are lunch set portions and the a la carte would
be more substantial that what we had. However, if you wish to get a taste of
what Ding Dong has to offer without breaking the bank, the $35++ 3 Course Lunch
Set provides a better value for money.
23 Ann Siang Road
Singapore 069703
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