Inspired by Southeast Asian flavours, :pluck’s new dinner menu takes comfort food out of its comfort zone
By Nicole-Marie Ng
Surrounded by other eateries both casual and upmarket, :pluck sets itself apart by serving affordable and unpretentious Southeast Asian food.
Helmed by Singaporean Chef Brandon Teo, :pluck puts a spin on regional dishes like Vietnamese Bap Xao and Nasi Biryani. :pluck does not try too hard to impress with bold, unorthodox flavour combinations. Instead, Chef Bradon sticks to classic recipes, some passed down from his Cantonese and Peranakan heritage.
Adding his own flair, the dishes are unique yet familiar. Here is a three-course meal we recommend ordering to taste and see what :pluck is all about.
1. Popiah
To charge $12 for popiah seems a little ridiculous when you can easily get a roll from the nearby Maxwell Food Centre at a fraction of the price.
However, from your first bite, you’ll recognise that this is not your regular popiah. Stuffed with braised turnips (Chef Brandon’s grandmother’s recipe), prawns, fried tofu, quail eggs, lap cheong and dried shrimp, the popiah is bursting with sweet and savoury flavours.
Instead of the soggy, lack-luster turnip mixture that most popiah stalls use, Chef Brandon’s version dry and dark in colour, intensifying the natural sweetness of the turnip.
2. Gai Tod Style Fried Chicken
Inspired by his latest trip to Bangkok. the chicken is first marinated for hours with a variety of herbs and spices before being slowly cooked by a slow cooking machine. It is then battered and deep fried to crispy perfection. Each bite is still juicy, even the breast meat, due to the meticulous cooking process.
3. Teh Thai-Rik
One of the more clever desserts that I’ve had in awhile, :pluck’s Teh Thai-Rik is able to marry different components into a cohesive dessert. You get a slice of ginger tea cake served with a side of spiced tea ice cream and pineapple purée.
The best part of the dish is the chilled cup of homemade Thai milk tea, served Tek Tarik style. Have the ginger tea cake as is, with the ice cream and pineapple or dunk it into the tea, rest assured that it won’t disintegrate into the tea but melts in your mouth instead.
90 Club Street
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