Wild Rocket

Wild Rocket – 10A Upper Wilkie Road, Hangout @ Mt Emily

Fusion food has always held a special significance to me because of my mixed heritage. As such, it was with much excitement that I headed to the famed Wild Rocket last Sunday. The adventure to get there (refer to footnote) was well worth it for Chef Willin Low amazed me with a trifecta of service, ambience and food that made for an exceptional experience I won’t soon forget. Brunch for 2 set me back $65.90, tip not included.

That’s right, I had to tip my amazing waiter Ravin as the service I received is a rare thing to find in Singapore and I’m loath for it to vanish due to lack of support. First, they called me to confirm my reservation; an elegant touch. Next, they provided me with precise directions when I called back 20 minutes later, utterly lost on foot and melting in noonday sun; they know their stuff. When I finally arrived, Ravin greeted me by name and wittily asked me how my “swim” was before seating me and slipping me a thick stack of napkins; now that’s initiative! When he noticed my friend was running late, I was given a stack of magazines to bide my time; I’m rendered speechless by this point. That was on top of basics like Ravin effortlessly fielding my request for recommendations with suggestions from every section of the menu, refreshing our bread without request and accommodating my need to pop out when my parking coupon expired. That’s the kind of service that will guarantee a customer’s return.

With a third of the restaurant-perfection trinity secured, I move on to ambience. While finding Hangout @ Mount Emily is like searching for Shangri-La, this ensures it is a sanctuary well away from the hustle and bustle. The clean lines, comfortingly muted colours and wood panelled floors are chic and classy. My request for a table with good light was accommodated with a lovely, quiet seat next to the window perfect for pictures and the catch-up session I had planned with an old friend.

Now on to the food, the Foccacia and Olive Oil-Balsamico Dip amuse-bouche was a rather tame offering albeit a good one. The bread was feather light and pillow soft with a moist yet crumbly composition.

We availed of the brunch menu which was a very affordable $28 per pax for 3 courses. I started off with the Grilled Tofu Baby Spinach Salad with Yasai Dressing which was delightfully light, simple and beautifully presented. The baby spinach leaves were crisp and tender while the cherry tomatoes were plump and sweet. The grilled tofu was firm and meaty, surprisingly satisfying for what I expected to be a light starter. All this was lightly drizzled with a dressing possessing more depth than I anticipated; its subtle sweetness with hints of ginger beneath quality soy sauce accentuated the delicately flavoured ingredients with the necessary light touch.

My friend went for the Black Pepper Soft Shell Crab with Granny Smith Apples. The crisp-fried crab had sweet, creamy flesh and was lightly fried to a crisp that was not oily. The small amount of black pepper sauce was more than sufficient for it was a thick, potently flavoured combination of sweet smokiness and warm fire. All that was balanced with matchsticks of tart, sweet green apples; an unusual yet excellent combination that was a herald of the wonders yet to come.

As compliments of the Chef, we got a taste of Rosé with Lychee. I was surprised to find that this rosé had a subtle nose and little inherent flavour, lacking the typical strong berry notes common in my favourite type of wine. This choice was evidently made on purpose for after letting the lychee sit in the sparkling liquid for awhile, and nearing the bottom of my glass, I was greeted by the delicate accents of the fruit for a pleasantly unique result.

I opted for the famed but unadventurous Wild Rocket Burger as my main. This was a princess among burgers; a diminutive size belied a creation right up there with the rest of the greats. The rich, onion-studded patty was done to an incredibly moist medium rare. A thin layer of sundried tomato relish was full of sweet, smoky flavour that took things to the next level. The side was an experience unto itself as well, a piquantly-dressed salad on a papadam for more crunch and flavour than croutons could ever provide.

The Spicy Dried Shrimp and Scallop Spaghetti left my friend in excruciating ecstacy between slurping up the lovely pasta and gulping down copious amounts of water to battle a spice beyond her ken. The hei bi hiam accorded an explosive Asian flavour to the Italian classic, a bold move that gave it new life and verve.

My eyes lit up at the sight of my Pandan Infused Panna Cotta with Gula Melaka dessert. This was a truly beautiful Oriental-Occidental marriage that gives further proof of the compatibility between South East Asian flavours and Italian techniques. The near-perfect custard was creamy and rich with a slight stickiness to its melt-in-your-mouth, halfway-between-solid-and-liquid texture. The pandan flavour was subtle yet discernible and danced beautifully with the traditional dark brown palm sugar sauce that had a touch of salt to bring out its sweetness like any authentic chendol vendor would tell you.

The Kueh Baulu Tiramisu was excellent if less groundbreaking than the panna cotta. Very sweet with velvety-smooth creaminess, the mascarpone was excellently done. Kueh baulu mimics the effect of Savoiardi Ladyfinger biscuits almost to a tee with a slightly airier feel.

Footnote: I would advise against heading to Hangout @ Mount Emily for the first time if you do not have a car and a good sense of direction; taking a taxi there will likely leave you stranded after your meal. Even armed with my month-old license, a prodigious sense of direction left me utterly lost so I wound up parking opposite Selegie Centre and taking a 20-minute walk. My dining partner led me to free parking next to the restaurant when my coupons ran out halfway through the meal.