Mustard Seed - Omakase

The overnight underground sensation rose from humble beginnings as a private dining set up in Potong Pasir, and now based in Brighton Ave with a 15-seater in a shophouse. Reservations opens monthly, and easily within 2mins, the entire month gets booked up! We were treated to this month's seasonal menu - "a take on Yong Tau Foo"

Run by a 3-men team, everything is meticulous and calculated, a clean and organized set up, almost like an operating theatre. Equally thought through was the menu.

 

Chef Gan steps up before every dish to explain the ingredients and its preparation. We were served a small tea cup of plain yellow bean and ikan billis broth, and explained that every dish begins from this base, and expect the main ingredient of each dish to accentuate its flavour!

BOTAN EBI - KABOCHA

Chef starts off with this cold dish as he brings out cold spoons. Kabocha is a Japanese Squash, taste almost like Pumpkin. I'm not sure why and how but the nutty aftertaste of this cold "gazpacho-like" base resembles the yellow bean and eases perfectly with the egg beancurd. 

CRAB WANTONS - KANI MISO SAUCE

This ravioli dish was all about the natural flavours of the steamed mud crabs in the same base broth but this time infused with the crabs flavour. The liver of the crabs from the shell is that used to create the sauce. A strong crabby flavour paired lightly with miso to retain its essence.  

GANMODOKI - TRADITIONAL SAUCE

A "Ganmodoki" is a fried tofu fritter. The last I had this was in Kyoto. The tofu is pressed to remove its moisture and left overnight, mixed with Spanish Mackerel and fried. Ganmodoki is also known as "pseudo-duck", hence perhaps a play on words, chef decided to throw in a scotch egg wrapped with duck fuzz and Ngoh Hiang skin.  Again the same broth base is now deeply infused with Daikon to recreate an almost oden flavour. Its sauce like those for YTFs, was created using dried shrimp sambal and red miso. 

STUFFED EGGPLANT - HOT BEAN SAUCE 

Here the sauce is created from a mildly spicy "Tau Cheo" sauce, mixed with chopped garlic and peanuts topped off with Laksa leaves. The flavours blends so well together, and the added texture from the nuts elevates the Eggplants to prevent it from having the mushy bite. Its filling is a blend between Squid and Fish pastes. 

PRAWN CAKE - LAKSA

This was one of the house favourites for the evening. The prawn ball is made from 100% Sea Prawns - likely Ang Kahs, smashed into a medium consistency. The Laksa base, a play again on the laksa YTFs we'd find outside, is a rich bisque here. Topped off with Sakura Ebi and Laksa leaves. 

CABBAGE ROLL - RED RICE YEAST

This base is a traditional Fuchow dish which most postpartum confinement meals include - infused with pork bone broth and fermented beancurd. The cabbage wraps a roll of minced pork, with slices of charsiu Kurobuta pork. 

KOSHIHIKARI RICE - KEIHAN

The last dish, usually a "zuke" porridge, similar to an ochazuke. We are brought back full circle with the same broth we sipped at the opening. A tea cup on the teapot seeks you to enjoy it in the same fashion.  In the bowl, plump chicken breast, tamago and yuzu zest juliennes, shitake mushrooms and spring onions on rice from Niigata.  

SOYABEAN DESSERT 

Where most dinners produces underwhelming desserts, personally I felt this was one of the best dishes the entire evening! Chef Wu, Chef Gan Ming Kiat's girlfriend presents her dish, a take on the traditional dessert - "fu chok". Created around a single ingredient, so complex in textures and flavours! Its base is the fu chok, with boiled beancurd skin with flour balls. A scoop of soyabean flavoured ice cream and sprinkled with soya bean powder and a fried beancurd skin as garnish. 

The dishes raised in complexity by deconstructing familiar dishes but allowed for its guests to enjoy simply. I'd definitely return (if I am lucky enough), as many times as I am allowed to. Honest and earnest culinary genius. May they continue to grow (hopefully in seating capacity too) as the namesake parable in the gospel Mark, and achieve great accomplishments. 

Mustard Seed 

75 Brighton Crescent.