Maggie Joan's, our favorite laneway restaurant has shifted to serving Modern European cuisine after three years with Seumas Smith (formerly Head Chef at Moosehead) fronting the kitchen as Group Executive Chef. Seumas presents fine seasonal ingredients from small or artisanal producers on his plates, with every component made from scratch to maintain the integrity of the ingredients.
We started with my favorite bite of Shiso tempura with taramasalata, nori & lime zest ($3/pc). It's expensive, but Chef Seumas can take my money if he makes it into a bucket for home consumption. It's a glorious combination of fat and salt. That shiso tempura with taramasalata should be made into a bucket of chips and trust me it's easy to finish that citrusy chips in no time.
We also could never resist a housebaked sourdough ($4) served with rendered and smoked O'Connor beef fat that is mixed with artisanal French butter.
My favorite from the small plates was the Beetroot ($17) with smoked crème fraîche, walnuts & burnt honey. Here, the beetroots are pickled and barbecued in the INKA charcoal oven, thereby enhancing its sweetness. It was complemented with a hickory wood chips smoked crème fraîche, crunchy candied walnuts, fresh pomegranate, peppery upland cress and a dressing of burnt Scottish Heather honey sourced from Prince Charles’ Mey Selections. The textures and flavors were simply gorgeous, and it's the perfect dish for fall.
It was the first time i had Burrata ($21) with an acidic dressing but i must say it was very refreshing indeed. The preserved lemon which has been pickled with a Chardonnay vinegar gave the dish the tangy lift. The sugar snap peas and garden peas also provided a crunchy rawness to the mix.
The Hamachi Crudo ($23) with almond sauce was yet another inventive dish by Chef Seumas. Here, there's the fresh seafood flavors from the soy and mirin marinated trout roe and the hamachi. The wakame was also rehydrated and pickled with aromatics and white wine vinegar. The smooth almond sauce made from almonds and buttermilk and chardonnay vinegar provided that smoothness to the dish.
On to the mains, the Barramundi ($34) was a comforting dish for me. The nage- a rich stock made from roasted fish bones and aromatics is what binds the dish. The light creaminess helped to make the creamy Scottish Loch Fyne mussels stand out and also complemented the delicate flavour of the locally farmed fish. The drops of parsley oil helped to add a different dimension to the dish.
For feasting, the hearty sharing dishes from the grill excite. I really enjoyed the Spiced lamb, salmorejo, black garlic & salsa verde. Australian lamb loin is first crusted with a spice mix of sumac, cumin and dried coriander, then grilled in the INKA oven. I love the super juicy meat that was balanced with a fresh minty side. A pair of mini braised lamb buns accompanies the dish. These are baked in-house – similar to dinner rolls. I didn't quite like them as they were a bit hard and tough and the filling was dry.
The Duck Breast ($36) with carrot, plum and buckwheat was another favorite for us. The French duck is first brined then pan fried till crispy, and finished in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare doneness. The hearty meat was balanced with sweet confit grilled carrots, carrot puree, and plum puree. The jus was pure umami, made from simmering duck bones, burnt Scottish heather honey, brandy and red wine and aromatics used in the brine.
The flavors and components in the Duroc pork chop ($42) worked- the apple purée, pork sauce, and crispy crackling. What disappointed was that the pork was a tad dry.
Vegetables are done really well at Maggie Joan's. I would order a side of
Roasted carrots ($10) just for myself. The carrots are confit in butter with bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, salt and sugar. Then grilled in an INKA charcoal oven upon order, tossed in brown butter, black sesame seeds, parsley and honey. Paired with the smooth housemade ricotta and a tangy apricot puree gelatin, each bite was sweet heaven.
The
deep fried Australian Russet potatoes ($10) were rather irresistible as well. I was surprised by the sweetness of the pickled mustard grains. Give the ingredients a good toss to mix the rosemary salt, French crème fraiche, pickled mustard seeds, whole grain mustard, finely chopped chives nicely before digging in.
Desserts hold their own with delightful sweets like the tropical
Coconut panna cotta with prosecco & grapefruit jelly ($12).
The meringue ($12) did very well with the blackberries sauce, yogurt sorbet & shiso as well.
The complimentary salted caramel and chocolate sable was the perfect ending to the night.
As usual, another lovely experience at
Maggie Joan's with new favorites this time.
Maggie Joan’s Dining & Bar
110 Amoy Street #01-01 (Entrance from Gemmill Lane)
Singapore 069930
Weekdays: 12 - 2.30pm, 6 - 11 pm
Sat: 6 - 11pm
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