Ding Dong is The Spa Esprit Group’s first foray into the hip Club Street/Ann Siang Road enclave. Housed in a shophouse, the restaurant spans three floors and features contemporary Asian-inspired cuisine, created in consultation with Chef Ryan Clift of Tippling Club fame.
The kitchen at Ding Dong is headed by Chef Jet Low from Sabah. Chef Low takes inspiration from his formative years in his Malaysian hometown, and infuses them into the menu. That inspiration is certainly evident in a number of dishes, one of which is the Nan Ru Pork Ribs with Ginger and Apricot (S$17).
Chef Low’s mother used to work in a bean curd store when he was younger, and this memory served to be the influence for the creation of this dish. The pork ribs are marinated with red and white fermented. Crispy on the outside, the pork ribs were tender, which should not come as a surprise as they have been cooked sous vide for 12 hours. Accompanying the pork ribs is a dipping sauce made from ginger, blue ginger, apricot and vinegar.
Nan Ru Pork Ribs with Ginger and Apricot. Photo © Katherine Goh.
The Burnt Nasu (Japanese word for eggplant) with Crab and Crispy Shrimp (S$20) was a favourite among all at the table. The dish pairs cooked crab with a blend of dried shrimps and crispy shallot garnished with burnt Japanese baby eggplant skin. The creamy meat of the bulbous eggplants was so soft that they won over the non-vegetable-eater me.
Burnt Nasu with Crab and Crispy Shrimp. Photo © Katherine Goh.
The menu is very much designed for sharing – one might be able to guess looking at the menu which is segregated into categories like ‘cold plates’, ‘small plates’ and ‘bigger plates’. There was, however, one dish which made me wish I didn’t have to share with others – the Wagyu Beef Char Siew with Pickled Papaya and Cherry Tomato (S$29). Soaked in a special house-made char siew sauce that includes rose wine and hoisin sauce, the beef short ribs are slow cooked for 48 hours. It may be beef, but the dish tasted exactly like the usual pork char siew – perhaps even better. This was hands down the winner among all the dishes.
Wagyu Beef Char Siew with Pickled Papaya and Cherry Tomato. Photo © Katherine Goh.
Chef Low’s creativity shines in every dish. Each time a new dish was served, there was bound to be at least one element within the dish that made me wonder what it was, such as the white powder on the Wagyu Beef Char Siew (it turned out to be shallot oil powder), and the black Carbon-battered Prawn Tempura (S$16).
Carbon-battered Prawn Tempura. Photo © Katherine Goh.
Even the desserts were intriguing. The Frozen ‘Pulut Panggang’ with Pandan and Coconut (S$13) had me fascinated with its smoke (I know it’s just dry ice) and presentation (what’s that lotus thing?). It’s a unique take on the traditional Peranankan grilled glutinous rice dish featuring fresh coconut, pandan jelly, puffed rice and gula melaka. This is probably one of the most ‘fun’ desserts I’ve ever had, but the more important thing is it was delectable too.
Frozen ‘Pulut Panggang’ with Pandan and Coconut. Photo © Katherine Goh.
Food can be fun, and food should be fun too. And, with a name like Ding Dong, you can expect a fun time discovering the surprises in Chef Low’s creations at the restaurant.
Ding Dong
23 Ann Siang Road
Singapore 069703
Tel: +65 6557 0189
