It is always heartening to see some notable F&B establishments make their return to the local food scene, considering how it was a pity when the place had first closed its doors.
Opened by the same folks behind now-defunct Gastrosmiths which was initially located at Tan Quee Lan Street before its subsequent move to i12 Katong, Allium is their latest F&B venture which stays true their roots ever since their days as The Humble Loaf at Mountbatten Shopping Centre – serving up their very own twist of mod-Sin cuisine with a Western influence, and through the use of premium and fresh produce whilst creating the various elements from scratch. Decked rather simply, the vibes at Allium is in no way pretentious; the choice of dark, wooden furniture provides for a Scandinavian look that is simple, yet timeless — pretty fitting of their concept and food even. Unlike Gastrosmiths and The Humble Loaf where both concepts lean closer towards being a casual bistro or cafe, Allium is an evolution from Gastrosmiths, considering how the focus here is seemingly on serving up set menus for dinner, with a brunch menu served in the day up to 3pm. Operating hours are also limited at Allium, with the space only opened on Thursday to Sunday. While reservations are recommended for dinner service, brunch is strictly through walk-in basis; skimming through the brunch menu, one would be able to find several dishes that are pretty reminiscent to those which were previously served at The Humble Loaf and/or Gastrosmiths, with Allium also carrying beverage options such as specialty coffee (brewed using beans roasted by local micro-roastery, Highlander Coffee) as well as tea and a small selection of unique concoctions as well.
(Ham Sandwich)
Going for the Ham Sandwich, the Ham Sandwich is one of the simplest, no-frills item on the menu here at Allium. Featuring elements such as Honey Baked Ham, Green Allium French Butter, and Dijon Mustard, the Ham Sandwich may seem a little pricey and also a wee bit underwhelming as compared to all the other items featured on the brunch menu on first sight. That being said, the Ham Sandwich served here is still pretty artisan, and despite its simplicity, pretty well-executed. Using bread that is baked in-house fresh on a daily basis, the bread is lightly toasted for a slight crustiness; otherwise, the bread is pretty light and soft, not overly dense nor felt particularly overwhelming, while sandwiched in the middle are the condiments that were being listed in its description on the menu. We liked how they seemed to be pretty generous with the portion of Honey Ham used; giving the sandwich a bit of height, one could actually bite through the layers for a light, meaty flavour which was not overpoweringly salty, while the Dijon Mustard helped to provide a light earthiness and moisture that made the sandwich refrain from being too dry. Whilst being a pretty delicious sandwich that is worth its price, we felt that the presentation of the Ham Sandwich was rather cheesy as compared to the other items, which carried a rather refined look; the heart-shaped sandwich just felt a tad kiddy, whilst unnecessarily overcrowding the plate as well. Perhaps the folks at Allium could look into presenting in a stack, which would perhaps improve the aesthetics of the dish.
(Heritage Eggs)
Those who have had visited The Humble Loaf way back in their early days would perhaps remember their “Not-So-Humble” Eggs, which featured sous-vide eggs served with Jamon Serrano as an interesting twist to our local soft-boiled eggs breakfast that often comes with the classic Kaya Butter Toast. The dish had already been through several re-iterations ever since they had become Gastrosmiths, and the namesake of the dish seemingly hints back to the origins of the dish from its time of being The Humble Loaf. Now featuring elements such as Poached Eggs, Jamon Serrano & Pickled Shallot Beurre Blanc, as well as Sauteed Pickles and Chives, the Heritage Eggs is the latest evolution of the same dish loved by patrons who had previously visited both The Humble Loaf and Gastrosmiths. Digging into the main dish, the dish is still essentially the same in its character; the soft-boiled eggs served with a Western twist with premium ingredients. That being said, this could be the most “grown-up” rendition of the dish yet; the poached eggs, all jiggly and wobbly with its yolk bursting eagerly with the poke of a knife, comes accompanied with a Pickled Shallot Beurre Blanc that carried a garlicky and buttery, yet tangy note. Already being incredibly umami on its own, the bits of Jamon Serrano carried familiar hints of savouriness typical of cured meat for an extra flavour contrast, while the greens such as the spinach helped to provide a crunch and a wholesome feel to the entire dish. Coming with slices of bread (the same ones used for the Ham Sandwich mentioned above) on the side, the soft and pillowy bread allows one to mop up all of that delicious sauce at the bottom of the plate; absolutely delicious, and something which would certainly crave for again.
(Fenugreek White Wine Curry)
Being one of the new items introduced in Allium’s menu (at least from our memory), the Fenugreek White Wine Curry is one of the dishes that most would be likely to find through the multiple posts on Instagram via their geotag within the social media. Featuring elements such as Saffron, Okra, Beancurd and Haricot Verts (Thin Green Bean), the Fenugreek White Wine Curry is also a vegan-friendly item here, as with the Pine Nut & Root Vegetable Congee, Lotus Root Kinpira and Basil-emulsified Tomato Soup listed on the brunch menu. Carrying a strong hint of curry spices, the curry is still undoubtedly flavourful, especially considering how clean it feels without any heaviness coming from the use of coconut milk; a typical ingredient used in curries locally which is surprisingly omitted here. Instead of adding water into the curry here, Allium employs the use of white wine, which helps to enhance the flavours of the curry without diluting the flavours nor causing the curry to be overly thick and thus jelak. The greens that accompany the curry carried a soft crunch, providing contrast in terms of texture, while it also comes with slices of the same bread that allows one to mop up all that curry by dipping the bread into the bowl to absorb all of the curry goodness at the bottom of the bowl.
(Banana Crumble Tart)
Opting for one of their freshly-baked goods that are kept in the display case at the counter, we went for the Banana Crumble Tart; yet another vegan-friendly item which they have to offer. The Banana Crumble Tart is essentially their twist to the classic apple crumble; using a base that is almost identical to that of pie/puff pastry, the base comes soft, buttery and flaky, while the tart comes topped off with warm caramelised banana over the top, somewhat crunchy crumbles beneath the slices of caramelised banana and a cake-esque layer beneath. Overall a pretty decent dessert, though we felt that it could perhaps do better if it carried more crumbly bits and lesser of the cake-esque layer to place a stronger emphasis on the “crumble” part of the dessert overall.
Despite its new identity, Allium is still pretty much the same Gastrosmiths and The Humble Loaf that we know at heart — sticking to the same principals of serving up mod-Sin dishes with their own twist while keeping them refined with quality and fresh produce, Allium is indeed a step up from its predecessors. While offering some familiar dishes which The Humble Loaf and Gastrosmiths had built up their characters upon back then in the day, they had since brought those recipes to yet another level with Allium — it is pretty much also seeing how the various concepts and the folks behind it have grown over the years as well. Having tried some of the items on the brycnh menu of Allium, we liked how the various dishes were simple, hearty, yet delicious — well thought-out dishes with familiar local flavours yet with a modern twist that is ever so refined and elegant. It is certainly heartening to see them make a return to the local F&B scene, being better and stronger than ever before — a change in concept which stayed true to their roots that brings their cuisine to the next level. A place that one should certainly make the visit especially for those who had been to either The Humble Loaf and Gastrosmiths before, it is a spot we would love to revisit again for the other offerings on the brunch menu, as well as to go for the set menu for their dinner service some day. We wish the folks behind Allium all the best in what is to come, and take this opportunity to congratulate them on the opening of Allium as well.
Allium 2 Jalan Lokam #01-11 Kensington Square Singapore 537846
jiaksimi png . eatwhat rice 