You know you had a great dining experience, when you left the place with a smile, parted with your money happily, and tummy deeply satisfied.
I've been wanting to try the food at 2fifteen Kitchen since reading positive reviews about the restaurant which is known for their hearty dishes and unpretentious comfort French and European cuisine. Tucked away in a corner in Rochester Mall, knowing that 2fifteen Kitchen is located literally at unit #02-15 of the building gave us a simple and clear indication of where we should be directing our feet to. I wonder why it took me too long to check out this gem in Buona Vista since it's located just next to Star Vista where I attend church service every Sunday.
The quiet tranquility that surrounds 2fifteen Kitchen makes it a great place for a relaxing lunch. I love how streams of sunlight shine in through the full height glass panels, gently filling up the restaurant which is designed to emanate a homey setting. In the evening, white tablecloth are laid over the wooden tables, red napkins replaces the paper serviette, transforming the setting to a more elegant and romantic one, making it suitable for lovey-dovey dinner dates.
Executive Chef Kenny Yeo helms the restaurant, whose culinary skills were honed at Le Centenaire in France, a Michelin 3 Star Hotel and Les Amis, one of Singapore's top restaurants. In order to try more creations from this talented and experienced chef, I rounded up 3 more friends so that we can share the dishes among us.
We started off with a tray of Complimentary Bread, where the fluffy and flaky croissants really pleased us. I pulled the stop at having more than one, only because I wanted to keep my tummy space for the food that's upcoming, including this Lobster Bisque with Crabmeat and Pistachio ($16). Extracting all the lovely essence from the lobster shells which was intensely boiled, the resulting bisque was one of a most robust flavour and richly satisfying. Slivers of crab meat and pistachio gave the creamy bisque a nice textural contrast.
The Burgundy Salad ($14) made me selfishly wished that I do not have to share (oops!). Love is manifested in the egg which is sous-vide at 62 degree for an hour. The texture of the silky white and oozing creaminess of the golden yolk is divinely delicious! Paired with baby spinach, sauteed mushrooms and a dressing of honey mustard sauce, the whole table thought that there was a hint of Asian taste to it which was very agreeable.
Say what you want about the gavage technique which is commonly used to produce fattened liver, but the order of Warm Salad of Duck Foie Gras ($26) which was accompanied by grape petite salad and raspberry vinaigrette, was not one which we had objected to that day. We put all thoughts behind us as we focused solely on the foie gras which was wonderfully seared and crisp on the outside. It would have been perfect if it's creamier on the inside, but I'm not complaining.
Chef Kenny demonstrated to us how a common ingredient like King Oyster Mushroom (complimentary) can be elevated into a simple yet elegant starter. Lightly seasoned with salt, grilled and finished with a drizzle of truffle oil, the mushroom has a chewy texture, slightly resembling seafood. Not available on the menu, this is a dish which I will try replicating at home should I crave for it again.
The Prawn Cappellini ($26) had my friend went "wow", first time I hear him wowing at a dish! Though a tad clumpy, the fine pasta is cooked perfectly al dente and infused with special aromatic oils, making it a definite winner still! Instead of the usual water prawns, Chef Kenny uses only high quality sea prawns, the freshness and crunchiness of it is much apparent. Sprinkles of kombu (Japanese seaweed) and scallion gave this specialty dish of 2fifteen Kitchen a fusion touch.
Moving on to the main courses, the Pan-seared Cod Mignon with Crab Meat and Leek Veloute ($40) was a superbly executed piece of fish. Its white flesh was extremely moist and smooth, a great contrast to its thin crispy skin. The mash also won us over with its fragrant and buttery consistency.
It's no secret that fatty belly is one of my favorite cut of a pig which made this Slow-seared Pork Belly ($30) a perennial order. The huge slab of pork, with savory cabbage, green apples and prosciutto in poultry sauce, was gratifyingly tender and none at all oily. The best part was the crackling skin with sea-salt. Yummilicious much! It made my tummy belly happy.
The classic French dish of Crispy Duck Confit ($36) scored well too. The salt-cured duck leg was marinated for a day before being poached in its own fat, yielding a meat that is amazingly delectable. It was not overly salty, and paired well with the potatoes and caramelized onions. Casting away whatever dining etiquette there is, I couldn't resist lifting the duck with my bare fingers and gnawed the very last bit of meat off its bones, something which I would only do in the relaxed company of my friends. Chef Kenny was very happy to see me enjoying his food so much lol.
Usually I will not order a tart for dessert as it can be quite heavy after a hearty meal, but the version at 2fifteen Kitchen changed my perception totally. Their Home-made Apple Tart ($16) is a must-order! Buried under the rain of almond flakes was a paper thin crust which is delightfully flaky and crispy. Slices of granny smith apples are sandwiched in between, giving it a refreshing zing of tartness that was sweetly balanced by drizzles of caramel sauce. When paired with the vanilla ice cream, the layers of impeccable flavors is irresistible!
Chef Kenny highly recommended that we try his Souffle ($16) and gosh, I'm so glad we did! The fragrance of the egg and delicate airy texture of this dessert won us over completely! This is a special item not in the menu (why??) which I will definitely request to have again.
2fifteen Kitchen offers high quality food at reasonable prices, making it the main reason why I would return for a visit. Chef Kenny is one of the most amiable chefs I've met, we had a great time chatting (in Mandarin!) about his food and makan places in Singapore which we wanna visit. Definitely not your typical French cuisine chef lol. His team of waiting staff was also very attentive to service.
This gem in Buona Vista is indeed worth the visit :)
2fifteen Kitchen (CLOSED)
Address: 35 Rochester Drive, #02-15 Rochester Mall, Singapore 138639
Contact: +65 66598215
Website: http://www.epicurean.com.sg/2fifteen.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2fifteenkitchen
Opening Hours: Tue-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm & 6:30pm-10pm / Sat-Sun 11:30am - 10pm
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