Dinner at 2Fifteen Kitchen

Down this quaint little lane called Rochester Drive, was a quaint little mall called Rochester Mall. And in this quaint little mall was a quaint little corner. This quaint little corner had a quaint little kitchen, and this quaint little kitchen produced... AMAZING FOOD.

Named after it's unit number, 2Fifteen Kitchen's warm, woody atmosphere made me feel at home right away. It's thoughtfully designed interior was inviting, and it was the perfect setting for a good catch up with old friends over yummy food.

Was it the foodie's paradise?

I brought with me Bel and Ginny, Gordon Ramsey's Biggest Fans, and they were to be the judges of that.

Although 2Fifteen Kitchen's specialities are said to be its

• Pan-seared Hokkaido Sea Scallop, braised Cannellini Bean & Lobster Bisque Foam
• Quick-seared Australian Abalone with Tapanade and Barigoule Sauce

We wanted to see what else it could offer. (Test #1 for Chef Kenny Yeo, maybe?)

But of course, that was no problem for him at all. No carnivorous meat-eating woman was going to daunt him. Not even three of them.

So off he went to prepare our meal, and off we were to sharpen our knives and teeth for what was to come.

 

Appetizers

The Pan-seared Foie Gras was a taste of heaven for Ginny, who enjoyed it very much.

Her Verdict: Melts in your mouth!

I started off with the Octopus Salad. The octopus was succulent, soft on the inside and slightly chewy at the same time, and the salad was WAY TOO LITTLE for me. And, the bits of mango = MAJOR plus points because I LOVE mango!

My Verdict: More please...

(And yes, I know I'm holding the wrong utensils... just posing ok~)

Soup

The velvety Mushroom Soup was gone before we could even take photos of it!

Our Collective Verdict: *noisy slurpy sounds*

Mains

My pals were nice enough to let me have the honours of cracking the top of the Pork Belly, and so that's what I did. Cooked to perfection, the crackling was crisp, and the layers of meat below were so tender that we hardly had to chew.

Bel's Verdict: This is exactly what Pork Belly should taste like!

The Salmon Roulade with Wild Rice looked very interesting to me. My first reaction when I saw it served, "I didn't know salmon looked like that..." (Pardon my ignorance, I don't cook.) Bel was quick to educate me. Turns out what they did was to spread a thin layer of aromatic herbs over the salmon fillet, and then used the fillet to form a roulade (a roll), hence the name, Salmon Roulade. It was served with wild rice that tasted a bit like barley and left a lovely, slightly sweet aftertaste. A match made in heaven.

My Verdict: The salmon was done just the way I like it, with each slither of pink flesh breaking away easily from the rest, yet firm enough and absolutely sumptuous. 

Pan-seared Lamb Loin must have been one of the top-scorers for the night. At first we thought it was beef because I figured when people serve lamb it's usually lamb chops, or leg of lamb... or soup kambing. But no, it was lamb. Tender, flavourful, and luxurious.

Ginny's Verdict: Instead of the usual rack of lamb, they served the loin.. Almost double the price but more than double the taste...

21-day Aged Beef with Truffle Port Wine Sauce How apt. I was celebrating my 21st birthday, and they brought up a 21-day aged beef steak! 

We were each given a plate that had sauce and some veggie on it and I was taking photos when Bel stopped me. "Jo, what are you doing? This is not the dish y'know... it's just the sauce." But Bel, it's not NORMAL sauce, it's Truffle Port Wine Sauce, the perfect flavour to go with the beef.

Anyways, Bel was the first to jump at the beef, quickly slicing out pieces for Ginny and Me. I thought it was so nice of her to give me the first slice... until I realized later that the BEST parts were on the inside. -_- 

So while Bel and Ginny were raving about how good it was, I sat there chewing on my piece wondering if it was really supposed to be... this... dry... "Well, they did say it was aged..." I thought to myself.

Bel's Verdict: Char-grilled aged beef at its best. Succulent meat cooked medium and with the bone in. To (her) surprise, it came along with the marrow that is simply delish!

After awhile (and 80% of the steak in their tummies), they realized I was quiet (because I was still chewing) and asked how I found it. I couldn't help myself but say "um actually, I find it a little dry..."

Bel: "OH!!!! Yea, that's coz you haven't tried the BEST part!!! And she cut out ONE (just ONE) generous slice for me. And yes, it was REALLY good. Tender with a buttery succulence... and unfortunately, not much left...

Anyways, Chef Kenny Yeo later explained that how aged beef works. The process begins with the finest premium choice loins, hung in a climate and humidity controlled room. The beef is aged for a minimum of 21 days. During this process a crust forms on the outside of the loin, very similar to the texture of beef jerky. (And I think this was the bit that I had...) This layer is then trimmed away, leaving steaks that are superior in tenderness and flavor. During the dry aging process, the juices are absorbed into the meat, enhancing the flavor and tenderizing the steaks. 

While Chef Kenny was describing the aged beef to us, Bel's sharp eye caught the waiter serving another table... souffle! 

And that was what we had next, coupled with Apple Tart. There is no need to explain how awesome the dessert was. Dessert is always good, but when it is made by one of the top pastry chefs in Singapore, it's not just good, it's absolutely delightful, heavenly and divine!

Finally we finished off with some hot tea and ... we were three very happy, contented girls.

 We couldn't leave without a photo with the man of the night, Chef Kenny Yeo.

On our way home, I told my friends, "Great ambience, exquisite food and wonderful company. My life is now complete."

2fifteen Kitchen can be found at:

35 Rochester Drive, #02-15 Rochester Mall

6659 8215

2fifteen@epicurean.com.sg