I’m a regular here at Koh and have been for a number of years. Over time I got to know Patrick, who runs the place, and over time my gastronomic adventures here have resulted in pushing some limits. What started out as a lazy lunch with a business partner some years back led to making sure Patrick earned his day’s keep that afternoon. We simply tasked him to keep the dishes coming without us ordering anything specific and the brief was just to whip up whatever he felt appropriate. He took on the challenge and we never looked back since. It’s a ritual whenever we dine there and every experience since felt like a degustation dinner except this wasn’t Nadaman or Shiraishi. It’s a hawker stall in a food court so tune yourself to this channel.

This review is about dishes that have made it to the menu through recommendations from Patrick and positive feedback from regulars and dishes that are possibly going to make it.

I recently had a dinner with some friends. There were 7 of us including one who is a sommelier who so kindly brought the wines. It was an interesting mix of a Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine and grape variety), a German Riesling and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Greece. We started our evening with regular banter and Prosecco and this is how I like to start a dinner outing as I feel that sparkling wines /Champagnes tend to heighten the palate. Well, mine at least. Also any reason for bubbly works for me.

We started with a cold dish, the Pitan Tofu (Bean Curd). I’ve seen a number of variations of this dish that are available in Chinese restaurants too. The primary ingredients are Silken Tofu and Century Egg. The version we had was Silken Tofu topped with their signature homemade sauce, made from yolk of century egg with a hint of teriyaki sauce, century ‘egg white’ and a generous serving of Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe). It’s a nice starter but you’ll have to be a fan of century egg or this’ll be your anti-appetiser. The Tofu provides overall body and texture to the dish but it’s the sauce that does most of the work since the Tofu itself is bland. Tobiko plays its part in reminding you it’s Japanese. This dish went down very well with the fairer sex at our table.

The follow up starter was more my thing. An oyster shooter. They use Namakaki (a pretty tiny but flavorful Japanese oyster), which happens to be a kind I like, with Ponzu (Japanese citrus vinegar) and Ikura (Salmon roe). It has to be consumed like a shooter to experience a burst of all the flavours at one go. The Ponzu with its sourness took center stage because of the intensity it naturally provides but hints of oyster and Ikura pleasantly filled the gaps. The best part of this was the accidental pairing of wine. At this point we were on to the Reisling and my attempt to cleanse my palate with this wine after the shooter turned out to be a very satisfying. The Reisling and the shooter were made for each other.

Drum roll! We hailed the arrival of the seasonal platter. It’s essentially Sashimi Moriwase (a variety of sashimi) packed with the season’s freshest picks. Here’s the hit list:

Shiro Maguro (Albacore/White Tuna)
Shiro Mirugai (Geoduck Clam)
Shima Aji (Yellow Jack)
Isaki (Grunt)
Sanma (Pike)
Sayori (Halfbeak/Needlefish)
Akagai (Ark Shell)
Tai (Sea Bream)
Uni (Sea Urchin)

The platter did not disappoint at all and what always stands out for me is the Shiro Maguro. This white version of Tuna isn’t commonly served and mainly comes from Canada and has similar characteristics to swordfish in terms of texture and, to a little extent, taste. I have this on its own sans wasabi and soy sauce because this fish comes marinated. It is left for about 45mins to absorb a shoyu-based marinade that permeates into the outer ring giving this creamy sashimi a tinge of saltiness. This combination of flavours could actually fool one into believing the sashimi was smoked. It is very well done and a must have for me.

The Shiro Mirugai was a winner as well. This smaller Japanese version of its more popular and larger Chinese counterpart is very much sweeter than the latter when it’s fresh. Also the Uni’s heavenly but that’s just me. I love Uni and it’s definitely a plus when live stock is available.

Now the next dish was quite the adventure. I’ve never had it but I’ve heard of the infamous Natto (fermented Soya Bean). It’s apparently an acquired taste that laden with pungent flavour. Taiwanese Smelly Tofu comes to mind. We didn’t really get the opportunity to experience the full effects of this exotic bean because it was pretty much ‘washed down’ with a load of other ingredients that included the following:

Uni (Sea Urchin)
Ika (Squid)
Sake (Salmon) Belly
Ama Ebi (Sweet Shrimp)
Meka Jiki (Swordfish)
Herring Roe
Quail Egg
Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe)
Ikura (salmon Roe)
Spring Onions

As you can see from the list of ingredients that make the dish it would have been an Indiana Jones adventure trying to locate specific tastes. We had this wrapped in Nori (Crispy Seaweed) and that further added another flavour. The combination was all right. It went down pretty well with the guys but the girls simply gave it a pass after a taste. My sommelier friend seemed to enjoy it very much so I guess it kinda worked out in the end. Can’t say I recommend this to go on the menu.

Our next two dishes weren’t exactly rocket science but the little twist and subtle variations to what are basically common existing dishes were worth it. One was the Asparagus Buta Bata (Asparagus wrapped in Pork Belly) and the other Man-Goro (Mango Maki). The Asparagus came with a topping that I found delightful. It was garlic fried with a touch of Miso and Japanese Mayonnaise. The Mayonnaise did a great job in not only providing a nice sweetness to the overall dish but also bound the chopped garlic into nice clumps.

The Man-Goro was nice and worked wonders with the women. The satisfaction on their faces was pretty obvious. We, the guys, felt the dish was OK and that it was a glorified Maki. On the inside were Avocado, Mango and Ebi (Shrimp) and on the outside, Salmon and Scallop topped with Mentaiko (Codfish Roe) Sauce mixed with Japanese Mayonnaise. I suspect the Mayonnaise was used to subdue the naturally fishy taste of Mentaiko. Each piece is quite a mouthful and this dish will fill you up.

Then came the Buta (Pork Belly) Egglet Roll. I’ve had this here at Koh before and in my books this is clearly a winner. It’s Quail Egg wrapped in charcoal-grilled Pork Belly. The Pork Belly gives a savoury smoked flavour to the dish. What impressed me most is how the Quail Eggs are done. Firm on the outside and creamy liquid yolk on the inside. These tiny eggs are boiled for approximately one minute and immediately cooled under running water to allow the yolk to maintain it’s liquid texture. Love at first bite.

Grand Finale. The Chef Soba (Japanese Buckwheat Noodles). According to Patrick this culinary delight is determined by the Chef based on his take on our dinner. Basically he decides what goes into our Soba based on what we’ve had in the previous courses and if the Soba should be a hot or cold one. We were served the cold version and the response was unanimously positive. I’m not much of a Soba fan as I find the taste and texture of this noodle to be a tad starchy. I would have preferred Ramen (Japanese Wheat Noodles). Still the ingredients were good and included:

Meka Jiki Tataki (Swordfish seared with Black Pepper)
Seared Sake (Salmon) Belly
Ikura (Salmon Roe)
Ama Ebi (Sweet Shrimp)
Ika (Squid)
Quail Egg

Quite a storm in this teacup given that the portions were pretty small. It was fully loaded. I liked it and the rest loved it but this will not go on the menu since it’s a judgment call by the Chef. My favourite part of this dish was the Meka Jiki Tataki. I love the peppery ring around this rich and creamy Sashimi. I must say this dish does a good job of wrapping up a very nice dinner. Pictures of our adventure are available at the following link:

http://relish-tv.com/Koh-Grill.html

Happy eating!