Food Picks: A taste of Hawaiian spring at Butcher’s Block

SINGAPORE – Spring has sprung, and with it, the desire for renewal. In Hawaii, the days are longer and the weather warmer. The air is flushed with promise. The islands are awash in blooms. 

In Singapore’s perpetual summer, things look pretty much the same. But that has not stopped Hawaiian chef Jordan Keao from trying to channel the spirit of rebirth here, unfurling a seasonal tasting menu at his Raffles Hotel restaurant, Butcher’s Block, that is available until May 31.

The refreshed Imua experience ($178++ for lunch, $228++ for dinner) starts with a medley of four snacks that pay tribute to popular Hawaiian dishes. The big eye ahi tuna poke, for instance, condenses the island classic into a poppable tart that gets your appetite going, while the wagyu beef pipikaula packs a dangerous amount of umami into a single cube of rice, fried in beef fat. 

Next, the Lomi Lomi, named after the Polynesian massage technique, reinvigorates the senses with a zesty combination of smoked paprika-cured hamachi, tomato sorbet and agua chile. 

It is a refreshing pick-me-up before the lunch menu dives headfirst into a trio of mains, each more indulgent than the last. Dinner guests, however, have one more pit stop: a huge ravioli stuffed with slow-roasted pork shoulder and topped with sweet potato puree, taro leaf and fermented red cabbage. Sweet and succulent, with just the right amount of chew, the traditional dish of kalua pork finds new resonance here. 

On to the mains. First up is the huli-huli dry-aged duck, first presented to the table whole, in all its smoky, mahogany glory. This prized bird, I am told, has been dry-aged for a week, then butchered into different parts on which yet more meticulous care is lavished. 

The duck leg is slow-cooked into a confit, the breast dry-aged further then warmed over ambient heat and glazed with a shoyu reduction that gives it its glossy sheen and caramelised depth. Both are served on an artfully assembled platter, along with a jus made from roasted duck bones and a smattering of garnishes. 

It is one of the menu’s highlights, along with the grilled Murray cod, fatty and moist. Its trimmings and collar are turned into a turmeric-accented mousseline that drapes the fish in an aromatic cloak. All this goodness is steeped in a luscious puddle of bottarga cream, Koshihikari rice risotto and herb oil.

The Blackmore farms trio, however, does not quite hit the mark. Here is wagyu showcased in three ways: as a financier made with beef fat, a custard enriched with bone marrow and a grilled slab of meat. The cut is picked by the chef, so in some ways, diners are subjected to the luck of the draw. My dry-aged short rib is sliced into thin strips and seared pink, but has none of the juiciness of a medium-rare steak. 

The restaurant preps you for dessert with a palate cleanser I prefer to the actual finisher. The rosella guava sorbet paired with vanilla ice cream is not nearly as interesting as the haupia (or pudding) with fermented strawberries, macadamia nut crumble and gula melaka ice cream that rounds off the meal. But sometimes, nothing captures the simplicity of springtime bliss better than the uncomplicated pleasure of something tart and sweet, rich and creamy. 

Where: 02-02 Raffles Arcade, 328 North Bridge Road
Open: Noon to 2.30pm (Wednesdays to Saturdays), 6 to 9.45pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays)
Info:

butchersblock.com.sg