“Affordable Gastronomy”
Gastrosmiths offers really unique and special fare inspired from all around the world, introducing fusions from different cuisines adapted from many aspects of worldwide culinary styles.
Their adorable, relaxed interior offers a laid-back atmosphere for one to dine in a casual setting, albeit offering higher-end quality food as a compliment.
With such intricate urban detail and thoughtful effort put into the ingenious creations of their globally-inspired cuisine, Gastrosmiths didn’t fail to surprise and deliver with their innovative menu and quality cuisine.
Already starting off with a feast of innovative creations, we were delighted to try their unique concoctions of appetisers such as foie gras ngoh hiang, bone marrow on toast, romesco salad, and caramelised french brie.
A interesting spin on the famous local snack, the richness of the foie gras ngoh hiang ($16) was subdued by the slightly sour sherry plum sauce on the side, which proved to be a good compliment. It was still a little too overpowering for my palate though, where I would personally prefer something lighter for an appetiser.
Seth: I love anything foie gras, so this hit the spot for me.
Caramelised french brie ($11). I liked the mix of smooth creamy brie cheese with caramelised sugar on top; slightly salted topping, creme brûlée style. Individually this would fare well as a light snack with tea or coffee, but not exactly as a meal appetizer though as the sweetness doesn’t really match the savoriness of the other items served.
Bone marrow on toast ($13). An indulgent taste of rich collagen flavours, the soft, melt-in-your-mouth bone marrow goes quite well with their pickled mustard seed. It added a sour pop of zest into the rather rich coat of fat-like jelly marrow, which i liked. Their bone marrow was still pretty light and was an interesting choice to try.
The Romesco Salad ($12) after the bone marrow was then the refreshing save, with crisp baked parmesan slices to top it off. Very suitable for vegetarian or vegetable lovers, the hazelnut and red pepper blend is light but carries subtle notes of a nutty flavour.
Not-so-humble eggs ($8.50). Cooked sous-vide at precisely 63 degrees, the name is coined perfectly, where this simple egg dish is certainly not one to be belittled. A clever blend of the saltier jamon serrano (spanish ham) with perfectly cooked eggs with toast, this dish is definitely one you should try.
With generous servings of the ham alongside the eggs, we felt that this dish was certainly worth its value, both in taste and portion.
Seth: Probably my favorite appetizer here.
Hanger Steak; 200g ($27). Served with mashed potato puree, herb salad and pickled mustard seeds. Prized for its flavour, the hanger (or onglet; french) steak is a special cut from the diaphragm. Offering a more affordable but flavorful option from your classic cuts of ribeye and striploin, the hanger steak is one to leave you hung up on.
Gastrosmith did a great job on the preparation of the cut, leaving it tender but still retaining a firm, lean bite. It was flavourful and has a slight hint of iron in it, characterised by the cut of the steak. Overall, a interesting yet delectable twist, characteristic of Gastrosmith’s uniquely creative cuisine.
Cod Mee Sua ($24). With a thick slice of succulent cod topping the wet and creamy mee sua, this is another example of the unique localized twists from gastrosmith’s globally inspired cuisine.
With their different spins on original local delights, I really loved and appreciated the whole concept of it all. The mee sua is first flash fried in cod oil, to retain a certain crisp to it. However, this dish wasn’t as impressive as we hoped, with slightly overpowering flavours of samba puree, which was a little too salty for my liking.
If there was a dish here that stood out the most, it would be the Hokubee Rib Eye Don ($28.50). Up till now, I am still unable to forget the intense umami flavours of the dish, where everything came together ever so seamlessly. Gastrosmith seemingly perfected this dish, even to the smallest detail of the moistness of the rice. With a flavourful japanese seasoning mix, topped off with that 63 degree perfectly soft boiled egg and super juicy, marbled rib eye, this dish would be a definite must try.
Also, with such a generous serving of fatty ribeye, the value is almost unparalleled. Hokubee beef is engineered to taste similarly to kobe beef, where fat is reinjected into the beef to obtain that juicy marbled effect we are so in love with. Don’t be alarmed, its just as safe to eat as per your normal beef. I assure you, once you take a bite into the Hokubee, you’re sure to be a converted fan.
Seth: This is definitely my favorite main course dish in Gastrosmiths – very worth the value.
Lychee Ice ($11.50). A great ending to the decadent feast we indulged in, this refreshing dessert is one of our favourites here. They painstakingly hand scoop the ice to create this crushed ice granita, to top it off with lemon tea jelly and lychee and pineapple slices (real fruit!) on the side. It offered pops of strong zesty citrus flavours, to cleanse our tastebuds and to end the meal of a light note.
Valrhona lava cake ($15.50). Not a big fan of overly indulgent heavy desserts, this just didn’t sit well with me. Perhaps many others might love it though, if you’re a hardcore lover of molten lava cakes oozing out with rich, dark chocolate. The side serving of vanilla bean ice cream helped to counteract a little of the richness, but it was still too overpowering for me.
Shoyu Caramel Latte ($5). The name caught my eye and we just had to try this special coffee which blends the light shoyu saltiness with the sweetness of caramel. This creation was supposedly an accident where shoyu was added instead of caramel, but turned out to be pretty brilliant and well balanced- I urge anyone who visits Gastrosmiths to give it a try.
Overall, I really liked the whole unique concept Gastrosmiths has to offer, and I’m sure no other place in town can replicate the stroke of ingenuity that they have to offer. Their special innovations offer a of home, untouched by the usual mass commercialised fare we are so used to having.
Although with a few hits and misses, I would definitely come back to try more of the chef’s home grown creations at reasonable prices, with their hokubee rib eye at the top of my list. Also, Chef mentioned that their menu would be constantly changing, so be sure to return once in a while for new specials! Don’t forget the Hokubee rib eye don. Just don’t.
Expected Damage: $22 – $38 per pax
