NY Verden, Jewel Changi Airport: “Firmly and securely holding its own”

As someone who lives a mere two MRT stops away from the airport, I visit Jewel Changi Airport like it’s my neighbourhood mall. There is, after all, absolutely nothing else at Tanah Merah that’s good for anything other than supper.

When NY Verden popped up in my area, I’d already heard good things about it. But having my own go at it was the only way to discern if it deserved to join the likes of my other Jewel usuals. 

What I tried 

Way ahead of my visit here, my sight was already long set on giving the Smoked Beet Tartare & Burrata (S$28) a go because, well, there’s little that burrata can’t fix—am I right? Almost too beautifully, the beets are salt-baked and smoked, topped with burrata, wild rice puffs, and a marigold leaf while everything sits prettily in a pistachio and cheese emulsion. 

It’s creamy, it’s tart, and it’s rich down to a tee. I’m convinced that slicing the burrata ball open only to watch it spill over and envelop everything in its way, then grab a bite of every element on the plate is the best and perhaps the only way to rightfully savour the dish. It fills you up in a way that an appetiser should, but leaves enough room for you to want more. Which is perfect, seeing how there’s a lot more on the menu where that came from. 

Lunch is interspersed with the chef occasionally popping in and out of the ten-seater private dining room, which now, of course, only seats my dining partner and me, with social distancing and all. You know the drill. He politely sets each dish down ever-so-gingerly, always making sure never to leave the room without first introducing the dish, infallibly listing each element as he goes. 

I order the Hamachi Crudo (S$26) simply because I tend to make a beeline for anything seafood and raw—not the title of my sex tape, hopefully—though today’s presentation of the dish makes me particularly dizzy with excitement. Normally, taking pictures of the food just comes as part of the many facets of the job, but the yellow-and-green polka-dotted dish is practically begging to be photographed. Somebody call me the food paparazzi because I am snapping this crudo like it’s fresh out of a scandal in the year 2000.  

The hamachi is bathed in citrus zest, buttermilk, and Sichuan peppers, and topped with finger lime that pops ever-so-lightly in between bites. The dish goes as quickly as it comes, but the portrait of its plating remains unparalleled. 

Seasoned with yuzu zest, topped with curry leaf snow, and perched in a miso and coconut coulis, the Scallop Carpaccio (S$25) is yet another delicately arranged appetiser on the NY Verden menu. It’s becoming quite apparent that the MO here is thoughtful plating, and even better fare. 

ChopeDeals: Save 25% at NY Verden Bar and Grill >

Again, gather everything in one succinct bite—each component of the plate is, after all, there to play its resolute part, all making sense as they’re coming together just as all good love stories go. What truly does it for me, though, is fried shallots that at first appear unassuming, but go a long way in adding that extra umami crunch this dish really needs. Its texture would’ve been too monotonous otherwise—and we can’t have that, not when the stakes are already this high. 

The Mayura Full Blood Wagyu Tri Tip (S$66) falls under the ‘mains’ segment of the menu and is served as-is. Seven slices atop a very large board make for a little more negative space than I’d like, so the dish is looking just a tad bit bare, especially since every other one before seemed to pull out all the stops. 

But don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, I always say. Every Wagyu slice is a slice to savour here because each melt-in-your-mouth piece is a reason to give thanks—religious or not. 

I always make the same mistake of hyping myself up for any seafood pasta dish on the menu and watch it fall far from the ridiculously high expectations I’ve pegged to it. But I’ve made this bed of disappointment, and now I have to lay in it. It’s got pillows, and duvets, and my sad, sad disgruntled self. Today, unfortunately, we’re back here again. 

The Crab Tagliolini (S$28) at NY Verden seems almost textbook at first—fresh hand-pulled tagliolini twirled together with ikura that’s been smoked over applewood chips and served over a briny lobster bisque. Except, it’s also sprinkled with rosebuds. 

Some might find this iteration a burst of invigoration, a never-before-seen interpretation of the plate. But the clashing floral notes of rose against seafood do absolutely no favours for me today, as I struggle to find grounding amidst divergent flavours. 

Dessert comes in the form of both the Gâteau Au Chocolat (S$18) and Ispahan (S$20). The former sees cake infused with orange zest, mascarpone cheese gelato, complete with coffee tuile that looks like it’s been gently lowered atop. It’s a party of cocoa with a splash of tang, and I am oh-so-here for it. 

The Ispahan, as you may be wondering, is a species of rose, and while its namesake dessert today isn’t shaped like a flower, it’s most definitely as pretty as one. A thin, translucent layer of raspberry jelly skirts the top of a frangipane base, and it’s all sealed with rose mousse and yoghurt crisps. It has everything, yet remains light all at the same time—and that’s how you know the chef’s perfected the essence of dessert. 

Vera’s ‘Chef’s Kiss Award’ 

I’ve never done this before, but today, I’m prepared to hand the awards out to the conceptualising and plating of the dishes—a rather intangible yet defining feature of any restaurant, really. As important as flavour and produce are, feasting with one’s eyes shouldn’t be overlooked either, and that’s on facts. No really, there’s psychology to back it.   

Final thoughts 

If all the fanfare still hasn’t swayed you, NY Verden does free-flow prosecco daily at S$50 from 12pm to 2pm, and again from 6pm to 7pm. Also, just from Monday to Thursday, get S$1 oysters all day when you purchase house pours. One house pour entitles you to a dozen oysters.

NY Verden is for anyone who’s looking for casual drinks with friends, date night on Friday, or just to revel in great fare and the sounds of water cascading from a 40-meter-high rain vortex. It surpasses all other run-of-the-mill offerings at Jewel, firmly and securely holding its own. Jewel’s fortunate to have it as an addition, and any diner would be lucky to have a taste.  

Other articles you might like: 

New in town: Tarik Cafe, Arab St — Hole in the wall cafe serving teh tarik for teh-k away

Mid-Autumn Festival 2021: 20 unique mooncakes to get this year