Recently, I was invited by PR Communications to this newly established 94-seater contemporary cuisine restaurant which commenced operations on National Day (9th August 2014) this year! This restaurant is operated by some ex-Tao employees and is located at the same mall where Tao was. Tao was at the basement of PoMo at Selegie when it started some 6-7 years ago and apparently it closed down before I got back from China this year. Nevertheless, SET (probably the shortest name for a restaurant I’ve ever written!) is here with a brand new swanky decorated premise with a touch of class, located at the same PoMo mall. The restaurant’s menu are all in sets (that’s where the restaurant name derives from) and customers have the options to choose from a 5-course lunch at $28.80++ or 6-course dinner at $38.80++. Kids can also enjoy at the price of $18.80++ with a lighter menu with the choice of Baked Flounder with Cheese or Roasted Golden Spring Chicken, which I didn’t get to try. But I reckon should be good.
The Executive Chef, Chef Erick Chun, has a strong background in creative culinary and the passion in bringing the best array of tantalizing contemporary cuisine to his customers.
AMBIENCE
Front entrance
Seating lay outPrivate seatingRestaurant lay outAlfresco for those who prefer natural air and chill over a drink. Their beers are really cheap. Do check them out..CutleryThe restaurant’s menu with your choice in each course. However, I got to try everything here!
COLD/SIDE DISHES
My latte was served first. It’s ok for no latte art, extraction is ok as you can tell from the rich crema. Very nice blend from down under. Milk steaming needs some improvement but overall the espresso covers up the flaws.Bacon & Mushroom Gratin – I always love cheesy dishes, so I definitely love this. A great start but I dunno why it’s not on the menu? Hmmm…Toasts from a local bakery to go with your gratin.Lovely combination, almost like soup with the toast except for the thick cheesy cream of the gratin. Love this.Tomato Caprese – A twist from the usual slab of mozzarella cheese, this starter had cream cheese mousse on the top of the slice of tomato which was actually quite light and refreshing!Smoked Duck Breast – Not a big fan of smoked duck breast but serving as a salad is a great appetizing choice, especially with tangy dressing!Salmon Gravlax – Quite a yummy starter, served with a dollop of sour cream (I reckon) on the side.Huai San Carpaccio – A very unique way of presenting a carpaccio using huai san (known as 山药 Shan Yao in China.) Drizzled in olive oil and pickles made in house, this starter is a light but refreshing dish.Grilled King Oyster Mushroom – Comes with 6-Course Set only, this king mushroom is served with a secret sauce which tasted like a tinge of hoi sin sauce and also white truffle cream. Very nice dish.The white truffle cream melts over the mushroom to give a nice aromatic finish to this fungi.
SOUPS
Mushroom Veloute with Peanut Butter – This mushroom veloute is actually mushroom soup with thick cream served with some peanut butter at the bottom of the bowl. The soup itself is already very nice… the peanut butter gives a different finish to the taste. A little more aromatic and creamy finish to it. Interesting.Roaste Pumpkin with Truffle – Very well round soup and usually pumpkin soups are quite hard to go wrong if you follow the basics. I believe the white truffle is what’s floating on top, with some drizzles of olive oil. It is very tasty, but could be better if the pumpkins were roasted with fresh thyme to give the soup an extra oomph!Double Boiled Herbal Chicken – Pretty hard to snap a non-creamy soup like this in the warm lighting, but you get the idea of herbal chicken soups. You don’t get an overpowering herbal taste in this soup, served with chicken chunks inside. The soup tasted like the stock was boiled over hours with bones (chicken and perhaps pork bones too). Great for families with older folks.Miso Soup With Sake – This soup didn’t really appeal to me maybe because I don’t drink sake in the first place. Nevertheless it was alright and you can tell the chef has gone through efforts to come up with creative dishes.
MAIN COURSES
Grilled Snapper With Salsa – I didn’t like this dish very much ‘cos there is a degree of fishiness which I cannot accept and the fish was a under-seasoned and a little over cooked. I believe the guys in the kitchen are already looking into this and make it better the next time you visit.Roasted Chicken Pullet – Interestingly wrapped, I’m guessing steamed to form the shape then roast. Lovely presentation.Inside the Chicken Pullet. Chestnut, mushrooms, herbs, etc. Uniquely done, and very well received by fellow foodies that day.Baby Pork Back Ribs – Deceivingly looks like it’s charred and hard. It’s not. It’s surprisingly tender and tasty cos of the tangy sauce spread over while grilling. If you’re a ribs person, this is for you.Chunk of meat from the ribs. Succulent to the core! Love it!Roasted Beef Tenderloin – In black pepper sauce, Cooked a little over medium so those who are afraid of too much blood would love this.The tenderloin was a little over medium but was alright, still tender and tasty.Marinated Rack of Lamb – Using the same black pepper sauce as the beef tenderloin. But the meat is cooked to perfection, tender, no gamey smell, suspect they are from New Zealand as lamb there is usually milder in smell. But I love this dish the best.So tempted to just eat the lamb racks like that!
DESSERT
Huai San Jello – This jello tasted a little like our local dessert cheng tng in the jelly form. Refreshing and I believe this was created for the older patrons of the restaurant.Huai San Jello up closePistachio Panna Cotta – The cup that the dessert was served in was a little too deep. Different from the regular panna cottas, served on a small plate to display the texture and decorations on the side. Nevertheless it tasted good.Pistachio Panna Cotta up closeEspresso Creme Brulee – Again the serving cup was a little different from the norm. The creme brulee was good, creamy and not so sweet.Espresso Creme Brulee up closePoached Pear With Gelato – The pear and gelato are made totally in house. The pear is a little strong in taste so some patrons may not like it but the gelato is nice and creamy.Chef Erick Chun and me.
OVERALL REVIEW
I must say the food is really creative and is set to trickle your taste buds! Not to mention affordability for classy crafted cuisine! Chef Erick has painstakingly put together a great array of courses to make this SET restaurant unique in its own way! The awesome settings and ambience of the restaurant coupled with excellent attentive service from the servers and manager, will definitely give diners a great dining experience! I was told by some friends while making reservations for a gathering recently, that SET’s staff actually asked her if there is a special occasion and viola! They prepared a cake for the birthday girls! I am definitely coming back to this place for dinner with my family and friends! Come check it out!
