So you like fine-dining food but can’t afford to splurge.
You might want to try Dew by Whitehouse, one of the newest culinary hotspots at Chijmes and the casual offshoot of one-Michelin-starred Whitegrass restaurant. It offers an inspired Euro-Asian menu in a casual welcoming atmosphere.
The vibe here is lively and social, making it an ideal drinking and dining place for after-working gatherings and weekend meetups.
But the most striking thing about Dew is its affordably priced menu – the most expensive dish costs $58.
Look forward to European small plates with an Asian twist, complemented by an extraordinary sake collection consisting of 65 brands, including rare, non-commercial labels and 40 boutique varieties that are hard to find anywhere else in Singapore.
Working closely with general manager Vincent Tan and restaurant manager Wendy Lim, executive chef Takuya Yamashita and sous chef Keita Seino ensure an outstanding dining experience.
A combination of DEW – delicate, exquisite, and wondrous – dishes are executed precisely and passionately by Yamashita and Seino.
Start with Cheese Choux Puffs ($10), pillowy soft choux puffs filled with cheese, or Tomatoes on Stracciatella ($12), a savoury appetiser with cherry tomatoes and microgreens complemented by stracciatella cheese.
The Pink Ocean ($22) is a duo platter that comprises Chef Smoked The Salmon (house-smoked salmon, sweet and sour pickled purple onions and aiyori sauce) and Hamachi On The Way (thinly sliced dehydrated hamachi, also known as Japanese amberjack, with soya sauce, anchovies and black olives).
Another menu item is Prosciutto on Brioche ($15), which combines Whitegrass’ house-baked black sesame brioche with Italian stracciatella, Spanish prosciutto, marinated tomatoes and garlic. With Unagi Meet Tamago ($18), you can enjoy sweet unagi and creamy tamago eggs together.
Other savoury orders include Hokkaido Pearls ($26) of scallop medallions grilled to perfection, and Yuzu Kosho Seaweed Pasta ($20) with salty seaweed and salmon or prosciutto. The ‘R’ IGA Ribeye ($58) is lightly seared so you can have it as is or with a house sauce of red wine jus and Japanese soya sauce or with fresh wasabi.
Do you have room for dessert? ‘D’ Little Kiss Cheesecake ($12) is silky, smooth, and delicately enriched with red wine sauce – perfect with organic Kagoshima Little Kiss Tea Liqueur (extra $8). Another item is Nara Sake Kasu Ice Cream ($8) churned from sake lees from Umenoyado Hanagaki Sake and fragranced with a sprinkling of black pepper top to accentuate the flavours with a spicy edge.
Lunch plans
Set lunches at Dew by Whitehouse start at $28 and come with the day’s salad. You can choose from curated rice bowls such as Shiok! Oji Chick Don comprising Koshihikari rice topped with shio koji marinated chicken.
Guests can also enjoy Swimming Unagi with toasty somen and unagi in a light soya broth sweetened with kelp and Iberico pork, or Italy VS Japan with perfectly al dente udon, a medley of seafood, and an onsen egg. You can add kimchi (extra $3) to intensify the flavours and add a touch of tartness.
Cue Christmas
Yes, there’s a Festive Menu for Two ($180), too. The five-course celebration of flavours is available for a limited time only. It includes Now & Then, a starter of scallops and octopus carpaccio served with caviar, kujo begi, and wasabi dressing, and mains like Xmas Elf, a house-made orecchiette with crispy ham in broccoli sauce, followed by Quack’s Quack, a maple leaf duck dish with yuzu pepper and red wine sauce. Finish with Multiple Stories, a delicate matcha tart with marinated strawberries and cream cheese mousse.
For sake’s sake
The list is long enough for you to want more than one brand or expression. A top pick is Hayakawa Tenkei Junmai Daiginjo 35% from Mie prefecture with notes of florals, fruit, and rice. The 2014 Gold Medal Winner from Mie, Takijiman Junmai Daiginjo 45%, has an elegant aroma of Japanese pear, a smooth texture, a subtle sweetness, and a dry finish.
Then there’s Miyoshikiku Shiro Budou Junmai Ginjo from Tokushima prefecture. Its distinct sweet and citric-sour taste from being brewed with white koji instead of yellow is surprisingly refreshing. With a mouthwatering savoury quality and compatibility with fruit, Tokubetsu Junmai Fuku No Ka is easy to drink and incredibly delicious with food. Tokubetsu Junmai Yume No Kaori, featuring a balance between bright fruit and umami with a hint of floral notes, is created with rice specifically developed for ginjo brewing (premium sake) in Fukushima.
Dew by Whitegrass is at 30 Victoria Street, #01-27A, Chijmes, Singapore 187996.
