I said I will be back, and come back we have! We pretty much ordered everything on the menu for the encore.

Open Farm Community is about sharing – sharing food, sharing experience. The food is rustic but not casual, everything is thought through and nothing is wasted. Local tastes are not introduced just to put the local twist. They have been carefully planned and incorporated to bring added dimensions to the dish.

Starters

Tiberias Golden Snapper Ceviche, buah keluak, ginger flower, puffed barley

This is my favourite among the starters. The unique bush keluak paste is used to bind the ceviche and ginger flower together. It gives that familiar flavour (ginger flower always reminds me of rojak) but yet it is distinctly a ceviche. Great starter.

Local Pekin Duck Rillette, roselle jam, hibiscus, house sourdough

Quan Fa Sweet Corn & Pili Nut Soup, cornmeal flatbread, moringa, chilli oil

Garden Gnudi Pasta, garden cashew pesto, preserved lime, green chilli

Apollo Blue Prawn Aburi, prawn head oil, local soy, passionfruit

House Baked Foccaccia, bread and butter baby!

Mains

Sumatran Crab Tagliolini, homemade pasta, laksa reduction, kaffir lime

We had the pappardelle the last time, but it was paired with prawns. This time, it is served with the real stuff – soft-shell crab tempura. The laksa reduction makes it special once again, but the pasta tasted like mee goreng, i.e. a bit too dry. Nevertheless, a good local twist to an Italian staple.

Tiberias Barramundi, smoked mussel butter, black rice seaweed crumble, crispy skin

The last time we were here, the barramundi wasn’t spectacular. This time,  it was the favourite among all. The crispy skin reminded one of salted-egg salmon skin, except it’s not. It’s a normal crispy sea bass skin and when dipped into the smoked mussel butter transformed into something spectacular. The crispy rice and seaweed crumble added texture to the smooth and flaky fish. It is perfectly balanced dish. Didn’t regret ordering this second time round.

Roasted Anxin Chicken, half bird, green mango salsa verde, hot and sour stock

Anxin chickens are locally researched but raised in Malaysia, antibiotics free, probiotic infused chicken, with “Anxin” meaning “feel safe” in Mandarin. It is a very tender and lean chicken no doubt, but not so sure about whether it’s better than farmed chicken from other sources. The chicken is marinated in a nice sweet and savoury sauce reminding one of ayam pengyet and smoked with pandan . Not sure what the stock does to the over dish except performing the role of an achar (pickle).

Mottainai Lamb, organic spice rub, smoked chilli yoghurt

The lamb slides off the bone, well smoked, well marinated, well cooked. It could be better if only a pickle or chutney is provided with the lamb as the taste can be too monotonous.

Spiced Aubergine, house rendang paste, taro, sweet potato leaf

Never though eggplant can taste like rendang, but it did. This vegetarian dish fools most of us with its texture, and we thought it was lasagna.

And then the sambal was served. It could be better if they have served it with the lamb or the chicken or the fish or right up front.

Sides

Open Farm Community is about sharing everything. The mains are enough for sharing between two persons per dish. The sides are made the same too.

Roasted Broccoli, cured egg yolk, sunflower seed

I enjoyed the roasted cauliflower the last time. This time it’s a change in vegetable and the broccoli tastes just as good.

Butterhead Lettuce, house ranch, spiced cashew, pecorino

Refreshing and much needed greens among the meat dishes, the lettuce is farmed locally (I do my vegetable purchase from Quan Fa too) so the moisture is keep intact.

Oxheart Tomato & Cucumber Salad, Hay Dairies ricotta, basil

This side came as the first appetisers, but it was really nice, with local made ricotta cheese from a local goat farm.

Cauliflower Wings, tamarind miso glaze, sesame

Deep fried cauliflower coated with a miso glaze, delicious.

Desserts

The last time we did not leave any room for dessert. This time, we definitely have to try some, and boy, did we enjoy them!

Singa’Smore, banana tort, tamarind fudge, caramelized sourdough ice cream, five spice

Everything is unique, everything is delicious. The ice cream tastes like cookie dough ice cream, the Smore is made with tamarind fudge but with burnt marshmallow on them. But my favourite was the caramelised local banana.

Roses For Chocolate, roselle jam and sorbet, chocolate mousse & crumble

This is so beautiful no words can describe it. Tang from the roselle jam, dark chocolate mousse and sweetness from the crumble all balance together. Scrapped every bit from the plate.

Lime in the Coconut, calamansi, pandan, coconut semifreddo 

Think bobo char char deconstructed.

The chefs have outdone themselves at Open Farm Community. The food is notch better than last year. It remained affordable with a casual outlook. It would be worthy of a Michelin plate mention, but it’s better to keep good things a secret sometimes, you agree?

Open Farm Community
130E Minden Road
Singapore 248819
Tel : +65 6471 0306

http://www.openfarmcommunity.com/

Date Visited : Jul 2019