Wild Rocket @ Hangout Hotel

For some time, I've been wanting to dine at Wild Rocket and also meet up with this bunch of old friends. Today, I'm glad I managed to do both.

Wild Rocket (Hangout Hotel, 10A Upper Wilkie Road, Tel 63399448) is owned by lawyer-turned-chef Willin Low. My curiosity was piqued after watching an interview with Willin, who seemed to show a genuine interest in cooking, rather just being a mercenary who decided to invest in the restaurant business.

The restaurant is tucked away on top of a hill, and is really rather obscure. There is no way one is able to get there on foot, as I discovered much to my dismay. Parking may also pose a problem, as one had to park along the road outside the hotel. Nevertheless, the dining experience is well worth the trek.

The restaurant is tastefully decorated, with sprigs of dried flowers on each table, and a beautiful centrepiece in the middle of the room. The place was full on a Wednesday night, which shows just how popular this place is.

We shared a few starters, and found them all delightful.

The black pepper soft shell crab was interesting. The black pepper sauce was not too spicy, and the soft shell crab was delightfully crisp, with a creamy interior.


We also shared the laksa pesto linguine. It was very interesting, with a strong aroma of the laksa leaf - daun kesom.

We also had a mushroom soup, and red snapper carpaccio. Mushroom soup was creamy and smooth, with little bits of mushroom. The snapper carpaccio was sweet and tasty, thanks to an interesting tangy dressing.

Our mains arrived. DH and I loved our choice of duck confit with mustard sauce and yam cake. The duck had a crisp skin, tender meat and just the right amount of fat to make it melt in your mouth. It was fantastic! We cannot remember having eaten such a perfectly done duck ever. This was the best.

The grilled beef ribeye was well-done, pink in the centre. However, as it wasn't wagyu, it wasn't as tender as I would have preferred.

The other 2 ladies had seared salmon which looked lovely.

We also shared sides of crabmeat mash, and sauteed oriental vegetables. Both were lovely. The mashed potato contained enough bits of shredded crabmeat to alleviate the boredom of chomping down on plain potato.

We shared desserts.

The strawberry cheesecake was served deconstructed in a martini glass. The cheesecake bit was creamy, and yet light. I think it was the non-bake version that I have tried to make before. Then there was bits of biscuit crust, and some berries at the bottom.

The chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream was a good choice too, served warm, with a molten chocolatey centre.

DH's dessert of brownie with brandied cherries and orange zest was a typical choice for him - he loves chocolate and orange, and thinks that it is a great combination. I like my chocolate dark, and without any bits interfering with its taste. Nevertheless, it was lovely, and was definitely a bigger portion than my cheesecake.

Willin is such a lovely gracious person. He came out to personally serve our mains, and stayed to chat for a short while. I'm definitely going back.

Oh! and one more thing, I am very very glad we met up with our group of friends, as one couple had wonderful news to share! I am so excited for them, and wish them all the very best.