Food

Beast and Butterflies: Fusion Cuisine For Varying Tastes

April 3, 2018

Don’t be fooled by the bar-ish appearance Beast and Butterflies puts up at first, because behind the beautiful bar area, is also restaurant with some impressive fusion offerings. Beast and Butterflies is named for their unique take in menu design. On the one hand, the beast dishes offer powerful and strong flavours for those who prefer it, whilst on the other, butterfly dishes have a more delicate touch with more balanced flavours if you don’t want your taste buds to be assaulted by all that flavour.

The dishes on the menu feature a fusing of western ingredients and cooking techniques with that of the east and a touch of local flavour too!

Tomato Latte ($9)

The dish is reminiscent of a classic Gazpacho and isn’t a soup that’s supposed to be served warm. There’s a little more to the dish than its inspiration offers though, the capsicum foam elevates the dish with a hint of heat while basil pearls keeps things fresh. There are also tiny bacon bits to vary the texture and to add a little savoury tang.

Scallop Carpaccio ($26)

The scallops are definitely a dish on the butterfly spectrum. The scallops here are thinly sliced and tasted really fresh. The seasoning is made with yuzu and sesame oil—it’s a little less intense and thinner that what you would find in the western version of the dish that uses olive oil. It’s also finished with fried shallots for that extra flavour and texture.

Crispy Pork Knuckle (Half $26 / Full $36)

Everyone was excited when this came on the table, and with good reason! The pork is very well done here with a super crispy skin and juicy, flavourful meat. The dish comes with 2 sauces, hoisin and the chef’s very own nam jim sauce which was born from his fascination with Thai food. The nam jim sauce was very well made with a great balance of sweet, sour and umami—it went so well with the pork. In fact, my favourite way of having the dish was to dip the skin in the hoisin sauce and the flesh into the nam jim!

Scallion Soy Barramundi ($28)If you’re looking for something more familiar and homey amidst this menu, this dish would probably be it. The dish is steamed in a clay pot with rice wine which unleashes a fragrant aroma when it arrives on the table. The dish also comes with asparagus, choy sum, shimeji mushrooms and carrots. It’s a good choice for that one friend who’s always on a diet.

Lobster Porridge ($38)

A trip to Beast and Butterflies would not be complete without a taste of their signature Lobster Porridge. Unlike the thick, gooey Cantonese style porridge, this porridge is more akin to the Teochew style with visible rice grains and a clear broth. While the broth tasted very much like a lobster bisque, the texture is lighter thanks to the lack of cream. The bonito flakes also help to elevate the flavour of the dish with a little more umami.

Szechuan Lamb Steak ($38)

This was a very polarising dish at the table, I for one liked it a lot. The lamb wasn’t too gamey, and the Szechuan Sauce was pleasantly spicy. I also loved the sweet potato and coconut mash. It was super smooth and sweet, plus the cranberries on top gave it a nice contrast in flavour. On the other hand, there were others at the table who just weren’t used to the stronger flavours or liked lamb that much.

Yam Brulee ($12)

I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of orh nee (yam paste dessert), which is almost exactly what this is except in brulee form with a crusty layer of burnt sugar on top. The orh nee tasted quite light and was helped along by that burnt sugar on the top to break up the flavour. Judging by the grins and the two whole desserts my fellow Teochew diners at the table consumed, I think it’s safe to say you’re in for a good time if you’re a orh nee connusier.

Chocoholic ($12)

What an aptly named dish! This one is heaven for chocolate lovers such as myself. Featuring a chocolate dome that melts away as warm chocolate sauce is poured over it, the dish is all about chocolate in different forms—from sauce to sponge and paired with bananas and strawberries. It was a bit of a shame that coconut ice cream was used, as I would have preferred vanilla for this. For me, it was a fun and tasty dessert and a great way to round out the experience.

Beast and Butterflies: Facebook | Instagram