The Wood Restaurant, tucked cosily at one corner on the ground floor of Vivocity, was set up by consulting chef, Jake Klein, from the USA.
Jake grew up in the company of food experts. Under the nurturing of his mother, a food critic and publicist, he learnt the importance of using quality ingredients and an appreciation of the tastes of the different regions. His stepfather, Steven Raichlen, is the author of The Barbecue Bible and creator of Barbecue University.
Jake once said, “My food is a photo album of my travels – a way to bring to life the aromas and the tastes. I can’t deliver the crowded streets, or the ryokan, or other parts of the experience, but I can give you the flavours.”
After reading his comment, I became very curious about the flavours created by Chef Jake Klein. This led to our decision to celebrate our last wedding anniversary at The Wood. The restaurant has an interesting tagline 'Cuisine Flamed by the Forest'. True to its claim, the food it served was redolent of the woody flavour of the forest.
For the promotional price of $75 per person, the Chef's tasting menu included an appetizer, salad, soup, 2 main courses and dessert. Complimentary coffee and tea is included.
We were impressed by the Grilled Baby Abalone served on a bed of fresh greens with a drizzle of piquant dressing. The abalone was chewy but, happily, not torturously rubbery.
The main dishes were outstanding. The Grilled Magret Duck Breast was tender and gamy with a slight overtone of wood; the Black Cod had the right firmness; and the Ribeye was done to perfection - charred on the outside but juicy inside, just the way a good steak should be.
My favourite dish was, hands down, the Magret Duck Breast. Magret refers to the breast meat from a mallard or Barbary duck, which are large and have a much thinner layer of fat compared to the Peking or other species of ducks. Mallard and Barbary ducks are specially raised for foie gras, and are highly sought after for the quality of their texture. The chef's expert rendering did great justice to the dish.
The Wood's black cod, caught from the icy waters of Southern Chile, are air flown to Singapore. Black Cod flesh has large velvety flakes with a sweet, rich flavour due to its high content of Omega 3. When grilled properly, its meat gives off a special nutty flavour. Because of its flaky texture, it is one of the most challenging fish to cook as it has the tendency to break up if not handled expertly. One bite was all it took to convince me that the Chef had prepared it well.
I decided on the Ribeye steak as I know for a fact that the ribeye is well suited to dry heat cooking because of its extra fats. The ribeye, from the rib section, is also far more tender, fattier and flavourful than other cuts. However, over-cooking can make the ribeye meat tough. As such, I ordered mine 'medium' instead of my usual 'medium rare', just to put the Chef to the test. I was not disappointed with the result.
Although the Sri Lankan crab salad was not as remarkable as the welcome drink, these were minor let downs considering the exquisite flavours of the other dishes particularly, the 3 main courses.
The Wood Restaurant & Bar
#01-53 Vivocity
1 Harbourfront Centre Walk
Tel: 63759663
Jake grew up in the company of food experts. Under the nurturing of his mother, a food critic and publicist, he learnt the importance of using quality ingredients and an appreciation of the tastes of the different regions. His stepfather, Steven Raichlen, is the author of The Barbecue Bible and creator of Barbecue University.
Jake once said, “My food is a photo album of my travels – a way to bring to life the aromas and the tastes. I can’t deliver the crowded streets, or the ryokan, or other parts of the experience, but I can give you the flavours.”
After reading his comment, I became very curious about the flavours created by Chef Jake Klein. This led to our decision to celebrate our last wedding anniversary at The Wood. The restaurant has an interesting tagline 'Cuisine Flamed by the Forest'. True to its claim, the food it served was redolent of the woody flavour of the forest.
For the promotional price of $75 per person, the Chef's tasting menu included an appetizer, salad, soup, 2 main courses and dessert. Complimentary coffee and tea is included.
 |
| Grilled baby abalone |
We were impressed by the Grilled Baby Abalone served on a bed of fresh greens with a drizzle of piquant dressing. The abalone was chewy but, happily, not torturously rubbery.
The main dishes were outstanding. The Grilled Magret Duck Breast was tender and gamy with a slight overtone of wood; the Black Cod had the right firmness; and the Ribeye was done to perfection - charred on the outside but juicy inside, just the way a good steak should be.
 |
| Grilled Magret duck breast |
My favourite dish was, hands down, the Magret Duck Breast. Magret refers to the breast meat from a mallard or Barbary duck, which are large and have a much thinner layer of fat compared to the Peking or other species of ducks. Mallard and Barbary ducks are specially raised for foie gras, and are highly sought after for the quality of their texture. The chef's expert rendering did great justice to the dish.
 |
| Black Cod |
The Wood's black cod, caught from the icy waters of Southern Chile, are air flown to Singapore. Black Cod flesh has large velvety flakes with a sweet, rich flavour due to its high content of Omega 3. When grilled properly, its meat gives off a special nutty flavour. Because of its flaky texture, it is one of the most challenging fish to cook as it has the tendency to break up if not handled expertly. One bite was all it took to convince me that the Chef had prepared it well.
 |
| Ribeye steak |
I decided on the Ribeye steak as I know for a fact that the ribeye is well suited to dry heat cooking because of its extra fats. The ribeye, from the rib section, is also far more tender, fattier and flavourful than other cuts. However, over-cooking can make the ribeye meat tough. As such, I ordered mine 'medium' instead of my usual 'medium rare', just to put the Chef to the test. I was not disappointed with the result.
Although the Sri Lankan crab salad was not as remarkable as the welcome drink, these were minor let downs considering the exquisite flavours of the other dishes particularly, the 3 main courses.
The Wood Restaurant & Bar
#01-53 Vivocity
1 Harbourfront Centre Walk
Tel: 63759663
Ambiance: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Food: 6.75/10
Service: 7/10
Food: 6.75/10
Pricing: $$$$
Recommended dishes: Magret Duck Breast, Black Cod, Ribeye Steak
Recommended dishes: Magret Duck Breast, Black Cod, Ribeye Steak
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