In this edition of Hot 50 Tables, we dive into Chef Rishi Naleendra's mod-Oz creations at this hidden gem in Telok Ayer
Do you know what I love about working in Telok Ayer? The food. Having previously worked in an industrial estate (that, until recently, featured free-roaming chickens), my first week at The Honeycombers was a culinary adventure. But perhaps, my favourite discovery along this foodie-friendly street so far, has got to be the mod-Oz masterpiece that is Cheek by Jowl.
Helmed by Chef Rishi Naleendra, Cheek by Jowl is one of the purest expressions of mod-Oz cuisine. To put it simply, Cheek by Jowl is to mod-Oz what Humphrey Boggart is to hard-boiled film noir of the ’50s – an essential codifier of the genre, in this case, a cuisine. If you’re struggling to understand the often-ineffable nature of mod-Oz cuisine, make Cheek by Jowl your first stop.
p.s. check out our other Hot 50 Tables picks: Artichoke, and Odette.
The signature dish
As what you’d expect from mod-Oz cuisine – or not expect, for that matter – a meal at Cheek by Jowl is full of surprises. My main attraction? Chef Rishi’s roasted sunchoke dish. I’m not a huge fan of vegetables (which I’m always happy to see relegated to side dishes where I can ignore them accordingly), but I found myself quite taken by his rendition of the roasted sunchokes. Despite being a root, it’s got very little starch, affording a whole world of crunch that’s set off by the smooth, smoked sunchoke sauce and the rich flavour of the shaved beef heart. If you’re looking for a demonstration of Chef Rishi’s signature style, this is it.
But I can’t forget about delightful starters like the warm crab salad either – it’s the sort of dish you get excited about just from the aroma, and it’s hard for adjacent diners not to notice (please sir, go ahead and stare), as the waiter pours the piquant crab broth over generous portions of shredded crab meat right front of you. One up for presentation.
A luxe lunch spot without the stuffiness
My love for Cheek by Jowl is an uncomplicated one – it’s adventurous without being pretentious. You don’t need to dress to the nines, or find a special occasion to eat here, and the dining isn’t so fine that the portion sizes suffer. And, its affordable two- and three-course lunch sets elevate my lunch routine to something quite extraordinary.
In five words…
What’s mod-Oz? Get over here.
Cheek by Jowl, 21 Boon Tat Street, Singapore 069620. p. 6211 1911.