Westgate has hit again. After Eggs & Berries the last round, cooler restaurants have sprouted in this mall far far far away from my home.
No seriously, why else would you go to Westgate unless you stay in the West?
Simple. This mall is up-and-coming, mark my words. I have only been there twice (for food tastings, or else there will never be a reason for me to be there), and although the first time I was there I did not manage to check out the mall properly because /I was late/, I managed to check it out more thoroughly this time.
Save the earth guys! Apparently the open air concept is in. The mall has some cool shit ventilations that are pretty chilly even though there wasn't any aircons installed in the open space. Or maybe... it rained a little that evening. Oh well.
As you can see from the photos above, I've been invited to SYNC, a modern Korean cuisine restaurant serving your favorite Korean food with a twist. It is a collaboration with Samsung, and is located on level 3 above the Samsung store.
I was pleased as hell at the invitation, because come on, I've been back from Korea for two months and I miss my rice cakes!!!!
Before we move on to the food, let us all take a second to admire the decor. The lighting made me feel like I was SNSD filming their Galaxy Supernova music video. Lol I kid. SNSD has nicer legs than me for sure.
And guess what? There is even a small corner for games and TV, to sit back, relax and watch your Korean dramas. Mom, can I move in here already?
(I spent half the time trying to figure how to use the controller though. Sorry Samsung, but I really love Apple more.)
First dish of the night:
Kimchi Cheese Fries: $8
No way. Kimchi and cheese fries cannot possibly go so well together. Fusion to the next level indeed. A refreshing twist that made the fries irresistible. I could not stop eating (sorry tummy). Ultimate yums.
Korean Chicken Wings: $12 (for 8 pieces)
This was pretty simple though. The sauce was very Korean-like, but the chicken was not as crispy as I would've liked it to be.
Toppoki with Fried Bacon and Egg: new item, price tbc
So honoured to be able to try one of their newest dishes. I was addicted to this the whole night. Kept coming back to this even though other food was served. Fried bacon bits be the bane of my existence. Ditto for the egg. Slice it into half with a knife - cue egg yolk flowing out. 좋아! (I like!) This is a must try, very delish!
Bibimbap: $15
Again, love the egg. But the sauce was quite overwhelming after mixing, and there was a bit too much vegetables.
Jap Chae: $12
I guess there is no English name for this since even the restaurant calls this "Jap chae" (romanised), pronounced "Jarp chae". I had this in Korea while on exchange, and this can compete with the authentic Korean ones. Must try!
K-pot Stew: $16
In Korea, they call it "budae jjigae", which means army stew. Basically, there is a mix of sausages, noodles, dumplings, meat and rice cakes, and they are stewed together with a spicy soup. A Korean delicacy. My only grouch was that they did not serve it Korean style, where there would normally be a fire underneath to keep the broth frothing, so that it will not thicken into a paste. This turned cold quickly, so if you do order, do eat it while it is hot :)
Drinks of the night. I shall remind you guys that their house specials are mostly alcohol-based, using Korean favourites like soju. Oh man, I love Korea but I really hate soju. Hahaha.
White Chocolate Taro Lava Cake (served with ice cream): $10
Crazily in love with this. Oh my god, this is heaven, I'm not even kidding. I will go down to Westgate just for this. The lava cake just melts in your mouth. And I'm not even a fan of taro.
Matcha Lava Cake (served with ice cream): $10
Not a fan of green tea (you guys MUST know by now), but this is as good as the taro one. Jem can vouch for it. Matcha lovers would love this.
Hotteok with Walnuts, dressed in Cinnamon (served with ice cream) - new item, price tbc
The "pat" (red bean) on top of the pancake-like dessert is a winner. By the end of the meal I was already stuffed, but I still thought this was spiffing. Not to be missed!
Living in Korea for 5 months has undoubtedly made my expectations of Korean food rocket-high, but that doesn't mean I don't see effort or give credit where I deem fit. Singapore's Korean food and restaurants are nothing compared to the quality of Korean food in Korea (you don't say), but I would say this little bistro is testing waters. There is potential and room for improvement as the chefs are always trying to launch new dishes as often as possible, so I would say this is a good start.
Swing by when you have the time, it's worth a meal.
SYNC Korean Fusion Bistro (powered by Samsung)
@ Westgate
3 Gateway Drive #03-01/01A
Singapore 608532
Tel: 63699913
Opening hours: 11.00am to 11.00pm (sun - thur), 11.00am to 12 midnight (fri, sat)
Photo credits to Jem.
xoxo,
G.
Nice post!
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