Tasty Oyster Pasta, So-So Posh Chicken Rice At 63 Restaurant
The sleek copper-clad 63 restaurant In Paragon offers elegant versions of familiar comfort food. (A version of this story first appeared in Issue 1389, June 1, 2017.)
Tucked away on the fourth floor of Paragon Shopping Centre, this stylish restaurant is owned by the same man behind watering hole and mod small plates restaurant, 63Celsius, at Asia Square. Simply christened 63 now (the name inspired by the temperature for sous vide eggs), the copper-clad diner boasts a new menu from its CBD outlet. The food here is a mix of the owner's favourite comfort food, prepared elegantly. So you’ll find chicken rice and top-grade Japanese Toriyama beef sitting side-by-side on the menu.
The sleek copper-clad 63 restaurant In Paragon offers elegant versions of familiar comfort food. (A version of this story first appeared in Issue 1389, June 1, 2017.)
63 Chicken Rice, $18
63’s interpretation of this hawker fave features thick slices of kampong chicken thigh that’s cooked sous vide in a house-made soy sauce blend. They're tender and juicy, and the long-grain Thai jasmine rice boiled in chicken stock is fragrant enough, but lacks a certain depth of flavour. Likewise, the chilli sauce could’ve been more robustly flavoured. Overall decent, though.
Toriyama Japanese Striploin, $60 for 150g (8 DAYS PICK!)
This heifer did not die in vain. The three sexily marbled medallions of A4-grade wagyu from Japan are petite, but go a long way. Lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and finished off in a Josper charcoal oven for an alluring smoky flavour, the beef is unctuously creamy and almost melts like a meaty custard in the mouth. Served with a pinch of kosher salt, freshly grated wasabi, a refreshing yuzu soy dip and crunchy baby gem lettuce to cut through all that richness.
Prawns & Oysters, $25 (8 DAYS PICK!)
An odd mishmash dish that is the owner's go-to hangover cure. And we can see why. Fat ribbons of linguini are tossed in a heady mix of kombu (kelp), garlic, lemon, chilli padi and tiger prawns. Fresh Japanese oysters are thrown in at the last minute and par-cooked so they’re still juicy. A sunny side up egg crowns the pasta. Spicy, salty and zingy with the brininess of the ocean from the oysters, this dish hits all the right spots.
Wagyu Hotdog, $22
This upgraded version of your average American hot dog sounds good on paper. However, the wagyu sausage is too stiff and almost bland beneath a fairly tasty blanket of Bolognese sauce spiked with balsamic vinegar and grated manchego cheese. The best thing here is the potato bun, baked in-house from a mixture of pan-fried and mashed Yukon Gold potatoes. It’s soft and pillowy with just the right amount of chewiness.
Flat White, $5.50
Fans of 63Celsius’s specialty coffee can enjoy the same cuppas here, made from beans sourced from Auckland and independent roasters all over Singapore. This Flat White was excellent the first time we had it: chocolatey and robust, but sadly insipid the second time when it was made by a different barista.
#04-09 Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd, Tel: 6100-6363. Open daily 9am–10pm. Last orders 30 mins before closing. www.63celsius.com
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