[CLOSED] Backyard Kitchen

No petit fours here but you end off with this chocolate ganache tartlet with calamansi gel and candied nuts.

If you want a foolproof dessert, then this oozy and not too sweet lava cake is the way to go. It's served with a quenelle of vanilla ice cream on chocolate crumbs plus teenie tiny dots of calamansi gel underneath the microherb.

We thought we got the wrong dish after we heard the server's description, as the only gula Melaka element was a drizzle (we were hoping the brownie-like cakes were gula Melaka based, but were actually chocolatey and fudgey). Saw a post online with coconut gelato, so was surprised to find out this now comes with a dark chocolate gelato.

Ultimately, the hero element of this dessert was chocolate, while pandan played second fiddle (through the cream and powder sprinkled on the meringue sheet) instead of gula Melaka and coconut.

It was too similar to the lava cake profile wise, and had we known, we would have tried the panna cotta with granita instead.

This arrived with the show-stopping crab pasta, so it didn't look as impressive (portion wise), though we're back to the usual fancy schmancy territory.

While the lamb chops were nicely Frenched, I wish they trimmed a wee bit more excess fat or perhaps rendered more. We went with the recommended medium doneness and enjoyed the tender and minimally gamey meat. The slightly tangy tamarind jus might be polarising, but I liked it. If you're not a fan, smear some of the garlic cream instead, and try it with a dab of the curry leaf oil for a herbal tinge. The soft carrots discs, though well cooked, didn't do much for us (just like the carrot powder dusting).

A very creamy and rich crab soup, with added shredded crab-like texture from the fried potato strands (initially they're crunchy but eventually softens). I would have preferred a bit more lime leaf strips added for freshness. The portion is pretty hearty, which may mean that it's hard to finish on your own. Glad my dining partner and I were sharing this and the tuna starter.

This tartare was my favourite dish here and I implore you to order it. With chef Haikal Johari (of one Michelin-starred Alma) at the helm, this was the standard I was hoping to see.

Fresh lean tuna and soft beetroot cubes come tossed in a punchy Thai dressing (think fish sauce, palm sugar, lime and chilli). I loved the smooth avocado purée that offered relief from the heat and the freshness from the crisp green apple slivers. The tomato water rounded up the umami nicely, while the edible yellow flowers had an unexpected anise-y bite.

Eat this on its own or use a saffron rice crisp as a vessel to transport all the goodness, for an added crispy element to tie it all in.