[CLOSED] Thirteen Hectares of Nutmeg

This was #squid lightly poached in whey, roasted red #peppers, Okinawan Spinach and #yoghurt. This dish was pretty sublime, showcasing a great balance of flavours and textures. The roasted peppers were subtly sweet and contrasted well with the savoury squid, slight bitterness of the spinach and the creamy yoghurt. As Sally pointed out, the colors of the Italian flag on a plate....haha

One thing's for sure at this new bistro-bar by Melbourne chef John-Paul Fiechtner — you won't know what you're eating till you get there, but chances are it'll be creative and tasty. The menu changes daily, depending on what catches his fancy at the local market. The Burpple community has been raving about the Corn, Prawn Head Butter & Croissant ($16), which sees grilled baby corn drizzled with the most umami-tasting prawn head butter, served with an amazingly flaky croissant to mop it up with. We also loved the Liver, White Peach, Cherries, Flowers ($22) — especially how the slight crunch of the peach and the tang of the cherries complemented the silky smooth liver. On top of this, the wines are great and the service is warm and friendly. We can't think of a better way to spend a night out with fellow food lovers!
Avg Price: $80 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Fiona Ting

This chicken liver dish was so lovely. Silky smooth, it was really nicely paired with the slight crunch of the peach and tang of the cherries. We had a fun night trying almost every dish on the menu, and two bottles of wine. The wines are great, as is the easy, friendly service! The menu was intriguing, and I loved this and the first dish of croissant with baby corn and prawn head butter (OMG) the most. The other dishes were good, but not all super successful, which is really understandable considering the experimental nature chef has taken with changing the menu everyday. All in all, it was very enjoyable and interesting, and you could really feel the heart behind the food. Chef seems to really embrace being in Singapore and using local ingredients when he can. Give these guys a try, but remember to come with an open mind and you'll have a fun meal for sure.

Casually entwined like an advanced game of Twister were shavings of radish and green apple twirled in sunchoke custard. A kiss of coriander seed sealed the deal. Gently refreshing with a light crisp bite, this creation was a strong contrast to the "Corn in Prawn Head Butter with Croissant" that was served at the same time.
Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better commencement to our meal than with this duo of dishes.

Satiating on all levels.
Our plate was wiped clean within minutes, easily my favourite course of the night, and this gets my vote to remain on their menu, hopefully, for many more months to come 🙋🏻 Barely a month into their opening and already, @thirteenduxtonhill is impressing with bold flavours, welcoming ambience and out-the-roof fantastic service (thanks Sally @humblesommelier!). Will definitely be back to witness more adventurous offerings from Chef @chefjpf.
16bucks/serve
#FTrecommends

When it comes to steak, I tend to go into caveman mode. Keep it simple with a sprinkle of sea salt and I'm sold. However, this style of preparation I had at one-month-old Thirteen Duxton Hill which involves, anchovy, broccoli and whole toasted hazelnuts, was strikingly delicious.
I enjoyed the counterpoise the "green-ness" of the vegetable (sparked with lemon juice) played to the richness of the flank steak and smooth, savoury sauce. Loved the textural excitement and aroma the hazelnuts brought to the dish as well - that rounded things off beautifully in my opinion.
Thirteen Duxton Hill is about a month old and the lovely couple behind it are Chef JP and Sally who were the co-owners and founders of Lume in Melbourne. They are super down-to-earth, friendly and easy to chat with. As his title suggests, Chef JP does the cooking (and hopefully, baking in the future) with the help of his sous chef Roland while his partner, Sally, who's a sommelier, doubles up as the general manager. The casually elegant restaurant is situated at the top of Duxton Road, occupying the last unit along the row of shophouses.
Their menus are handwritten not just for the sake of being charming (which it is) but because what they serve that day is dependent on what Chef finds at the market in the morning. How exciting is that. Definitely the kind of place I'll want to return again and again.