Ding Dong’s mod-Asian cuisine takes diners across Southeast Asia with its new “Not So Lonely Planet” lunch set menu, an evolution of its cocktail line-up of the same name, which the restaurant launched last year. The eclectic space, plastered with multi-hued posters on its walls, took drinkers on a globetrotting adventure via boozy concoctions inspired by the cultures and cuisines of Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, and the Philippines, and now that same concept has seeped into the food as well.
Influenced by Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand, the $31 weekday afternoon set launches tomorrow and allows you to choose any three dishes across the countries, with an additional $8 for a mocktail.
From the land of tom yum and green curry, chef Miller Mai has prepped two entirely different dishes: Krabi crab and peek kai yad sai. The first is a zesty, refreshing, almost bite-sized dollop of blue swimmer crab salad peeking out through an umbrella of lychee and coconut gelée, while the latter is a sticky and sweet boneless chicken wing stuffed with corn and drenched in a peanut palm sugar glaze. Naturally, Thai green tea is the main ingredient of the mocktail, with splashes of Earl Grey and coconut juice mixed in to form Siam Dreams.
Closer to home, Malaysia’s Muar otah, interestingly described as “seafood custard” on the menu, gives the spicy fish paste a little crunch with crispy fish skin toppings.
And just like traditional Sarawak laksa, the rendition here uses rice vermicelli, with tiger prawns and a separate container of broth so you can pour as much as you want into the bowl. Drinks-wise, the Suan Mei Tang is a familiar mix of sour plum and calamansi, with orange tincture.
Meanwhile, from Myanmar, Burmese tofu (a silky creation made of chickpeas) is done in-house and served with slivers of beef jerky on a bed of chili garlic sauce. For something a tad heartier, try the tomato fish curry, a prettily plated dish of poached cod loin, pickled shallot, and grilled tomato in a light broth that could be nicely mopped up with Thai rice ($1) or jasmine brown rice ($2), should you feel the need to top up the small plates with a helping of carbs. All that pairs with a Chesube drink of elderflower, lemongrass, and honey.
FIND IT:
Ding Dong is at 115 Amoy St.
6557-0189. Mon-Sat noon-3pm, 6pm-midnight.
MRT: Tanjong Pagar/Telok Ayer
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