Bonding Kitchen Orchard is Excellent

I had my hopes moderated with this fledgeling restaurant, Bonding Kitchen Orchard Singapore, run by Chef Danny Chew and his wife, Celine.

Every detail at Bonding Kitchen carries an organic human touch. The blue pea flowers are plucked from their own garden, the kaffir lime leaves are finely julienned seconds before garnishing, and the chilli sauces are hand made from scratch. Chef Danny doesn’t even have a name for some of his sauces, which come from his own recipes untouched by commercialised branding.

That’s how Bonding Kitchen became a restaurant along bustling Orchard road, anyway. Before this, they ran a private dining service in their Johor Bahru home. From the get-go, their intense commitment to familial connections is unabashedly clear. Even guests start to feel at home in the Chef’s private kitchen and dining room. They invite him to join them in a drink, and banter becomes bonds. One afternoon, as Chef Danny paints chilli sauce on a dish with an artist’s brushstroke on his masterpiece, a guest compliments him for his immense patience. Except, everything Chef Danny makes, he treats like his masterpiece. The guest goes on to inform him that he should open a restaurant.

The Sotong Masak Hitam (SGD20) speaks to my affinity for tangy flavours. Against a night sky of squid ink, the bright concentrate of tamarind juices is the constellation that guides me back for more. The squid to me was the highlight. Not everyone else agrees though. The tanginess hits all the right notes with me. 7.25/10

The soup itek and tohu were excellent too. 7/10

The cincalok omelette was a home run. 7/10

I was trying to distance myself from the blue pea rice - but to no avail. Had 2 bowls.

This under the radar offering - is really gem in the heart of Orchard. The pork rib rendang was spectacular (usually one would go for the Babi Pongteh) and ayam buah keluak as staples. Decided on the rendang as it’s more of a twist and surprise. This place (to me) beats the resident high-end Nyonya offering (initials VO) hands down.

Passion will have them survive, but tempered with some well-deserved patronage, Bonding Kitchen will thrive.