All That Duck at Umami Table's October Menu

We gathered for dinner at private kitchen Umami Table. It was a happy night. We hadn't met like this for a meal as a group in a while. It has been too long, dearest friends. This dinner wouldn’t have happened if not for J who randomly and insistently got this date months ago and made sure all of us turned up. Heh.

I almost keeled over when I realized that Umami Table is run by Umami Boy, a.ka. Chef Will Chng. He got his start in mala (麻辣) sauces. I CANNOT DEAL WITH MALA! Friends assured me that he doesn't do it fiery in his catering plates. It's more XO sauce than mala per se. I triple-checked his recent menus to be reassured that he doesn't go sprinkle-happy with Sichuan peppercorn in his menu tonight.

Luckily for me, the dinner menu has such minimal bit of mala and peppercorn that it was negligible. No numbing feeling arose. Although I wouldn't have minded a bottle of Umami XO sauce, but he's out of it tonight. Another time then. 

Dinner began with a lot of love and laughter. We started with a crab meat chawanmushi, and a cured hamachi with yuzu-Sichuan vinaigrette, jellyfish and pickled apple. The aka ebi with lard stewed glass noodles, hae bi hiam and fried shallots was truly a umami bomb. It was ridiculously delicious.

I honestly wouldn't have minded a second bowl of that Drunken Chicken Broth with Yunnan matsutake, danggui and aged Shaoxing. Mmmmmm. Gosh, what a beautiful soup! I would have taken an antihistamine for tonight's dinner, but I have been on it for the past three days, so not a problem. Chinese soups with strange herbs and shellfish always do me in. 

Then we got to the mains. There was a crispy scale red grouper with fermented black bean, essence of clams and smoked chilli oil. The octopus with Umami Boy XO sauce, garlic puree and corn was unexpectedly tender and delicious. 

The last main and meat of duck were finale to the meal and to me, the stars of the meal. The 7-days aged 'Zhang Tea Smoked Duck' was served with a cup of broth, and a bowl of rice. That was termed as 'Shanghai Duck Cai Fan' with cured duck leg, duck fat and Shanghai greens. OMG. The rice was soooo good. I asked for a second bowl (no shame whatsoever), and finished up half of the man's bowl because he couldn't take this much carbs. Wheeeeee.

Dessert was interesting but I guess I could skip it. Not my favorite thing. It's 'Sweet Fermented Rice Wine' (Jiu Niang / 酒釀) with lychee, snow bird nest and candied osmanthus. Dessert for me was all that sake and the lovely Château Pape Clément Pessac-Léognan 1987 Grand Cru Classé de Graves.