Skyve Elementary Bistro & Bar

I miss school. I can never forget my time in school, and one of the best moments is definitely the recess time. I remembered in my primary school canteen, there was a 50-cent wanton noodles and 70-cent nasi lemak which I really like. But well, I guess kids nowadays are paying more for their canteen food.

The charm of Skyve Elementary Bistro & Bar lies in its adaptation to its old school surroundings in Winstedt Road, a small road near Newton Circus. Located in the former Monk’s Hill Secondary School, the restaurant has incorporated school elements into its concept: paper placements, woonden benches, rocking chairs, mosaic tables… A friend of mine who studied at Monk’s Hill told me that Skyve’s location is the exact same location as the school’s canteen. 

The owners of this place previously owned Table 66 but they moved to a bigger location and caters more of a casual dining experience, adding a brunch menu and a bar which was previously absent at Table 66. 

Our lunch started with Oyster “Skyvefella” ($30- 1/2 dozen, $56- 1 dozen). These oysters came from Coffin Bay Australia. which was accompanied wiht chives sayce, iberico ham and parmesan biscuit. Yes, the oysters were fresh.

I enjoyed Skyve Seared Beef Tartare ($22) which came with truffle miso infused creamy egg yolk and chopped spring onion. The beef was slightly seared at the top, perfect for beef lovers who don’t prefer it to be too raw. What you have to do is to mix the beef tartare with egg yolk and spring onions, don’t forget the light wasabi mayo at the side, then pair it with the crispy crouton, gives you a burst of flavours!

Chef Vincent Teng is very famous for his sous-vide cooking method and this can be seen in many of the dishes in this restaurant. One of them is the Sous Vide Egg Benedict ($12), which is a favourite in Table 66.

 Sous-vide is a modern cooking method where food is sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath, at an accurately determined temperature for a long time. The purpose of it is to cook the food evenly, not overcook the outside while still keeping the inside at the same ‘doneness’ and to keep the food juicier. 

Chef Teng said the benedict is cooked at 62.5 degrees over 50 minutes. I exclaimed:”Wah, 62.5 degrees, must be so precise ah!” Chef Teng nodded and said any one degree difference will change the texture of the egg. The golden runny soft poached egg was seated atop of grilled portobello, drizzled with gratinated truffle hollandaise and accompanied with iberico ham, spinach salad and confit of cherry tomato. I am impressed.

 

I thought the Egg Benedict was a winner already. But when Sous Vide Spring Chicken ($32) came, I changed my mind. Perhaps it was my love for numbers, the first question I asked Chef was,”So what temperature and how long this time?” I thought he won’t be able to remember so many numbers, but I was shocked when he replied so quickly,”75 degress calsius for 3 hours.” Ok, Chef is also a mathematician!

This spring chicken was amazing! Well marinated with lemon myrtle spice, sous vide and grilled to prefection. The meat had fall-off-the-bone tender and moist, while retaining the flavour of the chicken. Accompanied by cream corn & brocollini, and drizzled with chicken jus reduction, what more can I ask?

Happiness is when there are so much good food in a meal! This is one of the BEST Confit of Duck Leg ($34) I had tasted. The skin was golden and crispy, and the meat can be easily removed from the bone. The duck leg came with maple caramelised seasonal root vegetables, a uniquely sweet side dish.

If this is too much meat for you, Skyve also offers vegetarian options. The Vegetarian Beet Burger ($30) is made with beef patty, melted aged cheddar cheese, lettuce, gherkins and sliced tomatoes. The patty has the same chewiness as normal meat patty, but it was sweeter and had a smoked aroma. It was served with truffle fries.

The Ricotta Hotcakes ($12) were light and fluffy. It comes with caramelized almond flakes and passionfruit butter, which is not my to my liking. I still prefer the traditional maple syrup and butter. Just plain and simple.

Last but not least, the Homemade Maple Ice Cream ($12) in between two old school wafers. It comes with caramelized apple infused with cinnamon and fleur de sel.

Skyve runs from 8.30am to 8pm on weekdays without any break in between. So if you feel like skyving having a break from work,  they have half pints Hoegaarden and Stella Artois on tap at $5 and 1-for-1 housepour wines and champagne by the glass, featuring 3 types of red and white housepours from $12 per glass.