District 10 - Intense Flavours With A Sweet Finish

District 10
Suntec City Mall
Central, Singapore
September 2015

Merlion Wayfarer had the opportunity to sample a full-course Italian meal at District 10 recently.

Antipasto - Prosciutto de Parma

Prosciutto is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked, it is often served as an antipasto before the meal, or the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal. Made from the hind leg of a pig (i.e. the ham), the quality of a Prosciutto cut is determined by its curing process. The outside of the ham is usually rubbed with just salt and sometimes a mix of spices. This draws out moisture and concentrates the flavor while the ham slowly air-dries (very much like dry-aged beef). This process can take anywhere from a few months to a several years depending on the desired result. 

District 10 serves the Prosciutto de Parma uncooked on a platter, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and fragrant toasted bread. The quality of the ham is evident is evident from its sweet after-taste and the tendereness of the meat. The premium sea salt used in the curing process adds to the richness of the flavour.

Primo - Pappardelle With Duck Ragout

Pappardelle are large, very broad, flat pasta noodles, similar to wide fettuccine or local kway teow. The name derives from the verb "pappare", to gobble up. Served with tender duck meat slow-cooked over a low heat in a Napoletano tomato sauce. This was the first time Merlion Wayfarer ate duck pasta. The tomato paste was not overpowering and the slowcooking made for the tenderness of the duck meat.

Secondo
Grilled Black Angus Ribs with Rosemary Sea Salt & Rosemary Glaze

This was the first time that Merlion Wayfarer ever heard of the term "dry age". In fact, she did not even know how to spell it. So naturally, she was wowed by the new way of processing meat.

The cuts chilled in the fridge -
a complicated apparatus looking like the carbonite freezer for Han Solo from Star Wars...

Each cut was carefully labelled in neat handwriting to denote the type of meat...

The special meat chiller was specially imported in from Italy at a cost of S$22,000. Air flow, humidity, and temperature is carefully controlled, allowing the meat enzymes to break down the muscle fibers, improving tenderness, until the flavours in the meat are immensely  intensified. Meat that is aged is described with flavours as "rich", "nutty", "decadently tender", and "beefier" than non-aged meats.

That's how "raw" the ribs look when it's first sawed off the block.

The wonder of dry-aging is that there is no blood in the cut even after removing from the chiller...

The charcoal in the oven are imported all the way from Japan. Grilled over the custom-made oven,

the chef expertly sprinkles the sea salt over and raises the grill to have greater control over the fire...

The end result is beef with its flavours locked in over the dry-aging process, and saturated with intense, full-bodied richness. The dry-aging process creates beef so rich that often, only minimal seasoning is required.

Contorno - Beef Skin

The Contorno, a side dish commonly served alongside a Secondo. was beef skin. It was fragrantly fried to crispiness with the delicious aroma of red meat.

Dolce - Wild Berries Tart with Creme Friache & Vanilla SAuce

The milder-tasting vanilla gelato tops off sweet intense flavour of the Wild Berries Tart. The surprising spoonful of gold dust definitely adds the highlight to top off a splendid meal.

Caffè 

Coffee is often drunk at the end of a meal. Instead of the traditional espresso, Merlion Wayfarer opted for the milder Cafe Latte. The cuppa served here is rich and full-bodied with a creamy milk overtones. All for a very affordable price of S$5 per cup.

District 10 is located at 3 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec City Mall, #01-514/515 Singapore 038983

(beside Tower 2 Office Lobby). For more information, visit www.district10.com.sg.