Masterchef Singapore Finalist Lim Kuan Yiou Opens NY Verden, Customisable Woodfired Grill

CONTENT: Yiew Kai Jie

From as young as 15, Lim Kuan Yiou has a wealth of culinary experience under his belt by helping out at Old Street Bak Kut Teh ,of whom he is also the second-generation owner. Now that he, along with his business acumen, has garnered even more experience from his time on Masterchef Singapore, he has spearheading the business development for all of his restaurant’s concepts, along with opening a new concept restaurant NY Verden, a first-of-its-kind woodfired grillhouse opened amidst the raging COVID-19 pandemic on 25 June 2021 at Jewel Changi Airport.

NY Verden (pronounced Nee-Verden that translates to New World in Norwegian) is a specialized grill house that pays homage to one of humanity’s oldest cooking techniques, of cooking meats over fire and food preservation (dry aging). NY Verden aims to redefine the boundaries of culinary by sourcing for the finest produce available, respecting the quality and cooking process to leave an unforgettable lasting impression on diners. The restaurant also sources wood from Australia and the US to smoke or cook their meat with. The resulting smoke will imbue characteristics of five natural hardwoods (Jarrah, Hickory, Oak, Cherry, Applewood) to enhance the flavour of the meat and add another layer of complexity on the plate.

Begin the dining experience with a quintessential starter of Bread & Dip (S$10). The appetizer involves fragrant Altamura bread flown in straight from Italy that is paired with an in-house made hummus, seasoned with garlic, cumin, paprika and Harissa French chilli paste that will work to stimulate the taste buds and work to keep the hunger pangs before the main courses arrive at the table.

The restaurant’s best appetizer has to be the Smoked Beetroot Tartare & Burrata (S$28). The burrata is made by an experienced Italian cheesemaker in Singapore. The beetroot is first salt baked and then smoked the diner’s choice of firewood for an extra kick of smoky peatiness then topped off with an emulsion of peas and pistachio. It is sprinkled with smoked sea salt for a truly indulgent experience with the perfect balance of a creamy and enriching burrata with the crunchy texture from the peas and pistachios!

For the main courses, one of the restaurant’s signature dishes is the Crab Tagliolini (S$30), cooked in lobster broth for an intense sweetness and then topped with a generous amount of crab meat with a topping of rose petals and smoked ikura and simply drizzled with olive oil. The pasta is filled with an intense smoky flavour and it permeates through the entire dish along with an already intense seafood flavour due to the lobster broth and ikura that takes the dish to another level and highlights Kuan Yiou’s culinary skills on a plate!

The Iberico Pork Jowl (S$32) involves a whole jowl of pork that is marinated for 48 hours with a cardamom and thyme rub, then sous vide for 72 hours that results in a delicious caramelization when the protein is grilled over the diner’s choice of woodfire to enhance the flavour. Served with black garlic puree flavoured with dill oil, shimeji mushrooms and bergamot gastric reduction infused with pork, it is a testament to the potential of woodfire grill-cooking and how it perfectly chars the protein perfectly for a melt-in-the-mouth texture!

For the quintessential red meat cuts, the 30 days dry-aged Wagyu Tomahawk and Mayura Flank are the prime choices. The Flank is a Full Blood Wagyu with marble scoring of 8-9 that melts like butter when grilled over the recommended woodfire. The Tomahawk is sourced from the finest Japanese Wagyu genetics and has a marble scoring of 4-5. They come served with 4 onion jam consisting of white, yellow, Bombay and Spanish – as well as bone marrow jus reduction made from roasted beef bones simmered over three days and finished with marsala red wine.

To end the meal on a sweet note, the Ispahan (S$20) is an irresistible sweet treat with every layer filled with refreshing fragrances of lychee, raspberry and rose. Piled delicately on top of an almond sponge cake and held together by raspberry jelly, rose mousse and a veil of honey, fresh lychee provides bursts of fresh juice while popping candy dance on the tongue for a crunchy popping celebratory finish.

To celebrate its launch, NY Verden is offering exciting promotions:

1: 1-for-1 on all gourmet pasta dishes (S$20 each)
Colatura Butter and Tobiko
Ravioli with Aged Balsamic
Gnocchi with Cacio e Pepe

2: Little Creatures Canned Beer at just S$3 with any order of any dish!

3: 50% OFF Set Menus, from S$22.80++ per pax!
Available for all-day dining daily 2-course set menu $22.80++ (u.p. $45.60++) and main 3-course set menu $29.80++ (u.p. $59.60++) !

4: 90mins Free Flow Alcohol available for all-day dining daily! Enjoy complimentary free flow alcohol (prosecco, red wine, beer) for all diners with minimum spending of S$100++ in a single receipt per table.

5: Kids Dine Free for all-day dining on weekends only! Receive one set of complimentary Kid’s Main & Beverage with every ala carte Adult Main purchased. (Only applicable for kids 12 years and below by birth year, limited to one redemption per kid.)

NY Verden
78 Airport Boulevard, 03-227/228, Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore 819666