Twelve Flavours

In the last couple of years, private dining in a home kitchen has started to gain popularity amongst foodies in Singapore. From Omakase-style courses to barbecue meats on the balcony or simply hearty home-cooked traditional Grandma’s recipes, many are looking for these unique experiences

When we first decided to try out private dining, many thoughts went through our minds, like ‘ would it be awkward to eat in someone else’s house while they go about their daily living, or would the food be good and worth the price since most of these private kitchens are not cheap. Finally, we decided on Twelve Flavours, which is the private dining by Chef Derek Cheong. His menu changes, but you will be able to take a look at the menu before putting in your reservation

Those who find this name familiar, Chef Derek is the winner of MasterChef Singapore Season 2 and post MasterChef, he also gained experience at the World’s 50 Best 2019 ranked number 1 Restaurant, Mirazur. The booking is for a minimum of 6 people, but they made an exception for our table of 5. The dining space was nicely crafted out at the front of the house with direct access to his kitchen, while the rest of the living space was smartly sectioned off with a thick curtain. The plating and table setting were as good as what you would get from a restaurant

We started off the course shortly after everyone arrived, and Chef Derek gave us a short introduction to the courses ahead. We started off with seaweed tacos topped with crab, golden kiwi, and lovage potato jeon. The sesame tacos brought out the nutty flavour, while the potato added the crispy texture, the crab the umami and the kiwi the subtle sweetness. This bite was generally an explosion of flavours in the mouth

Next was the sesame Hokkaido pumpkin, Clementine and Amaebi. This dish was light and refreshing yet bursting with a slight tangy sweetness from the clementine. The ingredients were cleverly used in a form which is quite unexpected

Next were the scallops with cucumber and cold green curry, presented in a way we could never have imagined. The cold green curry was like a granita, usually sweet and used as a palate cleanser, but the Chef has made it light and savoury in this dish, which pairs well with the scallop cream. The dish was not spicy at all, but carried the fragrance of the curry

Next was the chawanmushi with Yunnan mushroom, abalone, and okra, mussels with sugarloaf cabbage, cauliflower and katsuobushi and red snapper with Szechuan peppercorn gulai and prawn dumpling. The dishes were all well executed with a balance of flavours and textures. In the case of the chawanmushi, the mushroom’s hearty, earthy flavours complemented the umami of the abalone. This fish was soft and tender with a crispy skin, with a spice kick from the peppercorn, while the prawn dumpling and crispy fried strips of dumpling skin gave the dish an additional layer of texture

The highlight of the meal was this barbecue-aged duck presented in this cute treasure box

You can hear Chef Derek explaining to us about the aged duck and the method used in cooking it. After this showcase, the duck was brought back into the kitchen to be prepped for the next set of dishes

Towards the last part of the course, we were served the aged roasted duck on top of wuchang rice with chestnut in a cute claypot, side dishes like seasoned yolk on top of crispy bits, wing bean salad with pomelo and shellfish and a soup. The yolk had a deep flavour which needed to be paired with rice, while the salad had a nice crunch to balance out the heaviness of the rice and duck. The duck was succulent and tender with a flavourful roasted skin, and the soft chestnut added an earthy sweetness to the rice. This last set of dishes was really filling and satisfying

Last but not least were 2 desserts: coconut cream with a sweet granita and brie vanilla ice cream with sweet corn nibble bits. Both desserts were refreshing and a perfect end to the course meal

Overall, we had an amazing experience at Twelve Flavours. From the initial awkwardness of dining at someone else’s house, we were quickly made to feel at ease by Chef Derek’s mother, who was helping with the service of the meal. We chatted like old friends with the mother and got introduced to his family as well. It was great, tasting innovative dishes from Chef Derek and enjoying it all in a casual and relaxed environment

A little bit of a fangirl moment as I am the only 1 who knows who Derek is within my group. My family was his supporters when he was competing in MasterChef. We were really happy he won and were waiting to try his food when he opens a restaurant, so I am really glad I tried his creations at his private dining session

Booking for a session: here