We sample three unique creations that feature S'pore's flavour du jour
Salted egg yolk durian anyone?
Just kidding, that's a fictitious dish.
But with salted egg yolk being paired with everything now, surely there are some bizarre combinations out there?
While digging around, I found the usual suspects such as salted egg yolk crab and salted egg yolk croissants.
Bags of salted egg yolk chips and salted egg yolk cookies have also been flying off the shelves..
After trawling through countless websites and reading about more than 60 different types of salted egg yolk dishes, here are three quirky ones that caught my eye...
Liusha Burst (deep fried salted egg yolk mochi balls), $15 for three balls
Where: Stateland Cafe
Salted Egg Yolk Content: Bursting with goodness
Taste Test: Unlike the usual soft mochi balls, these are crisp and chewy, and when you first slice into it, the salted egg yolk lava oozes out.
The balls were served with cookie butter soft-serve ice cream on top of caramel sauce, crushed cornflakes, and with flecks freeze-dried strawberry sprinkled over.
The dish was all about balance - the hot mochi balls contrasted nicely with the coldness of the ice cream, and the saltiness of the egg yolk filling balanced the sweetness of the caramel.
Also, the crispy texture of the mochi balls complemented the smoothness of the ice cream.
All in all, the combination was a slice of heaven in my mouth.
Salted Egg Yolk Ice Cream, $4.70 for a single scoop cone
Where: Tom's Palette
Salted Egg Yolk Content: Bountiful
Taste Test: I'm not one for experimenting with ice cream flavours. My personal favourite is plain vanilla.
So I was sceptical that salted egg yolk would work as an ice cream flavour.
But all it took was one taste and my preconceived notion was changed.
The ice cream contained real salted egg yolk pieces, which added texture to the smoothness of the ice cream, and the taste was not overpowering.
The balance of salty and sweet was spot on and left me craving for more after I finished the generous scoop.
It's no wonder that this flavour is one of the favourites at this ice cream parlour.
The Egg (salted egg yolk cocktail), $25
Where: Operation Dagger
Salted Egg Yolk Content: Salt or salted egg?
Taste Test: Of all the dishes I found, this was definitely the most abstract.
I was able to see how the cocktail was made and the entire process - with fire and smoke - was enthralling.
The cocktail was poured into a cup that resembled an eggshell, and it was served in a jar filled with hay and smoked star anise.
When the waitress arrived at my table, it almost looked like I had been presented with a freshly laid egg in a nest.
But aside from all that drama, the drink itself - made of rum, salted egg yolk and vanilla - is an acquired taste, and after the rum kicks in, the aftertaste is saltier than salted egg yolk.
mgovin@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on Aug 21, 2016.
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