Fine dining in the comfort of your home? Fragment is a new intimate private dining experience tucked in a HDB home in Clementi serving up reimagined local flavours with premium ingredients like caviar, uni and quail—all at a nett price.
Run by chef-owner Pristina, who’s worked stints at Michelin-starred restaurants like Odette and Zén, Fragment puts a modern spin on familiar flavours like laksa, otak, masala, sour plum, hawthorne, soya beancurd and more. The 8-course dinner menu we had is priced at $168 nett per person and features the following items:
Snacks – Corn Tart, Amaebi Blini, Mud Crab
Yamada Bay Oyster
Hokkaido Scallop
Braised Beef Cheek
Madai
Roasted Quail
Strawberry
Gorgonzola
Mud Crab
Corn Tart
Amaebi Blini
Yamada Bay Oyster
The trio of snacks definitely impressed with their fun visuals, especially our favourite: the Mud Crab, that’s handcrafted to look like a red crab! The snack features shredded mud crab with a savoury XO mayo, sandwiched between crab-shaped tuile that’s made out of curry powder. Instead of serving a whole oyster, Fragment’s version of a Yamada Bay Oyster sees diced oyster tossed with a mushroom duxelle and topped with a generous serving of caviar—this was an absolute burst of umami in the mouth.
Hokkaido Scallop
Madai
We also love Fragment’s attention to the little details, like the delicate flower cutouts from pickled turnip used to embellish the Hokkaido Scallop. The laksa-infused sauce is reminiscent of the local dish: subtly spicy, but with a smoother and creamier flavour profile that compliments the sweetness of the scallop and uni.
Braised Beef Cheek
Roasted Quail
Another highlight from the meal is the DIY Braised Beef Cheek that comes in a set with homemade Chinese pancakes, tender beef cheeks braised in Guinness beer for 4 hours, and assorted vegetables/pickled papaya salad. This dish is a twist on the classic braised pork belly bun (kong bak pao) that uses thin crêpe-like pancakes instead of steamed buns. We love how we got to assemble the beef wrap to our liking; and the deep, beefy flavours contrasted beautifully with the refreshing freshness of the pickled vegetables.
Strawberry
Gorgonzola
If dessert is your favourite part of every meal, you’ll be in for a treat here because you get not just one but two desserts! First is the fruity Strawberry made with strawberry-watermelon sorbet and topped with Batak pepper-infused meringue. Don’t worry, the pepper isn’t spicy in the slightest, and lends more of a light fruitiness and warm peppery aroma. The Gorgonzola is also a beginner-friendly introduction to the famously funky-smelling blue cheese, presented in a much more approachable cheese foam form. The cheese smell isn’t overwhelming in the slightest, and is actually more creamy and savoury thanks to the soya beancurd ice cream and cheese crackers.
Fragment is open for service only on Thursdays to Saturdays, from 7pm onwards and the 8-course dinner is priced at $168 nett per person (minimum of 6 persons per group). You can also get specially curated sake, wines or craft beers starting from $10. Nearly every dish we had at Fragment was a hit, and for the price point, you’re definitely getting a generous amount of food, so you won’t have to worry about leaving hungry. We also enjoyed how Fragment puts a spin on local flavours, yet is not too adventurous with it, still maintaining the essence of the local dishes we know and love. The homey space also makes for a great ambiance for gatherings between friends or families over good food, and you’ll even get to play with their friendly dog as you dine! Reserve your spot at Fragment online here.
Note that the menu featured in this article is subject to change.
Price: $$
Taste: 9/10
Favourite dish(s): Mud Crab, Braised Beef Cheek, Strawberry
Fragment
Address: Clementi (exact address given at booking)
Opening Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 7pm onwards
