What changes can patrons anticipate from a restaurant when its Michelin-starred chef departs to embark on their own culinary venture? Following Chef Haikal Johari’s exit in February 2023, Juan Amador restaurant has not only undergone renovations but has also appointed Yew Eng Tong as its new executive chef.
Options had the opportunity to savour Yew’s new menu that is described as a contemporary European menu with Asian influences. The chef draws his inspiration from his competition background and his penchant for incorporating fruits and vegetables into his creations. Yew’s culinary vision for Alma by Juan Amador revolves around integrating the advanced techniques he has honed through years of competition into the restaurant’s menu, promising a refined gastronomic journey for diners.
A standout dish is his more-ish Pie Tee tart, brimming with finely chopped cauliflower and cream, accompanied by seafood marinated in white shoyu. Another notable creation is the Takoyaki Potato Gratin, a reimagining of his Bocuse d’Or competition dish, showcasing potatoes infused with cream and parmesan, highlighted by a centre of pink garlic and embellished with black garlic purée.
Yew previously served as the opening chef at Ocean restaurant in Resorts World Sentosa, collaborating closely with renowned American chef Cat Cora on the creation of a farm-to-table inspired menu back in 2013. He attributes a pivotal moment in his culinary journey to his time working with three-Michelin-star Chef Christian Bau at Victor’s Dining, considering it a transformative experience. Yew has consistently been a member of Bau’s Asian team for various collaborative events, most notably at the Michelin-starred Noi @ Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong.
Here, he offers his insights, vision and upcoming endeavours to Options.
What inspired you to take on the role of head chef at Michelin-starred Alma by Juan Amador?
I was based in Hong Kong as the executive chef of Meta (Facebook) Hong Kong. When I took on the role, it was because the offer was too good to refuse.
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However, I missed my family, the food here and my friends. Working in Meta, I was cut off from the community of chefs. It was mostly me and my team. Before Meta, I was a restaurant chef — head chef at The Cliff, opening chef of Ocean with Cat Cora at Resorts World Sentosa.
I actually came home without an offer in place and I also did not think I was going to work in a restaurant. But this opportunity came. I met the owner and the dual role of both executive chef and general manager could both satisfy and challenge me.
As a chef, I’ve always wanted to apply the techniques and concepts I’ve learnt in culinary competitions, but have not been able to for various reasons. With Alma, which is a gastronomic establishment, I can invest the time, effort and money to infusing some of the competition elements.
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As a general manager, it allows me to see the restaurant from a more macro perspective. As a chef, I was just in charge of food cost and cooking. As the GM of the restaurant, I am now exposed to the many other elements required to run a restaurant successfully, from marketing, collaborations, décor to managing the numbers.
Cauliflower Tart is filled with a mixture of raw white cauliflower and raw pink cauliflower to show the natural flavours, mixed with cauliflower cream, and then a medley of raw seafood (oyster, sea urchin and red prawns) marinated with white shoyu was laid on it
How different is this menu to that of the old one?
This menu is modern European with Asian accents. I like to use fruits and flowers in my cooking, as it makes it more refreshing and vibrant.
I also try to use all parts of the ingredients, whenever possible. So, for example, for my arctic char appetiser, I dehydrate the skin and use it as a chip/cracker for my “snack” dish, and we use the bones to make a rich, bone broth.
Having trained with three-Michelin-star chef Christina Bau, I was taught the power of balance and harmony. So my dishes can include, say, 13 ingredients, but they will all come together and harmonise beautifully in flavours and as a concept.
We’ve also incorporated many of the competition techniques into this menu. It took a while to train the team up, and I am proud to say they are ready to roll!
I always have a personal challenge to myself — to create dishes that are as original as they can be. So nothing pleases me more than when a customer comes and tells me, “I’ve not seen this before!”
What changes, if any, do you envision making to the current menu or culinary direction of Alma by Juan Amador?
The menu is completely different. As for culinary direction, we want to offer a unique dining experience for the diner, and ensure it is also affordable for what we offer.
For example, diners can try some of the competition dishes I have shown before, such as the potato Takoyaki ball with pink garlic puree in the centre, garnished with black garlic puree.
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We have also intentionally brought down the prices from before. We have a $68++ four-course set lunch and also a six-course ($198++) and eight-course ($248++) tasting menu.
Can you share some insights into your approach to sourcing ingredients and working with local producers to ensure freshness and quality?
We have our network of suppliers and are always on the lookout for quality producers in Singapore and also Asia to showcase.
One example is edible flowers. I’m very pleased to be able to find a Singapore-based edible flower producer that gives us a consistent supply of edible flowers.
Can you provide some examples of signature dishes or culinary concepts that you’re particularly excited to introduce to Alma by Juan Amador?
I’m excited to introduce every dish! To be honest, I am constantly thinking of new dishes, combinations of flavours, and it’s just second nature. We will constantly be fine-tuning the dishes and also introducing new ones, once this new menu settles.
Some of our dishes are complex — they require a lot of steps to achieve that combination on a plate.
For example, for the Arctic Char dish, the Arctic char was brined and seasoned then rolled, sous vide cooked. Separately, we made a layer of sushi vinegar jelly, laid pickles on it and wrapped it around the arctic char into a roulade. Then we sliced into pieces, and set on watermelon & passionfruit salsa. Then we garnished with N25 hybrid caviar & passionfruit gel.
My snack of Cauliflower Tart with raw seafood has also been very well-received. We make a pie tee tart cup in-house. Cauliflower is always tasteless when cooked, so I filled it with a mixture of raw white cauliflower and raw pink cauliflower to show the natural flavours, mixed with cauliflower cream, and then laid on it a medley of raw seafood (oyster, sea urchin and red prawns) marinated with white shoyu. We garnished it with fried white kombu, salted finger lime and cresses, topped with arctic char skin crisp.
The bread course has become so important for a tasting menu these days. So I created the Mantou Bun, a homemade multi-seed bun, steamed and fried upon every order. It’s topped with fine blended chai seed, sesame & flaxseed. We serve it together with smoked Bordier butter & prawn head espuma dip. This is also a competition dish I did at Bocuse d’Or. At the Michelin guide opening event in 2016, I did the mantou bun with beef for the main course.
I am not a dessert chef and I was a bit hesitant about the desserts. The first month this menu made its debut, the restaurant was booked out to host over 30 of Singapore’s top pastry chefs. I was so worried! However, the verdict was encouraging. For example, I created a Red Ruby Traditional Thai dessert with water-chestnut with rose gelatine, lemongrass coconut soup, coconut Espuma with mint oil and milk crisp. Many customers have said it’s a dessert conceptualised by a hot cooking chef, so I take that as a compliment.
We’ve also done a renovation recently, so other than the two private dining rooms — the wine cellar room and the whisky room — we also are able to transform the restaurant into various permutations and carve out more private dining spaces.
One of the lesser-known things about Alma by Juan Amador is our stellar whisky collection. We have bought whisky casks and bottled our own bottles, we have some of the rarest whiskies in our collection.
You have worked in the kitchens of three-Michelin-star Chef Christian Bau (Victor’s Dining) as a turning point in his culinary life. He has always been part of Bau’s Asian team for his four-hands pop-ups in this part of the world, most recently at Michelin starred Noi @ Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. What are some of the valuable lessons you have learned from these kitchens and how have you adapted it to Alma by Juan Amador?
Working with Christian Bau is indeed a huge milestone in my life. I learnt about discipline — nothing but perfection on the plate. He is also the chef who taught me how to harmonise the multiple ingredients on the plate, how you can have 13 ingredients on a plate and they will all sing a beautiful song on the plate. This is something very unique that you don’t often see in restaurants.
I also learnt from him how to run a kitchen. He runs it like a tight ship. Everything runs smoothly and flawlessly. It’s amazing to be part of it.
What do awards and accolades mean to you?
As a competition chef, the awards and accolades are important. I was glad when I was awarded Champion at the Bocuse d’Or Asia selection in 2012 and when I led the Singapore National Culinary Team as captain, and we got first at the Culinary Olympics in 2014. It’s not just about winning, it’s that feeling of victory and fulfilment.
As a human, everyone likes to be recognised.
Having said that, the journey of training for the award for me is equally important. Being crowned champion would not have meant the same if we did not go through that journey.
With Alma by Juan Amador, we have one star. I took over in October last year, and we hope it will be retained. However, what means more to us is when customers return and give us compliments.
What are your long-term goals and aspirations for the restaurant under your leadership?
We are aware that dining trends and the needs of diners are always changing. My first step was to stabilise the team, and I am happy to say I am proud of the team and I have a very good chef de cuisine.
We also have an extensive outdoor bar area, which we will be working on.
We will be looking to see how we can adapt the menu and offerings for our diners all the time, and how we can offer original dining experiences.
Our long-term goal is… when anyone thinks of Alma by Juan Amador, they will think of a “unique gastronomic experience” and want to make a reservation with us!
Picture by Albert Chua
