We love seeing local talent head up fine dining establishments in Singapore — especially these two young and dynamic chefs, both of whom are celebrating their restaurants’ one-year anniversaries.
To commemorate this milestone, both chefs have launched new menus in time for Spring to showcase the season’s bounty. While being grounded in French cooking techniques, having access to Asian produce has allowed them to create dishes with more exciting flavours and aromas. Here’s what you can expect.
Willow
39 Hongkong Street | Tel: 8885 4867 | Email: [email protected]
A restaurant by the Ebb & Flow Group, Willow has firmly established itself as a coveted destination for epicurean connoisseurs over the past year.
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Helmed by former Zen sous chef Nicolas Tam (also from Esora and Joël Robuchon), Willow serves contemporary pan-Asian cuisine that honours the provenance and seasonality of Japanese produce. Tam’s cooking approach is simple, with minimal intervention to fully allow diners to savour each ingredient’s natural flavour.
My dinner tasting commenced with bite-sized tartlets in different colours to complement the fillings of diced-up sashimi and seasonal vegetables. For example, a purple one had beetroot and akami (bluefin tuna) served in a beetroot shell, while the bright orange variant had crunchy green asparagus and bafun uni.
Before the mains were served, I enjoyed the signature pain au lait bread flavoured with a trio of kombu, fresh and roasted nori. It’s served alongside a cheesy-buttery cream called katsuobushi sabayon, which makes the perfect spread for the warm fluffy bun.
One of my favourite dishes on the menu is the Sawara (Spanish mackerel) that’s been aged for six days and smoked to bring out its delicious flavours. It tastes heavenly, especially when mixed with the rhubarb sauce served on the side.
Another unusual creation is Tam’s upscale spin on Newton Hawker’s BBQ stingray using binchotan-grilled Hotaru Ika (firefly squid). It’s served with a sambal-inspired caramelised onion chilli jam that offers just the right amount of fire on the tongue.
Tam created the Sakura Masu — a steamed cherry trout seasoned in a salt-preserved sakura flower sauce — to capture the season of cherry blossoms. It’s served with a light lily bulb purée and garnished with flowers of the season.
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Although Tam’s cuisine leans toward seafood, he may introduce red meat like Miyazaki A5 beef or dry-aged duck to heat the stomach. At the end of the omakase was a comforting rice dish, such as the Kinmedai (snapper), dry-aged for a week, roasted and served over koshihikari rice and roasted fish bone soup. Slow-boiled for hours with all the leftover fish bones, the broth, when mixed into the rice, gave it a lovely congee texture.
Overall, the dishes are inventive, beautifully presented and well-executed promptly. The team at Willow did a great job of showcasing the natural flavours of each ingredient without overpowering sauces or too much seasoning. We’re looking forward to what else Tam has in store for us.
Willow serves lunch from $158++ on Fridays and Saturdays only; and dinners from Tuesdays to Saturdays from$228++. The restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Path
12 Marina Boulevard, Tower 3, #01-05/06, MBFC | Tel: 6443 0180 | Email: [email protected]
One year after the launch of Path, chef Marvas Ng brings together the accumulation of time, inspiration and experiences to launch new menus and an entirely new dinner format in the next chapter of his culinary life.
Dinner patrons will get to enjoy prix fixe-only menus: a six-course titled Voyage ($188++) and an eight-course named Expedition ($228++). This switch is partly because Ng’s dinner crowd, composed largely of couples or pairs of friends, expressed difficulty in finishing the large portions of his a la carte items. A tasting menu allows for smaller portions and the opportunity to showcase more creative dishes.
Fresh from winning two gold medals for Singapore at the Culinary World Cup 2022, Ng shows a lot of personal and professional growth in his new menu, where we see remarkable refinement, elegance and a new expression of creativity. Still characteristically layered with the familiarity of East Asian flavours, Ng’s dishes now show more of his background as a trained French chef with elegant plating and presentation.
One highlight is the Shanghainese Hairy Crab Roe made with creamy, savoury hairy crab roe and creamy soy beancurd. The sweet-saltiness of the roe, the smooth, slippery curd and a thin layer of chilli oil each offer completely different textures and taste profiles, coming together to offer a tender, rich flavour on the palate.
The Oriental “Bouillabaisse” is a delightful yellow broth that marries fish, prawn and chicken into a savoury stock, blended with tomato and garlic for flavour and yellow emperor chilli for colour. The flavours are a perfect pairing for the medley of sea treasures, including sea cucumber innards; and a housemade “moneybag” of tofu skin stuffed with sea cucumber, shrimp, bamboo shoots and Beijing cabbage. Deep and rich, yet beautifully refreshing, each spoonful highlights the briny sweetness of fresh seafood.
Another unforgettable dish is the Deep Sea Fish Maw, served tableside. High-quality dried fish maw is double-boiled and served casserole-style on top of a thick and creamy beurre blanc made from the collagen stock of the fish maw.
Ng served a small portion of risoni pasta as a substitute for a rice dish. Pan-fried in a housemade teriyaki sauce, the umami brininess of succulent BBQ South African Abalone is a delicious contrast to the sweetness of the pasta.
An accomplished pastry chef, Ng’s desserts are definite palate pleasers, such as the creamy Mongolian Milk Curd. The fluffy custard texture combines whole milk, Valrhona white chocolate, Greek yoghurt and extra virgin olive oil.
Lunch diners will be pleased to know that aside from a la carte staples and new vegetarian options, there will also be a five-course tasting menu for diners from $128++ per person. Path also offers a wide array of wines from $88++ for a flight of three glasses, created in partnership with the expertise of sister company 1855 The Bottle Shop.
