Keep these splurge-worthy restaurants on your radar because nothing rings in the new year quite like a magnificent feast.
RESTAURANT EUPHORIA
Curiosity, delight, and surprise are at the heart of Restaurant Euphoria, which is the latest milestone for Chef Jason Tan, one of Singapore’s most popular culinary alchemists. Located in a conservation shophouse along Tras Street, the restaurant embodies the concept of Gastro-Botanica, a culinary philosophy dreamt up by Chef Tan that celebrates carefully sourced and prepared premium vegetables, as well as meats and seafood.
Chef Tan’s artistry is immediately apparent as soon as the dishes arrive. The expert combination of colors and textures makes it hard for the diner to start eating in fear of destroying a masterpiece. One such dish is the Oignon Jamboree — a pastelcolored confection where onions are prepared in five different ways and topped with Oscietra Prestige Caviar.
Then there is the Bomba Rice, comprised of a lacy fermented rice tuile filled with Spanish bomba rice and plancha-grilled Japanese mirugai that adds depth to an otherwise light-as-air dish. Equally beautiful and delicious is the Maine Lobster, which is brined, steamed, and lightly torched, accompanied by sweet, delicate carrot half-moons flavored with cumin, coriander seeds, and star anise.
Meanwhile, Restaurant Euphoria’s desserts call to mind beloved childhood flavors. The Sweet Corn dessert comprises cornflakes semifreddo, buckwheat puff, sweet corn butter financier, and corn snow. Finally, petit fours include chocolate truffles, bandung mochi, Canelé de Bordeaux, and perhaps one of the best madeleines around.
Visit Restaurant Euphoria at 76 Tras Street.
For more information, visit restaurant-euphoria.com
SHOUKOUWA
While there is a wealth of Japanese restaurants in Singapore to choose from, not all of them can satiate both the stomach and wanderlust. One place that can do so is two Michelin-starred Shoukouwa. At the helm is Head Chef Kazumine Nishida, who boasts two decades of experience and expertise.
Once you enter Shoukouwa, an authentic Japanese journey begins. As soon as you take a seat at the counter, Chef Nishida and his assistants prepare the prized ingredients for the meal, starting with Japanese produce like sudachi lime, myoga ginger, and delicate shiso flowers, which all add distinct and authentic flavors to various dishes. This is followed by a selection of the freshest seafood, prepared with the precision that puts Chef Nishida’s impeccable knife skills on display.
There is no doubt that each bite of sushi at Shoukouwa is impressive, given the freshness and delicate flavors of the prized seafood used like kasugo, amadai, botan ebi, and toro. However, the cooked dishes are in a league of their own because the nuances of flavor and cooking style are considered, highlighting Chef Nishida’s culinary genius.
Standouts include the grilled nodoguro, or Black Throat Sea Perch. The fatty fish is delicately perched on top of rice, which allows its smoky, aromatic oils to permeate each grain. Then there is the Kegani, steamed hairy crab with Shanghai crab sauce, bursting with rich, creamy textures that pleasantly envelop the palate.
Visit Shoukouwa at 1 Fullerton Road, #02-02A One Fullerton
Tel: 6423 9939
CURE
Take a culinary trip through Ireland’s rustic coastlines and sprawling grasslands at CURE, where Chef-Owner Andrew Walsh introduces a new menu called Nua, which is Old Gaelic for Irish and modern Irish for new. The offerings, expertly crafted by Chef Walsh and his competent team, shine the spotlight on some of the Celtic nation’s best bounties, including seafood and meats, as well as cheeses and indigenous flora.
The menu starts strong with the addictive Soda, Stout & Treacle Bread, which features a Guinness-infused soda bread, followed by the Gallagher Oyster, Sea Asparagus, and Dill. The plump oyster is grilled on binchotan and brushed with smoked beef fat, and finished with miso beurre blanc and Avruga roe.
Taking us back to his childhood, Chef Walsh presents a reimagined Potato Crisp Sandwich where potato terrine is topped with crispy garlic, shallots, and spring onions. Then there is one of my personal favorites, A Porridge of Grains, Organic Egg Yolk, and Aged Beef, a creamy, comforting creation topped with rare slivers of tenderloin from John Stone farm, known for its sustainablyfarmed beef.
“Nua represents the evolution of my brand of cuisine. My Irish heritage and the food of my childhood not only takes center stage but are coupled with culinary techniques and global influences that have been refined over my career,” shares Chef Walsh. “I felt it was about time I presented my culture in the best way I know how — a grand showcase of all that Ireland has to offer, from its produce and cuisine to its history, in one menu.”
Visit CURE at 21 Keong Saik Road, Tel: 6221 2189