Meaning “lotus flower” in Malay, Seroja is slowly coming into full bloom, on its way to become one of Singapore’s top restaurants. The restaurant shines the much-deserved spotlight on flavors from the Malay Archipelago and is under the stewardship of Kevin Wong, a young Malaysian chef who has dedicated half his life working in F&B, cutting his teeth at restaurants like Meta and Cure.
Seroja’s multi-course Nusantara Menu ($268++) is a delicious, eye-opening journey through the islands of the Malay Archipelago, which begins with a beautiful trio of snacks comprised of beef tartare, obsiblue prawn, and king salmon.
This is followed by a fresh Kerabu salad of fresh tuna with a bright citrus-coconut dressing that opens the palate further for the richer dishes that follow. The Hokkaido Scallop is a personal favorite, which is served with an intensely savory sauce of garlic butter and tamarind glaze, begging to be mopped up by the Roti Paung – a decadent pull-apart bread that’s first steamed and then fried.
Of the many dishes that make up the Nusantara Menu, it is the Traders Rice that Chef Wong has the strongest affinity with, where the rare red rice used is harvested by the orang asli in the mountains of Borneo. This is accompanied by fork-tender beef short rib that has been braised for 36 hours and two types of salad. When viewed as a whole, this course is a nod to how people around the region eat, with rice accompanying a variety of proteins and greens.
