A Singapore weekend with superstar chefs
MANILA, Philippines - Singapore was always on my list when it came to food trips. It’s an easily accessible place via a quick plane ride, great hotels, and most of all amazing local eats everywhere. This food trip, though, was different from our usual Singapore itinerary as our meals voyaged joyously from one celebrity chef restaurant to another. Wanting to make the most out of it, all reservations were made prior to the trip as we took the first flight out at 6 a.m. to reach our lunch date. Accommodations were carefully planned wherein the best way to save time was to stay where these restos were. It’s quite amazing that all these superstar chefs have made Marina Bay Sands their habitat! With a total of five meals for the weekend, we had to make a cuisine priority list making breakfast and merienda optional so it would not interfere with our appetites!
Only the freshest: Japanese abalone with polenta, tomato and garlic cream at Waku Ghin Friday Lunch: Pizzeria Mozza
The brainchild of Nancy Silverton, Joe Bastianich, and the famous Mario Batali, Pizzeria Mozza opened in LA in 2006. Singapore is not only the first Asian branch but also only their second branch.
After a quick check-in we journeyed through the mall with our tummies grumbling at the thought of hot pizza! We couldn’t resist ordering a few antipasti, especially where bone marrow was concerned. I’m a bulalo lover and the bone marrow al forno did not disappoint — a buttery, rich, melt-in-your-mouth experience served with crunchy bread and roasted garlic. Spoon it on bread with mashed garlic. The fried squash blossoms with homemade ricotta was tasty but forgettable; however, the meatballs and clams al forno with salsa Calabrese was simple yet surprisingly good!
Our finale was the egg, bacon, Yukon gold potato, cipollini and thyme pizza, which was definitely worth the wait! The combination of the runny egg with bacon, potato and that amazing crust in your mouth was incredible. More than the topping, the crust is quite special — chewy and crunchy with salt crystals. It was no surprise that the crust seemed bigger than usual. I’ve always wanted to try pizza with a sunny side-up egg on top that may sound a bit like breakfast, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!
Friday Dinner: Guy Savoy
With a total of five Michelin stars under his belt — three from Guy Savoy Paris and two from Guy Savoy Las Vegas — it would be no surprise if he earns more stars, especially for his Singapore site.
It was pre-decided before our trip that we were definitely having the Menu Prestige, the signature degustation of Guy Savoy, but our plan quickly rebooted to having what I call our “personalized degustation.” As our server went through the menu, he explained to us that we had the option of having half-orders of anything on the menu, from starters to dessert, since their serving size was not done the usual French way. This was perfect for us since my husband and I are the type to try a variety of things to get the full experience of the restaurant! Before we even began they gave us several amuse bouche to tease our palates. First were pieces of foie gras in between wheat toasts — a great start! Second was a parmesan and black pepper waffle, which was sweet and savory with a hint of spiciness from the black pepper, and third was the spring onion and celery broth with a hint of ginger powder, which was quite refreshing paired with lightly smoked salmon with poached beets.
With much thought we created our own tasting menu starting with Joselito Jamon Iberico that was carved tableside, then the oysters in gelee with two new styles — these are three kinds of oyster dishes: the salad with oyster vinaigrette, the oyster in gelee, which is fresh oyster served cold in this yummy gelee with crème fraiche underneath, and the slightly poached oyster in dashi broth topped with rice crisps, which had an Asian flair.
The Maine lobster “raw cooked” in cold steam were layers of lobster from tartar, carpaccio, and steamed surrounded by a lobster broth, which gave the full essence of the lobster in different textures. Next was the Colors of Caviar — wonderful layers of Oscietre caviar from Russia and Israel topped with caviar sabayon — a dish that truly made caviar the star. I’m glad I only had a half-order because the intense caviar flavor can get a bit overwhelming with its über-rich taste, but it’s definitely a must-try.
Our main course was the roasted veal chop, black truffle potato puree, summer vegetables glazed with veal jus … this was the most tender veal chop I’ve ever had! The veal chop from Holland was so juicy and perfectly paired with the super-creamy yet fluffy potato puree.
We begged off from dessert and cheese as we had reached the level of gluttony, but just as I thought I didn’t have room for anything more, an amazing amuse bouche dessert trolley rolled over to our table, which included jars of cookies, canisters of homemade ice cream, plates of tarts and macarons, pots of crème caramel and chocolate mousse, and bowls of candies! The caramel and fromage blanc ice cream was delightful, but my faves were the raspberry-and-white chocolate and chocolate-caramel macarons.
Flawless service, incredible food, and perfect detailing created an amazing dining experience, and with a handful of cookies and candies, my husband and I ended our first day completely satisfied!
Saturday Brunch: DB Bistro Moderne
By Daniel Bouloud
As another gastronomic day began I already knew what I wanted to order as soon as I woke up. The DB burger has been haunting me for quite some time now … think juicy burger patty with a mouthwatering piece of foie gras in the center surrounded by braised short ribs, wherein the patty is easily thicker than the parmesan bun, making it the center of attention. I’ve enjoyed several imitations but never the original, so you can imagine my anticipation! I literally ate around my burger trying to save the best (foie gras) for last! My husband’s burger was amazing as well; it actually tasted equally good! He had the Frenchie Burger — a beef burger topped with confit of pork belly (yup, a crispy piece of liempo), caramelized onions, Morbier cheese, arugula, and cornichons on a black-pepper bun. The crispy liempo is much better than your typical bacon because it cuts the salt by half, plus the Morbier cheese gave that creamy punch while the bittery-spicy arugula broke into the richness of the whole burger.
We could not be satisfied with just that as we could not resist a half dozen market-fresh oysters as well as fried eggs Lyonnaises with duck confit and mesclun salad — tender pieces of duck confit and potato topped with a perfectly runny egg, making a perfect mélange in your mouth!
Saturday Dinner: Waku Ghin
Tetsuya Wakuda may be missing those stars, but nevertheless he is highly acclaimed and respected by other chefs as one of the top chefs in the world. He’s more known for his Sydney restaurant Tetsuya’s, where the three-month waiting list is no joke ever since he opened in 1989. Waku Ghin is the only other restaurant he has opened, so my husband and I wanted to make sure that we got two of those lucky 25 seats in his Singapore eatery!
Their “no menu” degustation is quite intriguing; they rely on what’ s fresh and available daily before they create the unique 12-course meal. The brilliant bar-style seating makes it much more fun and interactive as we are face-to-face with our personal chef cooking each of our dishes with its dizzyingly wonderful aroma enveloping our senses and heightening the anticipation. The chef does the plating as well, describing each element he adds to create a stunning dish, a real work of art!
We started with the succulent Cotton Bay oyster with ginger and rice vinegar — one piece was definitely not enough but it was a good teaser for what was to come. The marinated botan ebi with sea urchin and Oscietre caviar was oh-so-rich but extremely crave-worthy with a cold poached egg yolk in the center of it — I would have licked the urchin shell if it weren’t for the other people dining!
Next was the beginning of a long list of warm dishes, opening with the grilled anago with steamed foie gras and zucchini — a piece of zucchini layered with velvety foie gras and topped with sweet anago created a symphony of flavor with each bite. The pan-grilled Japanese abalone with polenta, tomato and garlic cream was super-tender and buttery in taste, while the braised Canadian lobster with tarragon was like an amazing deconstructed bisque. The sumiyaki of Tasmanian grass-fed beef tenderloin was enjoyable but the Japanese Ohmi Wagyu roll was to-die-for! Served with Maitake mushroom, freshly grated wasabi, and ponzu sauce, the Wagyu melted in my mouth while the flavor was enhanced by the fresh wasabi. Next came the consommé with Japanese rice topped with a lightly grilled snapper, which completed the hot dishes. They served us Gyokuro, which is a rare green tea that was lightly brewed enough to release the umami taste and served lukewarm.
We were then transferred to the dessert room overlooking the bay just in time for the amazing light and fountain show they have at Marina Bay Sands. The last three courses started with the granita of Kyoho grapes — refreshingly satisfying and not too sweet. The Ghin cheesecake was airy and light with a thin sponge cake on the bottom that made me want more, while an assortment of petit fours capped our degustation, an incredible meal that showcased the food philosophy of Tetsuya Wakuda — refined and clean flavors using the highest-quality ingredients influenced by both his Asian heritage and French techniques.
Sunday Lunch: Ippudo
When we were in New York our friends raved about Ippudo having the best ramen in town. Often frequented by the Japanese NYC residents as well as repeatedly featured by known food show host, critic, and writer Anthony Bourdain, Ippudo did not fail to satisfy and actually exceeded our expectations with its Master Broth — slightly thicker than the usual and full of flavor — obviously simmered for long days and nights.
Wanting to recreate our NYC experience, we headed over to the Mandarin Gallery and had to wait in line for a bowl of mouthwatering hot ramen to cap our foodie weekend in Singapore. We started with the Ippudo buns, which is similar to the NYC branch’s Hirata buns — steamed buns with pork and Ippudo sauce, except that the NY version is double the size, and the pork slice is three times thicker and has way more of the yummy sauce. The Buta Supearibu No Pirikarani were braised pork ribs that were incredibly tender and had this sweet and tangy flavor. I had the Shiromaru Motoaji, which is the classic Hakata style of ramen with simmered pork loin, while my husband had the Karaka-Men, which is the ramen with spicy miso broth and ground pork. Both ramens fulfilled our cravings. Though it was not as good as the New York outpost, it still had that Ippudo taste, which kept us satisfied!
With so many restaurants and not enough meals, our weekend definitely needs a part two. Not only did we eat our way through Singapore but it was also our five-month-old son’s first trip, so for us, our weekend was definitely one for the books!
