Restaurant Born – positioned within the Jinriksha Building (often known as the Jackie Chan constructing), is probably one of the vital awaited restaurant openings in 2022. Development of the idea took some time and was ultimately formed by the attractive, naturally-lit area that the founders have been in a position to safe in Tanjong Pagar.
Helmed by Chef Zor Tan, who initially hails from Malaysia, Restaurant Born is a extremely private affair with dishes named and impressed by numerous phases of his culinary profession. In that sense, the identify “Born” heralds a brand new chapter in Zor Tan’s journey the place he sees anew with the eyes of a kid – curious and ever open to risk.
It shouldn’t be very straightforward to place a nationality to the delicacies at Born. Perhaps the perfect description could be that it marries the class and subtlety of French gastronomy with a deep information of Chinese components and flavors. Dining right here, one would discover the preparation and presentation to be extremely Western with flavors which might be undeniably Asian. The flavors are daring but acquainted – every dish encapsulating a set of reminiscences and representing the culinary expression of the chef.
The set menu at Restaurant Born is priced at S$368++ for dinner, with each alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks pairing out there. At the second, the restaurant shouldn’t be open for lunch however a lunch menu is within the works.
Snacks
The opening quantity consists of a multi-plate ‘Pickles & Snacks’ course embodying Chef Zor’s delicacies philosophy. A number of pickles heads the course: Winter Melon with Purple Shiso Jus, Pickled Japanese Daikon Skin, and Jellyfish Pickled with Mountain Chilli.
The subsequent sequence begins with Tomato / Smoked Plum / Basil through which Zor recollects his father bringing dwelling recent mango and guava. The younger Zor would put bitter plum powder on prime of the fruit slices, inspiring these capsules.
Next is Chicken Skin Mille Feuille / Eggplant / Caviar, a tribute to his mum’s fried egg plant with pork stomach.
Abalone / Burnt Chilli Pesto / Garlic Crisps spherical up this set. Growing up in a fishing village, Zor beloved consuming cockles with chili. Here he ‘elevates’ the expertise and serves abalone with chili.
The third sequence opens with Fish Bacon / Sweet and Sour Sauce / Homemade Chilli Oil, impressed by reminiscences consuming
Mei Ren Yu (美⼈鱼), crispy fried smelt fish that may be a widespread aspect dish for ‘economic rice’.
The Taro Puff / Salted Egg Custard / “Bottarga” spherical up the snacks. It’s primarily based on his mum’s taro gula melaka puff. These snacks touch upon life’s vicissitudes (酸甜苦辣) and the way he has ‘progressed’ to having the ability to afford the consumption of premium seafood.
1st Course – First Kitchen Job
The first course, aptly known as “First Kitchen Job: is an ode to Chef Zor’s first F&B position in a Japanese restaurant in Singapore. Prior to that, he was truly working within the semiconductors trade. The flavors recall the acquainted mixture of soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger. Kobujime is utilized to age the buri in kombu, earlier than mixing it with a house-blend of sesame dressing and pickled mustard seeds. The dish is paired with daikon that’s seasoned with a fermented ginger dressing. A galangal snow with mild spice and bitter notes additional provides to the various taste profile of this dish.
2nd Course – Spain and Home
“Spain and Home” is the identify of the second course. Essentially, a fried “bao” with aged beef and oyster, the dish took root at Restaurant Diver Xo in Spain the place Zor witnessed the Spanish chef make ‘bao’. The glutinous rice balls have been completely chewy and tender with the classic Wagyu beef tartare offering for a savory shock inside. I particularly beloved the oyster emulsion as properly – I’d counsel placing as a lot of it as attainable on the “bao”.
third Course – Favorite Root Vegetable
Chef Zor’s time at Restaurant Andre launched him to the Jerusalem artichoke which grew to become one among his favourite greens and the main focus for the third course, Jerusalem Artichoke / Lily Bulbs / Caviar – a course he calls “Favorite Root Vegetable”. It is a dish with a candy and savory profile, the place artichoke is paired with the milkiness and sweetness of white chocolate and contrasted with savory caviar. The uncooked Chinese lily bulb provides a water-chestnut-like texture and taste to a creation without delay complementary, contrasting and sudden.
4th Course – Legend
With the 4th course – Chicken Liver /Smoked Oil / Forest Mushroom known as “Legend”, Zor pays tribute to his mentor, Chef Andre Chiang. Here, Zor presents his personal interpretation of the long-lasting Foie Gras Parfait that Chef Andre is understood for – a rebirth that brings into focus the weather of delivery, relationship, and progress. Chicken liver – an under-appreciated ingredient – is elevated into an indulgent flan. Chicken liver normally tastes so much sharper however Chef Zor manages to make it a splendidly creamy affair that’s extra in keeping with foie gras.
fifth Course – Working With Sichuan Chefs
Zor’s time in Macau, the place he grew to like the traditional Sichuan dish ‘duo jiao yu tou’ ( 剁椒鱼头 ), make reminiscences and the central theme of the subsequent course. Monkfish / Fermented Capsicum / Chicken Fat was served on the a-la-carte menu there and now he introduces the identical in Singapore. The dish presents a variation of textures and flavors consisting of a seasonal
white fish delicately steamed, served with fermented imperial chili, topped with a textural ‘Yu Mu Er’ (玉木耳) – jade fungus from Yunnan – a velvety emulsified rooster fats accented with Sichuan peppercorn and completed with a smoky charcoal oil.
sixth Course – To Grace
With the sixth course, Fish Maw / Chinese Cabbage / Smoked Eel, Zor weaves right into a dish a number of meanings – delivery, relationship, progress, and legacy. After the delivery of their first little one, Zor’s spouse was fed a confinement dish consisting of collagen-rich fish maw, which served to nourish and hasten the restoration of latest moms. Inspired, Zor utilized a traditional French chou farci approach to wrap smoked eel and cabbage in recent barramundi fish maw, then the parcel is additional wrapped in cabbage and one other layer of caul fats earlier than pan-searing. Zor then tops it with julienned uncooked cabbage stems and fried fish maw for distinction in texture.
seventh Course – Life Gets Better
Alaskan King Crab / Glutinous Rice / Crab Bisque is the seventh course. One can anticipate a mixture of textures right here, from glutinous rice balls referred to as ‘tang yuan’ (汤圆) – reminders of household reunions as a toddler in Perak, and the mud crabs his father would catch for the celebration. This was my first time to style a savory model of ‘tang yuan’ and right here, Zor’s intention is to make use of these dumplings made with rice flour exchange the normal rice course. The accompanying Alaskan crab meat is steamed entire, shelled, then brushed with fermented yellow soybean paste. Crab miso fill the glutinous rice balls whereas beetroot and spinach juice type the coloring – all completed with crab roe sauce, crab bisque and butter and a small dollop of egg white caviar.
eighth Course – Circle of Life
The eighth dish, Pigeon / Grains / Corn, is an exemplar of the ‘celebration of food web’ within the Circle of Life; together with a nod to delivery within the creation of a brand new dish. Depicting a pigeon within the corn discipline, the dish showcases a confit and bincho-grilled pigeon breast and leg served alongside rooster inventory cooked barley, pearl corn, sunflower seeds, shallots and tomatoes which were baked till dehydrated. The grains are overlaid with a layer of thinly sliced pearl corn and garnished with Cosmos petals. The true star of this dish is the leg – extraordinarily crunchy and succulent on the similar time with the garlic bread crumbs.
Pre-Dessert
Our pre-dessert consisted of Double Boiled Bird’s Nest served with osmanthus syrup, osmanthus sorbet and topped with chrysanthemum petals. Zor created the palate cleansar with the “Gui Hua Jiu Niang Tang Yuan” conventional dessert in thoughts.
ninth Course – Dessert
Growing up and attending Chinese celebratory dinners at eating places, rice was usually the final dish of the feast. This thought led Zor to create Toasted Rice / Chestnut / Sable, a dessert with milk ice cream, toasted rice cream, puffed rice, caramel, black garlic, sable, French chestnut puree and Chinese candied chestnuts. The mixture of components speaks of Zor’s roots with its cross-cultural bridging of approach and affect in addition to the high-level craft wanted to execute it. This intensely gooey quantity is Zor’s playful interpretation of the Mont Blanc dessert.
Petit Fours
We end the dinner with one other reminder of the vicissitudes of life – or actually bitter, candy, bitter and spicy (酸甜苦辣). Specifically, this consisted of Sea Buckthorn Jelly, Lotus Puff Pastry, Bittergourd Bon Bon and Spice Beef Fat Financier. Of the 4, I notably beloved the financier. Restaurant Born does its pastries excellently.
What I really like concerning the meals at Restaurant Born is exactly that it isn’t predictable. The extremely private contact provides character to the dishes, with the creativity and thought extremely discernable. The set menu at Restaurant Born is supposed to be seasonal – with this debut menu lasting the longest properly into the first quarter of 2023. I’m already fairly excited to see what the subsequent chapter holds.
Restaurant Born
1 Neil Road
Singapore 088804
92708718
+65 6223 3292
Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Saturday, 6PM to 11PM
