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Food review: Sorrel

SINGAPORE — First came “octaphilosophy”, a word Taiwanese chef Andre Chiang made up to describe his eight-course menus based on themes such as “memory”, “terroir” and “salt”. Then came “faux-raging”, a term used to describe restaurants who claim to forage for their ingredients when what they really do is tramp to the nearest planter outside to pluck some basil leaves.

Confit octopus with algae, cauliflower and potatoes.

Confit octopus with algae, cauliflower and potatoes.

SINGAPORE — First came “octaphilosophy”, a word Taiwanese chef Andre Chiang made up to describe his eight-course menus based on themes such as “memory”, “terroir” and “salt”. Then came “faux-raging”, a term used to describe restaurants who claim to forage for their ingredients when what they really do is tramp to the nearest planter outside to pluck some basil leaves.

Now allow us to introduce you to “bistronomy”, which the young team at Sorrel use to describe the dining experience they purvey. Essentially, it means fine-dining food served in a casual setting, so diners are greeted by a bustling open kitchen with a young crew that makes middle-agers feel positively geriatric.

At this chic, new restaurant owned by hotelier Loh Lik Peng, the average age of the kitchen crew is just a whisper past 20. And although executive chef Johnston Teo is only 24, he boasts big-name mentors such as Ryan Clift and Julian Royer, whose influences are starkly evident in his food.

The snack of delicate potato chips piped with dots of sour cream, for example, might strike frequent fine-diners as something they recognise from the restaurant Jaan. Which is not to say that Teo doesn’t have some good ideas of his own. His opening dish of fresh corn kernels in conpoy (dried scallop) dashi is a carefully calibrated concoction of textures, flavours and temperatures — like a pleasingly cool soup built with gentle layers of brininess, sweetness and crunch.

Similarly accomplished were the hand-dived scallops ingeniously paired with crisp almond-crusted foie gras and served on a gleaming pool of carrot emulsion flavoured with dried scallop dashi, tarragon and French butter. This new-generation surf-and-turf worked beautifully with its vividly fresh flavours that paired sweet and earthy to tremendous effect.

Other dishes, like the confit octopus with algae, cauliflower and potatoes fizzled. To put it bluntly, the muted, briny flavours and damp textures were too reminiscent of a muddy seashore. Meanwhile, our main of roasted baby chicken, though competent, could have come out of any accomplished kitchen, be it one in a home or restaurant.

Some hits include the second course of kohlrabi (a type of cabbage) — a few slivers raw and marinated in sesame paste, other morsels slow-roasted and hit with horseradish — and a comforting dessert of “textured milk” composed of wobbly panna cotta, sorbet and milk sago artfully arranged and brightened by wedges of clementine segments.

But we saved our highest praises for the limitless servings of petit milk buns, served warm and fresh out of the oven with a tiny dollop of browned butter and salt. (Do note that these are served only at dinner).

Prices here start at S$45 for a three-course lunch and inch up to S$118 for a seven-course dinner. There is no a la carte menu. ANNETTE TAN

Sorrel

Where: 21 Boon Tat Street

Telephone: 6221 1911

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 12pm to 2pm, 7pm to 10pm; Saturday, 7pm to 10pm; closed on Sundays.

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