Seasons Bistro | 3/5

SINGAPORE — Seasons Bistro bills itself as an American bistro, but its Singaporean executive chef Benjamin Fong prefers to keep it light.

His enthusiasm for seasonality and sustainability is breathed into his menu. For example, the restaurant uses Marine Stewardship Council-certified seafood wherever possible. It is there in his yellowtail tuna taco (S$16), which features the lightly seared fish, still raw on the inside, brushed with creamy avocado mayo and brightened with salsa verde and pickled onions. This starter was lovely — light, fresh and full of lively flavours and textures.

Fong changes his menu seasonally, although there are several evergreens. The mainstays include the Surf & Turf gumbo, pan-seared foie gras and buttermilk fried chicken.

While the buttermilk fried chicken (S$24) was well marinated, juicy and very tender, the house-made ketchup that came with it suffered from strong citrusy notes of passion fruit and mango. Perhaps some classics shouldn’t be messed around with.

On the other hand, that the Surf & Turf gumbo (S$29) was nothing like traditional gumbo found in places like New Orleans was a boon. Fong makes a fresher tomato-based rendition with a vibrant kick from the use of chillies and generous pieces of chicken, chorizo and prawns.

While the pan-seared foie gras (S$18), served with chocolate ganache, bacon jam, caramelised bananas and granola crumbs, sounded like it would have been a fun combination, it didn’t quite come together cohesively. Each individual element was delicious, but the duck liver’s flavour was lost among all those sweets.

Speaking of sweets, there was succour to be found at dessert, where the red velvet cheesecake (S$14) impressed with its smooth not-too-sweet filling and crunchy base. The mojito tart’s (S$13) sharp and tangy lime curd filling alone is worth a trip here, even if the pastry it sits in could be a lot crisper. ANNETTE TAN

3/5

Seasons Bistro is #01-11/12 Tripe One Somerset. Tel: 6836 5841. Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, 11am to midnight; Friday 11am to 2am; Saturday 10am to 2am; Sunday 10am to midnight.