Atas Black Pepper Crab? What To Expect When HK’s Mott 32 Opens At Marina Bay Sands

The inspiration behind its name came from the address of the first Chinese grocery store in New York, but most people associate the words “32” and “Mott” with a swanky modern Chinese restaurant, rather than a musty historic store no longer in existence in NYC’s Chinatown. And on 24 January, Mott 32 will officially open its doors at Marina Bay Sands. Mott 32 is the baby of Maximal Concepts, the Hong Kong-based F&B group behind 18 other concepts, such as quick service restaurant The Pasta Factory, and chic Cantonese grill and dim sum joint John Anthony. The people behind them: Malcolm Wood, who grew up in Taipei eating his Chinese maternal grandmother’s home-cooked meals , and subsequently in England where he spent weekends at his paternal grandparents’ countryside home; UK-born Matt Reid who first collaborated with his lifetime friend Malcolm to organise sold-out parties; and former PWC senior auditor Xuan Mu, who also grew up in the UK, spending his teenage years helping out at his family’s Chinese restaurants. Yup — the three men have a stronger connection with UK than US, never mind the American associations Mott 32 has. The Singaporean outpost of this sleek lauded restaurant, launched in Hong Kong in 2014, will be the fourth Mott 32 restaurant to open in the world, after outposts in Vancouver and Las Vegas.

The original Mott 32 in Hong Kong is housed in a cavernous basement storage facility within the historic Standard Chartered building, transformed by Hong Kong architect Joyce Wang into a sexy space that marries industrial chic with Chinoiserie opulence. You’ll find the same award-winning aesthetics in the Singapore branch, which takes over part of the space previously occupied by Osteria Mozza. While Mott 32 Hong Kong’s decor showcases elements of the city’s historical background, the 149-seater here (vs HK’s 170 seats) features a Chinoiserie backdrop with richly detailed illustrations of foliage and flora — a nod to Singapore’s image as a garden city. You’ll also see glimpses of that dramatic arched ceiling in the HK restaurant, in the form of a structure resembling a lush conservatory. Within this, the same plush seats dressed in velveteen covers invite you to luxuriate in them while enjoying a feast.

As with all Mott 32 restaurants around the world, here you will find the portrait of 1920s starlet Anna May Wong — reportedly the first ever Chinese Hollywood movie actress. However, also look out for a special piece of art unique to the Singapore restaurant: an uber-realistic painting of a majestic lion, a nod to Singapore’s national animal, hanging outside the little boy’s room. All Mott 32 venues also have their unique statement chandelier. Here, it features an industrial-looking metal mesh outer shade, juxtaposed against a soft inner fabric shade featuring hand-painted foliage motif — a reflection of the contrasting sides of Singapore as “an industrial metropolis set amongst lush, verdant nature.”

On offer are three Singapore-exclusive cocktails inspired by the tropical garden city, such as the Harbour Dawn ($24) cocktail made of butter-washed vanilla rum, coconut, pandan, almond, verjus and champagne. There’s also the Velvet Crane (pictured: $24), a floral and herbaceous tipple with hints of nuttiness, made using gin, rose, pistachio, yellow chartreuse, and egg white.

Leading the culinary team here is Hong Kong-born executive chef Chan Wai Keung, an old hand with 34 years of culinary experience under his belt. He first moved to Singapore in 1991 to work at Tung Lok Group’s Noble House Restaurant, and subsequently Tower Club, The Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul, and Shangri-La Hotel in Wuhan China to name some. Most recently, he was director of Food & Beverage in Imperial Pacific Resort Hotel, Saipan.

Mott 32 has always been known for delivering the authentic flavours of Cantonese, Sichuan, and Beijing cuisine through the use of fine ingredients sourced from around the world. And the signature dish for the Singapore menu remains the famed apple wood-roasted Peking Duck ($108). The hefty 2kg Malaysian bird takes 48 hours to prepare, including long hours of marinating, air-drying in custom-made fridges and smoking over apple wood. The magic is also in the table-side presentation, when the crisp-skinned yet plump duck is meticulously sliced before your eyes. Available in limited quantities daily these ducks are made-to-order, and require a 24-hour advance reservation.

The menu here isn’t just a replica of HK’s. The Mott 32 Singapore menu has a lot more seafood dishes, more so than any other Mott 32 venue, to satiate our perpetual seafood craving. There is even a live seafood tank in the kitchen to ensure optimal freshness. Exclusive dishes to look out for include the Crispy Prawns with Salty Egg Yolk and Oatmeal ($38), and a “Singapore style” wok-fried live whole crab in black pepper (pictured: $15/100g).

The dishes here are also tweaked to pack more punch in terms of heat. One item touted as a must-try for spice-fiends: the Xiao Róng's Peppers ($28), named after the mother of Mott 32’s founder and managing and culinary director, Malcolm Wood. This is their rendition of a classic Sichuan dish, featuring grilled green pepper stuffed with a paste made of dace fish and Iberico pork. With lunch service starting from 11 February, diners can also look forward to their famed dim sum spread that includes fusion nibbles such as Iberico Pork with Soft Quail Egg and Black Truffle Siew Mai (pictured: $9 for two pieces) and Hot & Sour Shanghainese Soup Dumplings with South Australian Scallop and Prawn ($10 for four pieces).

At first glance, the prices of the dishes seem cheaper than in Hong Kong. For example, the signature Peking duck is listed at HKD750 (S$130) in Hong Kong, vs the $108 here. Similarly for the dim sum: The Hot & Sour Shanghainese soup dumplings are cheaper here, given the HKD95 (S$16 vs SG’s $10) pricing for the same serving of four pieces, and the siew mai a steal at $9 compared to the HKD70 ($12) for two. But before you succumb to your inner glutton and over-order, consider this: there is no GST in Hong Kong, so you do end up paying pretty much the same prices here lah.

Mott 32 opens on 24 January at #B1-42/43/44, Galleria Level, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Tel: 6688-9922. Open daily 11:30am - 2:30pm (from 11 Feb onwards); 3pm – 5pm; 5pm – 11pm. Bar & Lounge open daily 11:30am – midnight (Sun - Thurs); 11:30am – 2am (Fri & Sat) www.marinabaysands.com/restaurants/mott32.html