Ms Skinnyfat

A Food & Travel Blog from Singapore

Salt grill & Sky bar

By Thursday, May 08, 2014 , , , ,


I like to dine with the world under my feet and if you do too, then scoot over to the newly refreshed Salt Grill & Sky Bar at ION Orchard which provides a magnificent landscape of the Orchard Road skyline with their full glass floor-to-ceiling windows that span two storeys high. Swanky it is, Salt grill & Sky Bar serves up some Modern Australian cuisine by celebrity chef-restaurateur Luke Mangan and is known for its one-of-a-kind experience that begins even before guests enter the restaurant. Special concierge reception, private lift, exclusive dining area... it's hard not to feel special here.
I recently checked out their new space and also sampled the spring menu created by Executive Chef Mathew Leighton, who is the youngest Executive Chef in the group. But first, a tipple at the brand new bar. 
Crafted cocktails are a must here. On the left, the Salt Cooler is practically a health drink made from antioxidents (lotsa berries) with lemonade and cranberry juice. Well i preferred something stronger so it was The Australian by Luke Mangan ($18), a lightly spiced ginger based cognac-gin concoction.
Next, some canapes.The Tempura oyster, wakame salad, wasabi dressing. This is also available at Salt Tapas Bar (read review here) but it tasted better than i remembered. The juicy Lamb loin, mushroom duxelles in puff pastry were too addictive to stop at one. 
Modern Australian cuisine is an intersection of influences from cuisines around the world and i could taste that rightaway in the Amuse Bouche, Coconut broth with Sydney spice. Flavor-wise, it tasted very much like Thai Green Curry without the spice.

We then proceeded with our wine and dine event and our dishes were paired with drinks from the Award Winning New World Wine List of the Year 2013 by the World Gourmet Summit. There is also the signature range of eponymous 'Luke Mangan' wines which are produced in one of Australia’s leading wine estates - TarraWarra Estate in Yarra Valley, which Chef Mangan was personally involved in the selection of the grapes and the blending of the wines.

Wine with 1st and 2nd course. NV Clover Hill Tasmanian Cuvee Pipers River TAS, $19 per glass, $99 per bottle.
Something light and refreshing to start, the Sashimi of Kingfish with a sweet puree of ginger and eschalot and crumbles of goats feta ($33). 
Spring vegetables were served next with the mild goats curd, ginger bread crumbs and dried black olives ($31). These are probably sous vide to seal in the freshness of spring.

Wine with 3rd and 4th course. 2011 Yabby Lake Chardonnay Mornington VIC, $140 per bottle. 
I love my eggs and the 'Glass' Sydney crab omelette ($33) totally won me over with the precious sheets of runny egg in the center, enoki mushroom and herb salad in miso mustard broth. A generous serving of sweet crab meat was wrapped in the golden parcel. This is certainly a light dish that is refreshing with a basil taste (again, this is almost Thai food). 
Signature starters include the Tea smoked quail ($31), an original creation in which the bird is smoked with a combination of earl grey tea and rice, and nicely paired with almond cream, prunes, truffled grains (i believe there is quinoa), grilled shallot, sorrel. There are so many dimensions and flavors to this dish and i was slowly savoring each component. I haven't had prunes in a dish for sometime and it went well with the smokey tender quail.

For mains, we had the Sirloin Rangers Valley, New South Wales, 300 days grain fed Wagyu ($74). Moroccan spice, sauté spinach, eggplant puree, red wine sauce  Wasabi, whole grain mustard. Fantastic aubergine spiced purée. Pick your cut from the meat board before having it grilled to your preference (only medium rare for me).

Paired with 2010 Luke Mangan Shiraz by TarraWarra Estate Yarra Valley VIC, $25 per glass, $125 per bottle.
Other mains include Lamb loin cutlet ($69) enveloped in foie gras mustard crust and served with spiced parsnip puree, almonds and dates; Whole baby snapper ($53) with bacon and Prawn a la meuniere. 
Dessert was pleasantly surprising with Luke’s liquorice parfait ($18). I don't quite like licorice but i was amazed at how interesting the flavor and texture worked together especially with lime. You gotta try it for yourself.

NV Buller Fine Old Muscat Rutherglen VIC, $18 per glass, $160 per bottle. This was like liquid honey.


Salt Grill & Sky Bar also does an affordable but impressive 2 - 3 course set lunch menu on weekdays (12 - 2pm) that is from from $45 onwards. Definitely perfect for corporate diners seeking to impress clients. Degustation Menus are also available daily for lunch and dinner (4/6 course from $98 onwards). Wine pairing is also available.
With the Celebrity Chef Luke Mangan. He's such a humorous and entertaining chef.
Poster boy Executive Chef Mathew Leighton.

I enjoyed every dish that we sampled for the media tasting. Everything worked and that is so hard to come by these days. I'm becoming such a jaded food writer! Certainly would be back to have brunch and tea!

Salt Grill & Sky Bar by Luke Mangan
55th and 56th floors, ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 6592 5118
Daily: 11am - 11pm
Daily Afternoon Tea: 2 - 6pm
Brunch (weekends and PH): 11am - 2pm

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About the Author

C is a tiny food and travel blogger with a voracious appetite for life, a demanding eater who is on a perpetual holiday. expect her to intensify hunger pangs and exacerbate wunderlust. #MsSkinnyfat # TravelerinTransit

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