Culinary Designer is Chef Trevor Paulo of Xperience Restaurant at Sofitel So Singapore! How else can we explain the dish after dish of precisely plated art from his Signature menu that were sent out of the immaculate open kitchen? I believe Trevor is rather OCD (all that temperature monitoring and perfect swooshes) when it comes to transforming the fresh seasonal produce into their modern European-Japanese dish form. As rigid as that may sound, his plates do not bore! Here are the highlights!
Cured salmon ($25) adorned with cucumber shavings, pickled cauliflower, dill & coriander pearls, tobiko, and finished with a fermented apple juice. Fermentation is the hottest technique in the culinary world right now (so I say) and can I please have a bottle of that tangy apple juice! This appetizer more than serves its purpose of getting our stomach ready for the night. Light and cool dish, with a hint of citrus, ending on a wasabi note. I wouldn't mind a slightly smoky fish to accent the dish though.
I preferred the bright bursts of flavors in the Spanner Crab ($25). The lime mayonnaise, spring herbs, sansho, and wasabi snow brought out the sweetness of the meat. This wouldn't be out of place in a Japanese restaurant for sure.
For the main course, treat yourself to hearty meat dishes like the juicy Beef Short Rib ($38) with all types of onion! White onion purée, leek confit, spring onion tempura, onion paper, and a shallot jus embellished this braised Australian Wagyu short rib. The meat was first sous vide for 36-48h at 68 deg and then seared for a little crispiness. Knives not allowed! This could have been an onion dish because i didn't quite miss the slightly bland meat at all.
The Lamb Confit ($38) is a much more interesting choice, served with Ginger Carrot Puree, Kenya Beans, Asparagus, Heirloom Carrots and Vadouvan Jus (a special blend of Indian spices that brings Indian curry to mind). The choice of cut ensures that the meat isn't dry and the spice blend helps to take away the gamey flavor.
Desserts were prettily plated (if not more so than the mains). Chef was a little heavy handed on the baking soda in the Carrot cake ($22) and I could feel it coat my tongue. The cake was packed with carrot, walnut, but easy on the cinnamon spice; It goes well with the cream cheese, but not the oily bland maple soil; apricot sorbet that came with the cake tasted like sour plum to me (it didn't quite go together IMO). Hits and misses in this one for me.
If you want some fanfare, the Chocolate Dome ($24) of Araguani Chocolate is melted with hot vanilla cremeux. All that ivory snow and hazelnut ice cream will melt into nothingness. I hardly had a taste of the ice cream! I would prefer to eat my dessert, instead of drink it.
Image: The Shutterwhale
For more fun, check out the latest Xperience Celebrations ($100 for 4pax). Instead of having a plain 'ol cake, Chef Trevor will create a customized dessert right in front of you. Trust that it's the one and only because every dessert is different. I was asked to smash a chocolate dome for ours!
Looking for pretty dishes and a fun night out? Head on over to Xperience Restaurant at Sofitel So Singapore.
Looking for pretty dishes and a fun night out? Head on over to Xperience Restaurant at Sofitel So Singapore.
Images by Sofitel So Singapore.
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