Hidden away in the unofficial Koreatown of Tanjong Pagar is a sleek contemporary European establishment helmed by chef-owner Vincent Teng. Everything about the minimalist furnishings, from the palest lime green chairs with clear plastic legs, right down to the striped green and brown place mats, is appealing. When we showed up on a weeknight, we were pleasantly surprised to find the restaurant buzzing. They’d switched things up awhile ago, and just a quick glance at the menu revealed chef Teng’s disposition for employing the sous-vide technique. So we went with beef tartare—freshly ground beef crowned with a firm but still creamy semi-solid egg yolk that’s marinated in miso and truffle then sous-vide, accentuated by a light wasabi mayonnaise. Our pan-seared foie gras with salty-tart ume sauce was a delight, although we felt the kitchen had been a touch too generous with the sushi rice, which threw the otherwise well-balanced proportion of sweet mango slivers and arugula leaves off by a notch. Another sous-vide dish, the osmanthus-infused pork belly, had just the right crunch upon contact. Unfortunately, we missed the scent of osmanthus, although the pineapple tomato salsa endowed enough acidic bite to prevent the fatty meat from being too greasy, while the sweet potato pomme puree gave a lovely contrast to the sour fruits. Certainly a highlight of the evening was the most delicately-scented lavender and vanilla bean panna cotta, set with just enough gelatin to hold it together, while still affording it the sexiest wobble on our spoons. A convoy of balsamic vinegar, macerated-compressed strawberries, a sable biscuit and a scoop of strawberry sorbet accompanied it, but we were quite content to have it all on its own. The attentive and unintrusive service, welcoming space and beautifully-presented fare make this a good bet for an enjoyable dining experience all-around.
