Liberty Group, known for its cosmopolitan dining and bars in Hong Kong, has opened Liberty Singapore at Marina Bay Financial Centre, its first overseas Asian smokehouse.
At its helm are chefs Yong Soo-Do, a Canadian-Korean, and Chris Tuthill, an American southerner from Liberty Exchange Hong Kong, who offer delectable fusions of Asian and Southern U.S. barbecue dishes.
Aside from its private dining room, Liberty Singapore can accommodate 132 guests indoors. Additionally, it has an eight-seat bar and an outdoor dining area for up to 60 diners.
Begin with Corn Bread ($6++ for two) – a sweet-savoury snack baked as madeleines accompanied by a Chinese-inspired cream cheese dip – is a hit. We also recommend the Hamachi ($28++): lightly grilled kingfish slices topped with mango ponzu salsa, grapefruit, shallot chips, and fresh jalapeño.
Salmon Tartare ($23++) pays homage to Thai flavours with nam jim dressing, a sweet and tangy Thai chilli dipping sauce. It also includes smoked avocado puree and pickled daikon rounded out with spring onion oil.
In Short-Rib Dumpling ($22++), beef brisket, short ribs, and prawns are combined as the filling. To add brightness, the fried dumplings are topped with a Korean-inspired herb salad and a chilli vinaigrette.
Kalbi Short-Rib ($32++/100g) are tender short ribs that have been smoked in cherry wood for 12 hours and then sous-vided for another six hours. It results in succulent, fall-off-the-bone meat served with a crisp spring onion salad that cuts through the fat.
Smoked meats are the stars at this restaurant, so order the Char Siu Pork Belly ($24++/100g), too. Cooked for 16 hours, this Cantonese-style barbecued pork has three layers of rich, melt-in-the-mouth meat, skin, and fat.
Share the Prawn Tagliatelle ($32++) for an Asian-Italian twist with two large tiger prawns paired with Sambal Bisque sauce and garnished with Tobiko and Negi, which offers a spicy and savoury seafood-infused taste complemented by brininess from the roe.
Still have room for dessert? The Apple Pie ($14++) is the perfect sweet ending. A generous scoop of five-spiced smoked ice cream tops this flaky pie with juicy, caramelised apple chunks.
Those celebrating their birthdays are in for a treat with 50 percent off one main course with every $150 spent.
Liberty Singapore is at Marina Bay Financial Centre, Tower 2, #01-04.
