Intimate is the word to describe Province, a tiny eight-seater at 153 Joo Chiat Road.
From the pebbled entrance to the large teakwood dining table, the restaurant is reminiscent of chef-owner Law Jia-Jun’s childhood home where he developed his culinary identity. It’s also where guests can observe the workings of the kitchen and service, as well as engage the team in conversation.
It’s an intimate vibe, yet its menu is anything but.
Chef Law’s seven-course prix fixe menu ($138++) is a showcase of Southeast Asian ingredients and flavours, championing diversity across the region.
Menus change every three months and include carrots, sweet potatoes, buah keluak, coconuts, soursop, and rare spices such as mahlesa from Northern Thailand.
Dishes* are artistically presented and reflect the chef’s experiences. We highlight several here.
The second course, Into the Garden, honours chef David Kinch of Manresa (it’s where Law made his debut in a professional kitchen). Kinch was a pioneering advocate of farm-to-table, ingredient-driven cooking, and his influence can be seen in Law’s dish – a momentary snapshot of vegetables in season, enhanced by calamansi vinaigrette and ginger flower oil.
With Tubers’ local and Thai Japanese sweet potatoes, Law reflects on his experiences harvesting sweet potatoes in Thailand. Finished with smoked sweet potato foam and chocolatey buah keluak purée, diners spoon all the components from the bottom to the top, as if they were pulling the tubers from the earth.
Finned, the fifth course, features grilled coral trout from Ah Hua Kelong served with mussel jus, smoked coconut cream, daikon purée and Chiang Rai sweet peas.
In Fruit, Law reimagines his father’s favourite sticky toffee date pudding with dried longans, lacing it with salted butterscotch and serving it warm with fresh longans poached in spiced white wine to enhance their flavour. Complete with longan sherbet, pickled Thai basil, and nutty, puffed rice crumble on the side, this sweet also combines textures and temperatures.
The other courses are a trio of Snacks, Molluscs, and Feathered, but we’ll leave you to discover those yourself. Province also serves craft beers from Singapore’s Niang Brewery and great wine from often understated vineyards.
Province is at 153 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427431.
*The menu is refreshed every three months so dishes may change.
