Nadaman is the first Japanese restaurant I have eaten at in Singapore, so it holds good memories for me. It's had a long history but its culinary repertoire remains classically Japanese. I had not been back in a long while, but now that they have a new head chef, I thought I would go and see what it is like.

Chef Ishizuka Takaya comes to us from Nadaman Zipangu Tokyo. Before returning to Japan, he helmed the kitchens of Nadaman at Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong for seven years.

Driven by the desire to impart his Japanese culinary skills to young aspiring chefs in Hong Kong, he also joined the recognised VTC Hospitality Industry Training Development Centre as a culinary instructor for two years.

Chef Ishizuka comes from a family of chefs and discovered his passion for cooking at the tender age of nine. He started with the Nadaman group in 1991 and honed his skills at the flagship restaurant at Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.

He will use his 23 years of expertise to present seasonal and regional specialties from the countryside, which are often more interesting, fresh in flavour, simple yet delicious.

Photo courtesy of Shangri-La Singapore  

We were treated to the lovely Aoi Kaiseki (about S$165++ for dinner), which showcased some of Chef Ishizuka's signature items. We also saw many new ingredients never seen before.



Assorted Appetizer:
boiled spring vegetables topped with bonito flakes and mild sauce,
milk tofu with wasabi sauce,
firefly squid with spring cabbage and seaweed in vinegar miso sauce.

All three are delicate starters, and I loved the vinegar miso sauce. The firefly squid is so tiny (these are fully cooked, so I guess no painful jabs of insemination will happen if you chomp on them).




Soup:
Clear "Hamaguri" clam soup, fish and clam cake, and "Udo" bud

A simple broth with seafood goodness. The Japanese are so good at this.



I was very curious about the Udo bud, so I asked to see what it was like before cooking. Turns out it's a root vegetable, much like a yam. I think it was cut into white strips in the soup.


And next came the Sashimi course (first photo above) - beautiful sweet slices of fresh fish with real grated wasabi. I've strangely gone off sashimi (or maybe I just can't tolerate moderate quality sashimi anymore), but really good sashimi like this restores my faith and interest again.



Bonus course - seasonal vegetables on ice
This was not on the menu, but it was absolutely delightful. Ambrosial tomatoes, watermelon radish, carrots, apple-like radishes, mizuna and various seasonal produce served with a superb mayo dip.




Simmered dish:
White radish, sea bream roe, "Fuki" vegetable and carrot

Simple fresh flavours. The "Fuki" vegetable is a butterbur native to Japan. It's a spring vegetable akin to celery or rhubarb, and slightly bitter. You eat the stalk, which is crunchy.



Another bonus course!
This time of butter-fried asparagus and abalone. Amazingly done. There is a teppan genius at work here, I tell you.



Deep-fried dish:
Tempura mild cod roe with Shiso leaves, Japanese smelt fish and "Taranome" with light bonito soy sauce

The cod roe wrapped with Shiso leaves stood out with its stronger flavours. The taranome is also interesting if you've never had it before. It's a mountain vegetable, usually found in the wild, and the shoots are often eaten in the spring.




Grilled Dish:
Pan-fried Japanese sirloin beef with teriyaki and vegetable, served with radish vinegar soy sauce and pickled garlic

What did I say about teppan genius? Here comes my favourite dish of the night. Honestly, look at the marbling in that wagyu - there's more fat than meat! It's good fat, by the way, mostly monounsaturated, but still feels so sinful! The grilled mushrooms were also delicious.

Love the dipping sauces as well - a ponzu with radish and a garlic soy sauce.




The Kamameshi steamed rice is the final course before dessert. Oh lovely Sakura shrimp - the aroma that wafted out was incredible. Lots of tender bamboo shoot too.



The rice is served with pickles and red bean miso soup. Your carb filler at the end of the meal.



Dessert:
vanilla ice cream, sago and gula melaka

This is uncharacteristically unJapanese, but still good to the last rich coconutty drop.



Nadaman belongs to the group of restaurants first founded in 1830 in Osaka. This kaiseki dinner was not only tasty but quite educational. Chef did well bringing in seasonal produce and transforming them into

You can see the Shangri-La Singapore outlet's full menus online.


NADAMAN
Lobby Level, Tower Wing
22 Orange Grove Road
Singapore 258350
Tel: +65 6213-4571
Open daily
Lunch: noon to 2.30pm
Dinner: 6pm to 10.30pm




Many thanks to Shangri-La Hotel Singapore for the invitation

Dallas Cuddy of The Prime Society became guest chef at Starfish Bloo at W Retreat & Spa Seminyak in Bali, Indonesia last month. The Melbourne-born chef lent his Nobu-honed skills and sunny smile to beautifully designed lunch and dinner menus at the award-winning resort. This was where he had free rein to play with ingredients and let his creativity shine through.

And it wasn't just his food that looked good, the dude is ridiculously photogenic - one shot (above) and I was done. Dang. That's too easy.

Photo courtesy of W Retreat & Spa Bali

And what a gorgeous place the Starfish Bloo is. The Pan-Asian eatery is best known for local seafood and special signature creations. This is an official photo. Too bad I didn't think of taking pictures at sunset or twilight. Isn't it just stunning?



Starfish Bloo is also where you can enjoy a full breakfast/brunch against the picturesque backdrop of Seminyak’s sandy beachfront. It is blissfully warm - think weather in the 30s deg C (90s deg F), but the sea breezes help to diffuse the tropical humidity. (Boy, all the people freezing in New York and East Coast of USA this past uberwinter...yes, you need to come here).

The W Retreat & Spa here is jawdroppingly amazing - I am doing a separate and detailed review on the resort (once I have finished ploughing through my 900+ photos). Want to see the Presidential Suite that Paris Hilton and Mika Häkkinen stayed in? Well, separately, I presume... Yes, will show you those luxurious pads in an upcoming post.



But back to the food! The W Bali had invited me to join the Dallas Cuddy media lunch, and it was such a privilege.



We met wonderful people from the Indonesia media.



Here's Dallas Cuddy with Richard Millar, Director of Cuisine at the W Bali, who was also his mentor 10 years back in Australia. What a nice reunion.



Salmon Custard with Black Bread, Citrus and Roe
The first course took us on a taste and texture adventure right away. The soft whipped salmon custard contrasted with the crunchy squid-ink lavash. Hints of yuzu delicately perfumed the custard while the salmon roe added salty punctuation.

The lunch came with cocktail pairings, concocted by the very talented Yudi Hendarsyah, Food & Beverage Manager at W Retreat and Spa Bali Seminyak.



Sherbet Mojito
This is a delightful orange take on the usual lime-rum-mint mojito. Yudi would astound us with the various cocktails that he had conjured up just for this event. The fact that he is largely self-trained impresses us even more. Speaking to him, we could see that it was a deep passion for his craft that drives him to explore what works and what doesn't in the world of mixology.



Scallops with grilled cucumber, and sea urchin
Clean and bold flavours came together here in the same showcase. The scallops were sliced real thin to melt in the mouth. The mellow grilled cucumber makes an earthy backdrop for the briny rich uni.

You can see the Japanese influence here. Nobu was a big turning point for Dallas. It was a whole new cuisine, like a new language to pick up. Japanese food focuses on light, fresh, subtle flavours and balance. Dallas finds that their respect for produce is amazing - from the whole life cycle and preparation of food, right down to filleting of fish.




CO2 Bubble Margarita
Blood orange spherification meets fizzy espuma carbonation in a fun and delicious drink.




Duck breast with parfait, semi-dried carrot, mustard seeds
This was the course that won top raves around the table. The duck was roasted perfectly with flavours that blew us away. The dehydrated carrots proved amazing - it was not just flavour but colour that became more concentrated. And yet they retained a lovely sweet crunch. That orange sheet? A candied carrot puree crisp that added even more textural contrast to the tender duck breast.

Dallas likes different treatments of the same ingredient, so the three Ts - taste, temperature and texture - come into play across all his dishes.



W Cuba Libra
The W housemade cherry cola (with dry ice in bottle) is poured into a glass of Ron Zacapa dark rum with glass top. The results is a mysteriously billowing concoction that has the headiness of a good red wine - perfect pairing with the duck.




Intense Pod chocolate pudding, honeycomb and hibiscus salt
Dessert came in an unexpectedly large bowl. I think chocolate lovers will go absolutely bananas, because this is the BEST chocolate I have ever had (and I'm not even a chocolate fiend). Yes, better than Valrhona or whatnot hoity toity high end brands. And guess what? The chocolate is produced from cocoa beans grown right here in Bali! Pod Chocolate is opposite Ubud, near the Sangeh Monkey Forest on the grounds of Bali Elephant Camp. Pity we didn't have enough time to hop over for a tour.

The aerated white chocolate and crunchy honeycomb go well with the pudding, but I love the sprinkles of hibiscus salt that give a subtle lift to the sweetness. Turns out Dallas prefers savoury desserts (ah, me too!). This dessert has some Spanish influence - they have something similar made of chocolate, olive oil and salt.



Alexander Nitro
As if that huge bowl of chocolate nirvana was not enough, there's a dessert cocktail too. Lychee Vodka gelee with a scoop of frozen brandy, Baileys and lychee ice cream. The aroma of cinnamon powder is carried by more dry ice. Love the dented spoon served with the open can too.

The nightly tasting menus ran from about IDR700K++ (~US$60++) for five courses and IDR980K++ (~US$84) with cocktail pairings, which I thought were really good deals, especially with the cocktails.




I met some really nice Indonesian food bloggers - Ian (in pink shirt) of LyonandMia.com who also runs JKTgo.com, and Hans (in green shirt) who does Eats and Treats. We were hosted by the lovely Aini (far right) from W Bali who took great care of us during our 3D2N stay.

Dallas is a wonderful chef to talk to. He's known since the age of 12 that he wanted to be a chef, and his sporting background trained him to be competitive and strong-minded (endurance matters when you have to spend long hours in the kitchen with strong personalities).

This stint at W Bali allowed him to showcase his techniques, teach the staff here what he knows, and come up with something we could all enjoy.

He is also opening a new restaurant in Singapore this year, one that will offer food that is more along this playful style. It's a refinement he wants to get back to. I hope we get to hear more of that development soon.


STARFISH BLOO
Jl. Petitenget, Seminyak, Bali 80361 Indonesia
Tel: +62 (361) 3000 106
Open daily
Breakfast 07:00 AM - 10:30 AM;
Lunch 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM;
Dinner 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM;
Sunday Brunch 12:00 PM - 3:30 PM




All photos (except where indicated) taken with the Canon EOS 70D kindly loaned by Canon Singapore. Ah, I miss that camera.  

Wow what a night.

The Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2014 have been unveiled. We've now got Taiwan and Korea represented, although Malaysia looks sorely missing. Quite a few new entrants, and Singapore did well with eight restaurants in the list, including two in the Top 10 - Waku Ghin (no.7) and Restaurant Andre (no.6).

My full story on the awards is up on Yahoo and Makansutra (cover story right now)
http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/eight-singapore-restaurants-asia-50-best-restaurants-2014-041904308.html

http://www.makansutra.com/stories/3/1099/EightSingaporeRestaurantsMakeAsia%E2%80%99s50BestRestaurants2014

But here are some event photos, so you can take in some of the fun. This year the event at Capella Singapore is a bit more exclusive with very limited tickets available.



We started the day with a media roundtable with the Winner of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Lifetime Achievement Award 2014, hosted by award sponsor Diners Club International. This year it is Ivan Li of Family Li Imperial Cuisine. Here he is seated (centre) with his wife (right) and Diners Club president Eduardo Tobon (left).

The award lauds Ivan's efforts at preserving and promoting imperial court cuisine from the Qing dynasty. Ivan's great-grandfather oversaw the imperial kitchens under the formidable but food-loving Empress Dowager Cixi. He passed down handwritten recipes to the subsequent generations. But it wasn't until 1984 or so that the family opened their first restaurant in a humble hutong in Beijing, after one of Ivan's siblings won a national cooking competition.

Family Li Imperial Cuisine tries to retain original flavours of the ingredients used with simple seasoning (salt, sugar, soy, vinegar, etc) as was used in the courts. No modern additives or condiments like oyster sauce, tenderiser or MSG. It all boils down to cooking techniques.



From that small one-table restaurant in Beijing, the cuisine won favour with many dignitaries and celebrities (Bill Clinton, Mohammad Ali, Mick Jagger). Ivan helped the family open more restaurants. Apart from the two restaurants in Beijing, Family Li Imperial Cuisine is now in Tianjin and Tokyo (two Michelin starred), and one in Melbourne.

They are planning to open in Taipei and Paris, But their main challenge is finding and training the right chefs. "It is not experience, but passion that matters. They must like cooking and have a feel for it," says Ivan.

It was fascinating learning about what the imperial kitchens and etiquette were like in the Qing dynasty under Cixi. They served 130-150 dishes at every meal, under tight supervision and security. The Emperor had his own personal kitchen and dined alone (no, no romantic dinners with concubines).

Some of the ingredients used then are rare today, like elephant trunk, bear's paw and belly, tiger meat, and swan. Venison was popular, but we learned the Manchurians did not eat horse, dog or snake. Lobster was not part of court cuisine, but the Li family has managed to use the old cooking techniques to bring out the best in this crustacean.




I was walking by when Bobby Chinn waved me over for a photo together. No, he doesn't know me. Probably thinks I'm a Chinese waitress. Oh, he's moved to London where he's opened the "House of Ho"... Hmm, that is so him. Oh well, he is quite the character.

iPhone 4S photo

Meanwhile, over at the main event, it was a Who's Who of culinary greats. Everywhere you look, there's an accomplished chef or restauranteur.




Chef Andre Chiang really stood out with his blue shirt and pink pants, when most people were dressed in black.

iPhone 4S photo

Narisawa-san kindly obliged for a photo (thanks to Jeffrey Merihue of Chowzter/Mofilm who knows him well). Narisawa was no.1 on the 2013 list.




Chef Julien Royer from JAAN giving a video soundbite. He was last year's "One to Watch".



San Pellegrino is of course one of the key sponsors.




The contingent from India, with Manjit Gill from Bukhara (no.27) later to win the S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in India. In total, India has six entries on the list.



Chef Andre Chiang (left) won the respected Chefs’ Choice Award, voted for by his peers on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Restaurant Andre is also the San Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Singapore. Here he is with Yoshihiro Narisawa and Seiji Yamamoto.




Taiwan's Lanshu Chen (lady in middle) is the Veuve Cliquot Best Female Chef. Her restaurant Le Moût in Taichung City entered the list this year at no.24.

Best Pastry Chef this year is also female - it's our very own Janice Wong of 2am:dessertbar, winning the title for the second year in a row.

But of course, everybody wants to know who is no.1!



We were met with some surprise when Narisawa was announced at no.2, also the Best Restaurant in Japan. Which meant no.1 was a restaurant not in Japan. It was David Thompson's Nahm in Bangkok.



As usual, it ended with everyone up on stage. All 50 of Asia's best.

Photo from Daniel Ang

It was an awesome evening, with fellow foodies and fabulous friends. I was looking disheveled towards the end, but Daniel remained impeccably stylish (thanks for the nice photo, Daniel!).




So here is the full list of award winners. I just had Waku Ghin and am going to Andre's tonight, so I will bring you reviews of both places in coming weeks.

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014

1. Nahm – Bangkok, Thailand
2. Les Créations de Narisawa – Tokyo, Japan
3. Gaggan – Bangkok, Thailand
4. Amber – Hong Kong, China
5. Nihonryori Ryugin – Tokyo, Japan
6. Restaurant Andre – Singapore
7. Waku Ghin – Singapore
8. Ultraviolet – Shanghai, China
9. Lung King Heen 龍景軒 – Hong Kong, China
10. 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana – Hong Kong, China
11. Mr & Mrs Bund – Shanghai, China
12. Iggy’s – Singapore
13. Caprice – Hong Kong, China
14. Les Amis – Singapore
15. Bo Innovation – Hong Kong, China
16. Kagurazaka Ishikawa – Tokyo, Japan
17. Jaan – Singapore
18. L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon – Hong Kong
19. Fook Lam Moon 福臨門 – Hong Kong, China
20. Jungsik – Seoul, Korea
21. Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin – Bangkok, Thailand
22. Quintessence – Tokyo, Japan
23. Tippling Club – Singapore
24. Le Mout – Taichung City, Taiwan
25. L’Effervescene, Tokyo, Japan
26. Fu 1015 – Shanghai, China
27. Bukhara – India
28. Bo.Lan – Bangkok, Thailand
29. Indian Accen, at The Manor – New Delhi, India
30. Dum Pukht – New Delhi, India
31. Issaya Siamese Club – Bangkok, Thailand
32. Varq – New Delhi, India
33. 28 Hubin Road – Hangzhou, China
34. Takazawa – Tokyo, Japan
35. Shinji by Kanesaka – Singapore
36. Wasabi by Morimoto – Mumbai, India
37. Eat Me – Bangkok, Thailand
38. Sukiyabashi Jiro – Tokyo, Japan
39. Robochon Au Dome – Macau, China
40. Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck – Singapore
41. Sawada – Tokyo, Japan
42. Hajime – Osaka, Japan
43. Sushi Saito – Tokyo, Japan
44. Nihonbashi – Colombo, Sri Lanka
45. Yardbird – Hong Kong, China
46. Family Li Imperial Cuisine – Shanghai, China
47. Sarong – Bali, Indonesia
48. Franck Bistro – Shanghai, China
49. Karavalli – Bangalore, India
50. Tenku RyuGin – Hong Kong, China


FYI: How Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is compiled

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is created from The Diners Club® World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of over 900 international leaders in the restaurant industry, each selected for their expert opinion of the international restaurant scene. The Academy comprises 26 separate regions around the world. Each region has its own panel of 36 members including a chairperson to head it up. The panel is made up of food critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded ‘foodies’, each of whom has seven votes. Of the seven votes, at least three must be used to recognise restaurants outside of each voter’s region. At least ten panelists from each region change each year. None of the employees of any of the sponsors associated with the awards, including the main sponsor, votes or has any influence over the results.





All photos (except where indicated) are taken with the Canon EOS 70D, kindly loaned by Canon Singapore. I am so glad I had this camera, cos my old 400D would not have done this well in the low light conditions!

Update 24 Feb 2014: Congratulations to JAAN for rising to no.17 on the San Pellegrino Asia's 50 Best Restaurants List this year!

Lunch at JAAN is always lovely. The wonderfully talented Chef de Cuisine Julian Royer has come up with a seasonal menu capturing the best of harvest produce. The nostalgic and comforting flavours of autumn and winter are particularly close to his heart.

“During the cold European seasons, an abundance of fresh wholesome fruits and vegetables are harvested back in my hometown of Cantal, France. I am inspired to give my guests a taste of the countryside by highlighting a variety of Autumn and Winter produce in my new menu, presented in their purest form to best enjoy the rich flavours and textures,” says Chef Julien.

Photo taken with Canon EOS 100D

The 40-seater restaurant was recently appointed as Krug’s first restaurant Ambassade in Singapore, joining an international network of exceptional restaurants. JAAN is also ranked 22nd in San Pellegrino's Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2013, the awards where Chef Julien also clinched the coveted ‘One to Watch’ title.

Photo taken with Canon EOS 100D

We begin with the now instantly recognisable amuse bouche. Mini little bites that look too good to eat. Crisps with lentil hummus, and a trio of delightful snacks. The dark sponge cake item in the middle is very interesting - like a savoury cake.




And then you have four delicious kinds of bread to choose from. The truffle brioche is most popular.



Cepes sabayon
This intense porcini mushroom custard is now presented in beautiful wooden cups, topped with chopped walnuts and dill.



A strong, smoky mushroom tea is poured onto the cepes sabayon. Your tastebuds will love the awesome intensity of flavours.

Photo taken with Canon EOS 100D

Beetroot Collection
Burratta artigiana, honeycombs

This is so pretty, like an art piece. Beet varieties prepared so many ways - lightly blanched and seasoned, sliced, pickled, done as sorbet, meringue and coulis. Pickled blackberries, burrata cream, a drizzle of honeycomb and fresh pomegranate seeds add texture, tang and sweetness. Gosh, the amount of work that goes into preparing each element is just mind-boggling.

Photo taken with Canon EOS 100D

Winter Garden
This is a sequel to the signature Autumn Garden, and features the season's forgotten vegetables such as Jerusalem and Chinese artichokes (crosnes - see the pale beaded tuber at the bottom left?), chervil, parsley roots, and parsnips. All delicately cooked different ways and interlaced with a specialty smoked ham from Auvergne. Parsley sponge, puree of parsnip and white chocolate, artichoke, almond and sweet chestnut complete this colourful ensemble.



55’ Rosemary Smoked Organic Egg

Oh the famous sous vide eggs! So beautifully presented in carton, with rosemary sprigs and dry ice vapour.




The egg is poured out onto a bed of ratte potato espuma topped with chorizo iberico and crispy buckwheat.




That's a really "atas" (high class) breakfast - egg, ham and potatoes like you'll never see anywhere else.

Break open that beautifully deep orange yolk of the organic egg, and enjoy.




Grilled Atlantic Brill ‘Tournedos’

This is am amazing dish. Pristine grilled fish atop Kagoshima kurobuta pork belly, adorned with lovely garden vegetables, and umi budou (sea grapes).




Hay-Roasted Pigeon ‘Plouneour’
The main course is Hay-Roasted Pigeon. It's presented whole first, in golden brown splendour with the herbs, garlic and hay. Then it's taken away to be cut and served.

Photo taken with Canon EOS 100D

Pigeon ‘Plouneour’
The pigeon comes back with rustic companions of barley, winter mushroom, vin jaune (a special white wine), pigeon jus and mushroom-infused foam. The meat is tender and rare, all wonderfully seasoned. The presentation is just stunning.




Brie de Meaux Truffé

Oh cheese, the love of my life. A slice of very good truffle-filled Brie.



It's served with truffle ice cream. Decadence defined.

But we are not at dessert yet. First, we have to clean our palates.

Photo taken with Canon EOS 100D

Palate cleanser "Citrus"
What a delightful mix of mandarin orange sorbet, grapefruit espuma and pomelo sacs.




For dessert, it's a chocolate tart with chocolate ice cream, nuts and sponge cake. Chef Julien adds the chocolate espuma at the table, so that the foam doesn't go flat by the time it reaches you.





Chocolate Tart
Taste and textures

I was quite full by this time, but still had to try it. This is playfully good chocolate.




Even the final sweets are presented with dramatic flair. The scent of fresh rosemary really enhances the chocolate pops.

Photo taken with Canon EOS 100D

Mignardises
I love the chocolate nougat with pop rocks (foreground).

The five-course lunch seems more than five courses with all these little treats thrown in. And sometimes Chef Julien likes to add a surprise course.

Chef Julien knows his produce, being from a family of four generations of farmers. The Jardin Gourmand (Gourmet Garden) menus showcase the produce at their natural best.

If you have seen my previous post on JAAN, you will find that he has kept to what works. I'm glad that the familiar favourites are still there.

This seasonal menu is available until end March 2014. For lunch, there is a three-course menu starts at $68, a five-course degustation lunch (normal and Jardin Gourmand) at S$118, and an epic seven course of signatures at $158. Dinner menus run from S$198 (five courses) to S$298 (ten courses). You can see all their menus in detail online.



JAAN
2 Stamford Road
Level 70, Equinox complex
Swissotel the Stamford
Singapore 178882
Tel: +65 6837 3322

Lunch
Monday - Saturday: 12.00pm - 2.30pm
Closed on Sunday and Public Holidays

Dinner
Monday - Saturday: 7.00pm - 10.00pm
Closed on Sunday


Photos taken with my own Canon EOS 400D, except for a few taken using the Canon EOS 100D kindly loaned by Canon Singapore. Yes, I was crazy enough to bring two DSLRs to lunch. Greedy much? But hey, it's JAAN.