Meta
Meta has quickly shaped up as one of our favourite restaurants in Singapore. We've dined at the restaurant thrice now, and their food invariably impresses. Everytime we return at the turn of each season for their new menu, we're always excited.
The food's inventive, unexpected and extraordinary, yet manages a grounded unpretentiousness. For sure, Chef de cuisine Sun Kim has long evolved past his training in French-Japanese cuisine, and definitely come into his own. I'd venture, the cuisine at Meta is very loosely, some kind of international fusion. Like, who'd have thought to cook Spanish sweet prawn in Japanese dashi, zing it with Thai kaffir lime, and serve it with Southeast Asian prawn sambal-ed Korean rice. It's just genius how Chef Kim assembles seemingly disparate ingredients and forges a menu that's utterly unique. Ooh, and the chef understands balance like no other (okayyy maybe except for Beni's Benji Yamanaka), every single dish was exquisite and nuanced.
A quick caveat: this was the Summer Degustation Dinner ($158 for 7-courses) we had a few months back. I know, I know, I've gotten way behind on my blogging so this menu isn't available anymore heh. But hold your horses, their Autumn menu is now in season and I'd attest that that too, was phenomenal.
First up was a quartet of complimentary amuse bouche: a Sago Tapioca Chip layered with gochujang-marinated octopus, ikura, garlic aioli, kelp, and a dusting of nori powder. Clean, fresh and briny.
Next up was an insanely delicious Mushroom Tart, set against charred broccolini, and crowned with oodles of aged parmesan wisps. I would be perfectly content to eat like a hundred of this babies instead of dinner.
The Wagyu Beef Tartare was marinated in sweet-ish bulgogi, cut with creamy egg salad, oscietra caviar, and served swaddled in a crispy nori conelet.
The last of the small bites was a Scallop-dotted Chawanmushi, buttressed with juicy clams, and jazzed up with fresh dill and dill oil. That last bit really reined the flavours in, and together, the gestalt was magic. So, so, good.
Japanese Bonito sashimi was given a fruity twist with orange wedges, an umami oomph with oyster katsuobushi powder, and a wee bit of bite with horseradish, and endive.
A velvety smooth Foie Gras Mousse was blanketed with a rich port sauce, topped with beets, and crispy buckwheat nubbins, and enlivened with basil jus.
Sweet Carabinero Prawn was seared in prawn oil, kept light with kaffir lime, and sided by butternut squash puree, Korean rice tossed with hae bee sambal, and brussels sprouts. And for those who love sucking on prawn heads, Meta's rendition was a treat. The head was separated, cooked in dashi for maximum flavour and then pan-roasted for maximum crunch. Absolutely scrumptious.
Because I worked out hard at the gymmie, I supplemented with the Pasta-of-the-Day (+$30), fresh tagliatelle flecked with diced scallops, and tossed in a clam-juiced white wine sauce and fresh chives. Slivers of chilli padi lent a punchy heat.
Spatchcock breast, moist and tender, was slathered in a luxurious miso dashi butter, and padded with garden peas, lily bulbs, and bacon bits.
The Slow-cooked NZ Lamb Loin, finished on a binchotan grill, was garnished with black beans which were sauteed with garlic and onions, then fermented in oil for added pizazz. Zucchini puree, charred garlic chive shoots, and natural jus complemented the sumptuousness of the meat,
The 'lime in the Coconut' song rang in my head when the first of two desserts arrived. Below this heap of what looked like basic, austere shaved ice, which was really Coconut Granita, was a melange of caramel brittle, burnt pineapple chunks, the most amazing pandan-infused sticky rice, and kiwi sorbet . Clean, clear, refreshing and sweet.
The second of the dessert courses was a Black Sesame sponge set against chocolate banana cream spiked with kahlua, licorice ice-cream, and slabs of charcoal meringue. I'm not big on banana but this was awesome.
Rounding off the dinner was a duo of Passionfruit Macaron, and Banana Cream Choux. Fantastic stuff.
Meta
1 Keong Siak Road (even though this Summer menu was executed at their previous premises at 9 Keong Siak Road)
Tel: 6513 0898
Open Mondays to Tuesdays & Saturdays from 6pm to 11pm for dinner only;
Wednesdays to Fridays from 12noon to 2.30pm for lunch; 6pm to 11pm for dinner;
Closed on Sundays
Website: metarestaurant.sg
The food's inventive, unexpected and extraordinary, yet manages a grounded unpretentiousness. For sure, Chef de cuisine Sun Kim has long evolved past his training in French-Japanese cuisine, and definitely come into his own. I'd venture, the cuisine at Meta is very loosely, some kind of international fusion. Like, who'd have thought to cook Spanish sweet prawn in Japanese dashi, zing it with Thai kaffir lime, and serve it with Southeast Asian prawn sambal-ed Korean rice. It's just genius how Chef Kim assembles seemingly disparate ingredients and forges a menu that's utterly unique. Ooh, and the chef understands balance like no other (okayyy maybe except for Beni's Benji Yamanaka), every single dish was exquisite and nuanced.
A quick caveat: this was the Summer Degustation Dinner ($158 for 7-courses) we had a few months back. I know, I know, I've gotten way behind on my blogging so this menu isn't available anymore heh. But hold your horses, their Autumn menu is now in season and I'd attest that that too, was phenomenal.
First up was a quartet of complimentary amuse bouche: a Sago Tapioca Chip layered with gochujang-marinated octopus, ikura, garlic aioli, kelp, and a dusting of nori powder. Clean, fresh and briny.
Next up was an insanely delicious Mushroom Tart, set against charred broccolini, and crowned with oodles of aged parmesan wisps. I would be perfectly content to eat like a hundred of this babies instead of dinner.
The Wagyu Beef Tartare was marinated in sweet-ish bulgogi, cut with creamy egg salad, oscietra caviar, and served swaddled in a crispy nori conelet.
The last of the small bites was a Scallop-dotted Chawanmushi, buttressed with juicy clams, and jazzed up with fresh dill and dill oil. That last bit really reined the flavours in, and together, the gestalt was magic. So, so, good.
Japanese Bonito sashimi was given a fruity twist with orange wedges, an umami oomph with oyster katsuobushi powder, and a wee bit of bite with horseradish, and endive.
A velvety smooth Foie Gras Mousse was blanketed with a rich port sauce, topped with beets, and crispy buckwheat nubbins, and enlivened with basil jus.
Sweet Carabinero Prawn was seared in prawn oil, kept light with kaffir lime, and sided by butternut squash puree, Korean rice tossed with hae bee sambal, and brussels sprouts. And for those who love sucking on prawn heads, Meta's rendition was a treat. The head was separated, cooked in dashi for maximum flavour and then pan-roasted for maximum crunch. Absolutely scrumptious.
Because I worked out hard at the gymmie, I supplemented with the Pasta-of-the-Day (+$30), fresh tagliatelle flecked with diced scallops, and tossed in a clam-juiced white wine sauce and fresh chives. Slivers of chilli padi lent a punchy heat.
Spatchcock breast, moist and tender, was slathered in a luxurious miso dashi butter, and padded with garden peas, lily bulbs, and bacon bits.
The Slow-cooked NZ Lamb Loin, finished on a binchotan grill, was garnished with black beans which were sauteed with garlic and onions, then fermented in oil for added pizazz. Zucchini puree, charred garlic chive shoots, and natural jus complemented the sumptuousness of the meat,
The 'lime in the Coconut' song rang in my head when the first of two desserts arrived. Below this heap of what looked like basic, austere shaved ice, which was really Coconut Granita, was a melange of caramel brittle, burnt pineapple chunks, the most amazing pandan-infused sticky rice, and kiwi sorbet . Clean, clear, refreshing and sweet.
The second of the dessert courses was a Black Sesame sponge set against chocolate banana cream spiked with kahlua, licorice ice-cream, and slabs of charcoal meringue. I'm not big on banana but this was awesome.
Rounding off the dinner was a duo of Passionfruit Macaron, and Banana Cream Choux. Fantastic stuff.
Meta
1 Keong Siak Road (even though this Summer menu was executed at their previous premises at 9 Keong Siak Road)
Tel: 6513 0898
Open Mondays to Tuesdays & Saturdays from 6pm to 11pm for dinner only;
Wednesdays to Fridays from 12noon to 2.30pm for lunch; 6pm to 11pm for dinner;
Closed on Sundays
Website: metarestaurant.sg
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