May 2013
This fine dining restaurant has always flown under the radar. It’s so discreet that it never blows its own trumpet even when they’ve had a change of chef and flavours are quietly blooming behind their closed kitchen doors. Now, after being under the helm of Chef Mathijs Nanne the past few months, ThirtyTwo’s new menu is ready to seduce.
Chef Mathijs’ flavour style is subtle, light with a touch of resilience. For instance, from their appetiser menu of five choices, we picked the platter of seafood of picked crab, lightly seared calamari and scallop and ceviche of king prawns. All of which simply depend on their texture, freshness of flavour and mild vanilla infused dressing to mesmerise.
Now, to match the starter, a plate of seared sea bass as a main dish will certainly dance well on the palate. Here, they serve it drizzled with kafir lime sauce and a unique choice of carbohydrate of sticky rice gallete. What stands out here is the texture of the starchy gallete combined with the fleshy fish.
For vegetarians, there’s a few choices for you guys as well. Chef’s tartlet of roasted fennel and baby carrot tows the line between sweet and savoury finely. Almost jammy in texture, the buttery, flaky crunch of the pastry ties all the flavours together into one, or several, satisfying bite. Honestly, this one’s our surprise find on their menu.
During hot, humid evenings, we recommend you begin your meal with their refreshing marinated watermelon salad with broad slices of green mango sprinkled with crumbled crispy fish and drizzled with pistachio toasted coconut dressing. Here’s a play of cool, fruity and leafy flavours with savoury crunch of the crispy fish that’s both exotic and familiar. Su Aziz