Since its inception about a year ago, Path has won the hearts of many with its refined interpretation of East meets West fusion cuisine. And the man responsible is chef Marvas Ng, who returned to Singapore last year with 12 years of overseas cooking experience in both Hong Kong and Tian Jin, China. Now, the spirited chef does away with the a la carte menu during dinner and launches his first prix fixe tasting menus (from $188).
Dining at Path can be a rather transformative culinary experience. Ease into a space hugged by soft-coloured lime-washed walls while sleek topographic curves and contours enhance the alluring ambient light fixtures. The relaxed atmosphere soon warms you up for an explorative culinary journey that is to come.
Snacks take a trip down memory lane in three dainty bites: an aubergine sphere laid atop a parmesan sable; a punchy hae bee hiam (spicy dried shrimp) abacus seed skewer; and a pillowy beignet stuffed with teriyaki lamb shoulder. Next, we see dry-aged Japanese bonito fish (pictured above) layered with textures of quinoa and ginger flower pickled nashi pear lifted with neon-pink-hued Italian grapefruit oil.
Following the act of breaking bread comes a heady dip made with creamy Shanghainese hairy crab roe and silky beancurd – two of Marvas’ favourite food memories. Forget about the spoon, the French baguette is your best bet for mopping all that tasty nosh up. Opt for the approachable wine pairings (from $88) if you’re up for a little drink – both seafood-forward starters come neatly paired with an elegantly crisp Chablis from Daniel-Etienne Defaix.
Creativity, flavour mastery and decadence – these themes anchor the upcoming series of small plates that tastefully present luxe ingredients. Steamed deep-sea fish maw is doused with a velvety beurre blanc perfumed with fermented black bean, garlic and sake – it goes exceptionally well with a fruity Alsatian Gewurztraminer from Trimbach. A bincho-grilled ingot of live South African abalone is laid on a bed of smoke-kissed risoni pasta and crunchy pickled huai shan (mountain yam). Paper-thin slices of grapes and lime are added for freshness.
Reinterpreting the traditional Hakka dish of mei cai kou rou (preserved vegetable pork belly, pictured above) as a crepinette, Marvas pampers the gelatinous pork trotter with earthy mushroom ragu and wraps it in caul fat before pan-searing till crispy. It comes perched in a pool of housemade mei cai sauce that has plenty of depth to round off the dish with irresistible savouriness.
The segue into desserts sees heirloom tomatoes expressed in two refreshing ways: as a sorbet and marinated with yuzu and plum. It comes with textures of fresh strawberries, chamomile jelly and oolong foam. Marvas then draws the course to an end with a richly decadent Mongolian milk curd that takes you to the grasslands of inner Mongolia.
Marvas' new culinary expedition feels familiar with comforting compositions of East Asian flavours expressed through French fine-dining techniques and presentations. But don’t expect the same old dishes as Marvas likes to keep on his toes – after all, he was a part of the Singapore team in the recent Culinary World Cup 2022 that clinched two gold medals.
