As far as bucket-list destinations for extraordinary dining go, Singapore is tough to beat. The hawker centres, the criss-cross of complex and diverse culinary cultures and signature dishes like chilli crab, chicken rice and pork-rib soup all add up to something pretty darn spectacular if eating is at the top of your itinerary.
Thankfully, for six weeks beginning Friday, March 6, you won’t have to travel that far to get a taste of the city-state. One of Singapore’s most respected chefs, Wayne Liew, of fourth-generation eatery Keng Eng Kee, has landed in Sydney and teamed up with Cirrus chef and co-owner Brent Savage for a series of special degustations fusing their two distinctive styles.
The bad news? Those events sold out in a matter of hours. But due to the overwhelmingly positive response, Cirrus has announced it will continue the celebration of the island’s cuisine with two limited-time-only menus showcasing Savage’s trademark elegant touch until Sunday, April 12.
The à la carte menu runs from small snacks and share plates to more substantial mains and desserts, while the shared-style tasting menu consists of seven courses for $90 per person. Both options feature a collaborative dish the two chefs worked on together – a steamed fillet of blue-eye trevalla with fermented wood ear mushrooms, shiso and bak kwa, or jerky-like salty-sweet pork.
Elsewhere, expect a mixture of traditional zi char (‘cook and fry’) dishes like butter cereal prawns, moonlight hor fun noodles and chilli crab, as well as plates that riff on Cirrus classics, such as whole flounder dressed in ginger vinegar and shallots, and Wagyu rump cap with black bean and chilli sambal. Desserts follow suit, keeping things fresh, light and tropical – think mango sorbet with sago and coconut, or pandan custard and kaya jam topped with lychee granita.
It’s not every day one of Sydney’s finest restaurants turns its hand to another culture’s cooking and dives in headfirst like this, so book a table and get amongst it while you can.
Taste Obsession Singapore at Cirrus runs from Friday, March 6 to Sunday, April 12. For more information, click here. To see the full menus and book a table, visit cirrusdining.com.au.