Chef’s Table by Stephan Zoisl isn’t the newest kid on Tras Street and in our interview some time back, we uncovered his cooking philosophy, and here are the fruits of his labour. Manifested in the freshest produce handpicked by Stephan and his team, the culinary concept is based on allowing the flavours of the produce speak for itself.
And by that, the art of keeping true to the characteristics of the ingredients is by no mean an easy feat. But Chef’s Table has effortlessly displayed its prowess in doing so.
It doesn’t get fresher than growing your own garden of herbs in the restaurant. Some select herbs that are suitable for growth in our weather line the shelves alongside exquisite wines selected by the restaurant sommelier – a sight that’s uncommon.
The freshest produce for Chef’s Table course menu
The Chef’s Menu ranges from a 4 course at S$98 to a 8 course at S$150. And the day’s menu depends on the seasonality of premium ingredients that Chef Stephan sources from all over the world. A snapshot of the menu shows the type of ingredients that will go into the courses that are prepared, and of course if there are any strong objections (or allergies), the team is more than happy to customise them accordingly.
Our Chef’s Table experience
Because the menu changes on a regular basis, I’m just going to brief touch on the highlights of each dish that I had – and you can experience the rest yourself. 🙂
For starters we had 8 different types of exotic tomato varietals, each having their own unique tartness, sweetness and flavours. Grilled octopus and quality iberico ham sparks some meaty heaviness, overall illuminating the flavours of the fresh tomatoes.
The second course was a beautiful Japanese sea bream that was poached amazingly well. The tender, lightness of the fish is accompanied by crisp fennel, celery and baby turnips. The trout caviar together with the roasted pumpkin seeds confer texture, and flavours that went really well together.
Course #3 was another fish, this time an richer varietal – Cod. The best cod I’ve had are those that have the least intervention in terms of cooking. Chinese restaurants do awesome steamed cods but Chef’s Stephan’s oven-baked cod, together with seasonal white asparagus was phenomenal.
Course #4 is Part I of beef cooked two ways. A 48-hour braised beef is set on a bed of barley risotto in onion jus, and the resultant texture is just mindblowing. With the creamy burrata on top, cutting through to the beef that had an amazing ham-like texture and that crunchy, al dente barley pearls – it’s simply a party in the mouth.
What I found was a bit of a waste was the delicious burrata which had its flavour masked by the meat juices. The delicate roasted romaine would have been sufficient I thought. But overall, this dish was my absolute favourite.
Course #5 was Part II of the beef special, and using earthy chanterelle mushrooms that are in season, delicious medallions of beef shoulder are seared to seal in the juices and the freshness and taste of the meat is kept intact by not overcooking. Tender and tasty, the flavours of the artichoke heart and chanterelle mushrooms were surprisingly not overpowering as they tend to be quite distinct.
The final course #6 is a delicious chocolate nougatine with a raspberry sorbet. Chocolate desserts always score with me and this nougatine is so well-balanced with the tangy sorbet, making it an excellent finish to the evening.
Verdict
Chef’s Table is an excellent restaurant that I’ll recommend anyone to try at least once. And if you like the food, and return, you can request that they change the cooking method, or swap some ingredients around in any permutation that the Chef will ensure you get a new experience.
I love how the natural flavours of the ingredients persists, and a lot of work has clearly been put behind garnishing each plate to make it look so presentable.
[GIVEAWAYS]
WIN a dinner for 2 with 8-course Chef’s Table Menu
- Like both Chef’s Table by Chef Stephan Zoisl & AsiaStyleAsia Facebook Pages and share the post!
- Comment ‘liked and shared’ in the post’s comments section
- Answer the following question: Why do you want to be having 8-course Chef’s Table Menu?’ We will pick the best answers!
Contest will end on 9th October 2016, Sunday! 1 winner will be picked! Email your answer and details (name, contact number, email) to asiastyleasia@gmail.com! The dining voucher will be valid for 3 months.
Restaurant rating: 8.5/10
Chef’s Table by Stephan Zoisl (Map)
61 Tras Street
Tanjong Pagar
079000 Singapore
Tel: +65 – 6224 4188
Hours: Tue to Sat 6pm to 12mn
Nearest station: Tanjong Pagar MRT
