You’d never guess that just off Upper Paya Lebar Road, there’s a 16-seater restaurant that is helmed by Chef Dillon Ng, an ex-private chef—who’s self-taught—who runs the show alongside his wife, Chef Lulu, a pastry chef.
Chef Lulu hails from Bandung, Indonesia, and has had several gigs in notable kitchens around Singapore, which has now led to a duo who are a proud team priding themselves in serving eco-conscious dishes at Allium.
What is eco-conscious, you ask? There certainly isn’t a particular cuisine attached to the concept; it’s simply a way of mindfully procuring and utilising every and all parts of produce to evoke the best of flavours, and to let as little go to waste as possible.
It’s an inclination of several establishments these days, much like the outstanding Kausmo, which opened my eyes—and palate—to the exceptional qualities that lowly-regarded and understated parts of plants and animals can bring to a dish.
Allium opens its doors only from Thursday to Sunday, with the other three days of the week dedicated to R&D (and some R&R). They solely serve dinner (strictly via reservation only!), which is a Prix Fixe menu of either a seven-course (S$98nett) or a nine-course seasonal menu (S$128nett). However, they do make an exception to welcome brunch-seekers as well, which is limited to walk-ins only.
I was fortunate to tuck into the nine-course presentation, which left me thoroughly impressed, but I really shouldn’t lead this review with a spoiler so early on.
I began with a Wild-Caught Amberjack Crudo, Caramelised Sand Ginger, Myoga & Sesame. Myoga is Japanese ginger, which, with the caramelised sand ginger, really gave ample punch and tanginess to the mild brininess of the amberjack.
It’s uncommon to describe raw fish as briny, but I reasoned that it was the use of sesame, which ultimately produced a sweet-salty, tangy finish. That worked as a great welcome for the other courses to come.
The Double Boiled Forgotten Vegetable Broth With Chicken & Black Chanterelle Dumpling employs the use of vegetable butts and peels, along with free-range chicken, to create the broth.
Its herbal nuances were subtle, with bitter mid-notes that were surprisingly pleasant. Overall, it had a robust flavour that I wouldn’t have guessed could come from a straightforward dumpling soup.
As understated as it looks, the complexity of NZ Wild Blue Cod Goujon, Hainanese Sweet & Sour Sauce Tomat was outstanding. The cod’s flaky flesh was impeccably sweet, while the sweet & sour tomat sauce carried a burnt essence that left a wholesome earthy and rich impression.
The biscuit crumb shell felt like I was biting through crust, and as such, evoked a euphoric pleasure of plumpness against crumble.
We all know how important eating greens are for our diet, and with the Local Vegetables, Jamon Iberico de Bellota, you’ll want to have your leafy greens all to yourself. The dish used local leeks, cabbage, and sweet peas, cooked in the fat of Spanish ham, along with raspberry vinegar to create a buerre blanc.
The result? A sexy, emollient and smoky dish that had impressive texture, given that it held up its crunchiness despite the shower of animal fat.
A nobler version of bak kut teh arose, in the form of Abalone & Iberian Pork Cheek, Cognac Master Stock, Celery Root Congee.
Although the congee was a supplement to the main dish, it’s recommended to eat it separately; a mouthful of Iberico pork cheek, a scoop of stock, followed by a spoonful of congee.
The master stock was two years old, emanating a potent herbal taste that was quelled deliciously by the congee chaser. Being a sweeter congee than usual, it delicately opposed the heaviness of the succulent Iberico pork cheek. Despite not being an avid lover of herbaceous soups, I still managed to put away the entire dish, with a satisfying final lick of my spoon.
I enjoy a hearty bowl of prawn noodles every now and then, but I’ve never enjoyed a bowl so much as I did with Wild-Caught Red Prawn Noodles. I’m unsure where and how to begin my instant love for this precious bowl that was meticulously made by cooking prawn shells in oil, and re-using said oil for cooking the Argentinian prawns, which were then immersed in a prawn head broth.
The longevity noodles still carried a good amount of bite, and despite the soup’s glassy appearance, it wasn’t overly oily or greasy. It was a dish that was bursting with umami flavour, and I could’ve honestly enjoyed this honest bowl every single day.
Pre-dessert was a cleanse with Citrus & Kaffir Lime Sorbet & Granita; an excellent blend of sweet, sour, and tangy. It ended on a bitter note, but not without sufficient sweetness from the mandarin oranges that came from Jeju.
The iciness really helped to awaken my tastebuds from the richness of the prior dishes, but it didn’t take away from the celebration of flavours that I had just had the honour of experiencing.
Harking back to nostalgic flavours of Indonesia, this is where Chef Lulu’s work shone. The Gula Aren Steamed Cake, Pandan Ice Cream, Coffee was a nod to a popular street snack when she grew up—the kue ape that’s made with rice flour, coconut milk, yeast, and palm sugar.
The pale green scoop of pandan ice cream was aromatic, and complemented the coffee ground carpet that entire dessert stood on. The steamed sponge cake was fluffy and soft, much like how we enjoy our classic pandan chiffon cake, while the deconstructed kue ape was peppered with coconut shavings for a pop of nuttiness and sweetness.
I appreciated the lightness of dessert, which made me sincerely appreciate the multi-course journey it took to get to the penultimate end, right before Pastry Chef’s Delights—a selection of Chef’s Lulu’s bonbons to cap the meal.
The ingenuity of any chef who learns to respect food and all its parts is one to be admired. It’s easy to pay no mind to wastage, especially in a city that’s abundant with supplies and imports. But aside from sustainability, it’s an appreciation of time and literal sweat in the kitchen that truly makes a meal more than mere sustenance.
And that’s what you’ll learn when dining at Allium.
Expected Damage: S$98 – S$140 per pax
Price: $ $ $
Our Rating: 5 / 5
Allium
2 Jalan Lokam, Kensington Square, #01-11, Singapore 537846
Allium
2 Jalan Lokam, Kensington Square, #01-11, Singapore 537846