Caviar, Orchard Rd: “A solid effort”

They say ‘too much of a good thing isn’t always good’, but when it comes to opulent ingredients such as caviar, does the rule really apply? Plainly named Caviar, the brand new concept by the same people behind Uni Gallery, puts this prized ingredient on a pedestal and then some. Sliding into Palais Renaissance‘s latest revamp, the fine-dining outfit is a cosy establishment that will serve you well to be seated front and centre, facing the open kitchen.

There, you’ll have a front-row viewing of the adept chefs slinging their talent and kitchen tools to bring you redefinitions of how caviar should be enjoyed.

What I tried

If you’re going to spend an evening on caviar, you might as well make an extravagant one—so the 8-course Dinner Menu (S$328++). There are, however, no allowances for a la carte options, which might be off-putting to some, but if you’re unfamiliar with the intricacies of caviar, it will serve you well to not have to fuss over what to order. We start off with a Snacks platter of three types—a Caviar Ball, a Brioche Toast, and a Tomato Macaron.

Of the three, I pray that you’ll draw your attention to the Caviar Ball for its delightful contrast of creamy against crunchy and its subtle surprise of brininess cradled within. I dare you to take the time to polish this off in several bites because it clearly is a challenge for me.

I have to preface this by saying that the Botan Ebi is my favourite course all evening. Even when taking my first bite, I knew nothing else could top this. The generous lacing of dill oil with buttermilk makes this a rich, gratifying appetiser that isn’t clouded by the savoury depth of the Superior Oscietra and Polenco Oscietra Grand Reserve caviar. In fact, they make for a complementary couple, unlike the Potato & Egg that is to follow.

You’d think the Polenco Siberian Reserve caviar would do the trick in cutting through the immense fattiness of Iberico lardo mash and organic yolk, but the richness proved to be exceptionally cloying—with the caviar being shoved out of the limelight. Perhaps a touch of acid would’ve done this dish a favour, but with all first iterations of a menu, I will let this oversight slide.

Similar to the Botan Ebi, I am strangely drawn to the Halibut‘s simplistic showing. Wading in a puddle of pil pil (the oil made of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, and chilli) and bobs of salmon roe, the halibut’s flesh proves to be as tender as it should rightfully be. The subtle creaminess of the pil pil works wonderfully to bridge the ocean sweetness of the salmon roe and dainty flavours of halibut.

I implore you to pace yourself strategically if you’re brave enough to take on this eight-course menu head-on; by the Bressan Pigeon course, I’m noticeably worn out. But we must press on to complete this delicious—and honoured—mission of having an opportunity to dine at Caviar. With that said, this sixth course feels like a deviation away from the elegant displays of seafood prior to this, so it does take a moment for me to acclimatise to the shift in savouriness.

While the pigeon arrives in perfect showing, the side serving of pigeon legs crowned with Superior Oscietra stumps me. The caviar disappointedly gets cast aside like the forgotten golden boy after he’s had his run of fame. I say it’s okay for this performance to omit caviar from its line-up; the bird would, in fact, thank you.

Skipping one course ahead to the Sake, this is a debatable dessert. Conjuring extreme reactions, I fall into the camp of ‘undecided’; the more I ate this dessert made of sake lees, lime, and Polenco Siberian Reserve, my palate was alternating between welcoming and rejection. It’s sweet, salty, briny, and milky all at once, proving to truly confuse my senses and send it into overdrive.

If you have a go at this, let me know how you fair; I’d love to open a discussion on this.

Final thought

You don’t need to possess a limitless bank of knowledge about caviar to appreciate the food here. In fact, if the thought of sitting down to an all-caviar meal has ever crossed your mind, then I’d recommend setting aside some dough to make a splash here.

I didn’t instantly fall in love with every course, save for the Botan Ebi, which I highly suggest you don’t hurry through to get to the next course. As for the rest, it’s a solid effort considering the crutch relies on one of the finest and esteemed ingredients one can possibly acquire, but for me, the biggest takeaway lesson from a night of extravagance is ‘less is more’.

Expected damage: From S$248++ per pax

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