A Wine Dinner brings me to Whitegrass! With so many choices of excellent restaurants, I set my sights on Whitegrass after a recommendation by a wine expert from Wine to Style. And the name of the restaurant does evoke the image of light yet vibrant cuisine, which really got me excited to try food here.
And the food is really light and vibrant as I have hoped. The French dishes here are unique in taste, being light on the palates while showcasing a myriad of well-balanced flavours. I’m totally impressed. In addition, the flavours reflect the mellow earthiness of autumn. Now I’m excited to see what Chef Takuya Yamashita has in store for winter.
The interior of the place also features this light and vibrant element. White walls and ceiling, white translucent curtains, a centrepiece of white chandelier suspended over a huge pot of floral arrangement and a vase of flowers and greenery on each table, all come together to create an elegant and modern space.
The service here is absolutely wonderful, immaculate and thoughful, taking note of little details. Winne and Wei Yi are such wonderful hosts. This is definitely a place that is worth a special visit.
For the first time, I’m trying lobster with Turnip sauce with Yuzu jelly, and it is oh-so-good. This is definitely the most refreshing tasting lobster dish. And the Canadian lobster actually gets sweeter with subsequent bites. The cool vegetal taste of turnip is match made in heaven with the lobster. The crunchiness of sliced turnip in the salad adds to the texture. Definitely my favourite dish of the night.
The Braised Abalone here surprises me with how light and refreshing it tastes yet briny sweet at the same time. This is so great as starter to whet the appetite and anticipate the next dish with eagerness.
Next up is Foie gras puree with Shaoxing wine. This is so good too. The taste is creamy savoury umami that is surprisingly easy on the palates.
Red tomato with green tomato paste yields the taste of Italian tangy sweetness. So simulating yet well-balanced in taste.
Sweet potato topped with truffle has this rich vegetal nutty sweetness, which tastes a bit like meat, which is made even more exciting by earthy aroma of truffle.
Smoked salted butter goes perfectly with the served warm Foccacia, which is super airy, fluffy and crispy. The sweetness of wheat develops the more I chew on it. This is one excellent bread.
Hirame, usually known for clean briny sweetness, surprises me by how earthy good this dish is. The shaved cheese and beetroot sauce add complexity to the taste, where the aroma of nuts is balanced by the mild vegetal sweetness of beetroot.
Zucchini dish here demonstrates how to make zucchini taste exciting. A section of the zucchini is coated with a super thin coat of deep fried batter, yielding a refreshing crunchiness that is harmonised by the creaminess of cream cheese and briny sweetness of caviar.
Hokkaido scallop soaked in chicken mushroom sauce and topped with truffle has this deep complex earthy sweetness complex. Absolutely mesmerising taste.
Angel prawn dumpling is like the best dumpling I ever have. With citrusy, tangy, creamy yuzu kosyo, the Ebi wrapped in this thin smooth skin tastes so exciting and unique. Simply awesome.
Fluffy sesame bricho tastes nutty due to lots of sesame added, which is a good thing. And a savoury sweetness develops when paired with butter.
Spanish mackerel paired with tomato and mushroom is juicy, firm and amazingly sweet. I love this too.
Shiga A4 Wagyu is so juicy and meaty. It also features a tender good bite. Tastes even sweeter when paired with the Japanese sauce and pickles.
Lychee sorbet with grapefruit jelly tastes so refreshing and has a floral sweetness.
Truffle pudding and pear work together so brilliantly. It is dessert perfection. The pudding is smooth in texture and has an intense earthy aroma balanced by a touch of floral tangy taste of the pear.
Smoked butter financier is full of buttery sweetness while mochi is light and super easy to bite. Awesome petite fours.
Thoughts: Exceptional, Well Thought-out Dining Experience
Chijmes #01-26/27
