Omakase@Stevens - Pommery Champagne Dinner

My eyes immediately lit up when I know about an exclusive Champagne Dinner hosted by Wine to Style and at my favourite restaurant, Omakase@Stevens. Incredibly awesome food is a guarantee here, and the concept of pairing all the dishes with champagnes? That sounds bubbly exciting! Especially when they have Ken Moroi, CEO of Vranken Pommery Japan on board to share with us the history of Pommery and the details of each of champagnes featured tonight. It is a feast for the palates and the mind. And yes, the restaurant is full house for this champagne dinner 😊

Located in the region of Champagne, Pommery, a centuries-old winery produces champagne out of the grapes from the finest vineyards in Champagne, and it shows in the quality. Their champagnes can be so varied in tastes, with hints of different types of fruits, butter, florals, thus being able to be paired with a variety of food, not restricting to appetisers only. I'm amazed by this and how amazingly well the champagnes go with the food meticulously curated and prepared by Chef Kazuki for this dinner. In fact, the champagnes and food complement each other so well when their tastes are both elevated when paired together.

My favourite champagne of the night got to be Pommery Cuvée Louse 2006, whose buttery aroma amid the floral tones and the unbelievably fine bubbles blow me away. It is so unique and so awesome.

Pommery Apanage 1874 is smooth with hints of savoury notes, thus balancing the sweetness of the dessert Citrus Sumo.

Pommery Brut Royal, made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, has this vibrant, clean and creamy taste, with notes of citrus. The taste of this champagne amazingly changes with each different appetiser. It tastes creamier with the tuna, crisper with the foie gras and more exciting with the wagyu. Same champagne, four different tastes, including when on its own, fantastic.

Pommery Rosé Royal come in beautiful pink colour due to the addition of red wine. It has distinctive notes of Red Berries and tastes fresh, thus going so well with the briny sweet Sakura Masu.

Pommery Cuvée Louse 2006, made from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, is my favourite of the night because of its buttery, floral and mineral notes. First sip and I immediately go, "Wow!" What is amazing is that the bubbles cannot be seen in the champagne because of how incredibly fine they are, and yet I can feel them on my palates. They are so fine that the bubbles feel softer and more elegant. Such bubbles are made possible with longer fermentation process. This is like a craft of love.

Another amazing thing about this champagne is that it can actually match so well with the Wagyu here. We always know that beef goes well with the heavier red wines, but with champagne? Is it even possible? Well, Ken Moroi and Chef Kazuki worked together to make it a reality. The sauce is tuned to be lighter, with black pepper added to balance the richness of the wagyu. And this champagne has the richness to complement the wagyu instead of being eclipsed by the meaty sweetness. Amazing.

Pommery Grand Cru Royal 2015 is floral and sweet, perfect for refreshing the palates after the Wagyu and in between bites of the Oyster Donabe, that Chef Kazuki specially prepared for this menu due to how the mineral taste of oyster goes excellently well with the champagne.

I love the oysters in this donabe because they are so creamy and have a nice balance of mild mineral taste and sweetness. First time I have cooked oysters that are this good.

Thoughts: Bubbly Gastronomical Delight

Omakase@Stevens - The Perfect Rendition of Spring

I’m so excited to be back at Omakase@Stevens again, this time to experience Spring on my palates. Herbs, vegetables, lots of light, uplifting flavours whisper the taste of spring. It is amazing how Chef Kazuki transforms and elevates the taste of the core ingredients with the addition of various herbs and vegetables, just like how vegetation brings life to the landscape.

First appetizer of Tuna with Caviar, Radish and Wasabi packed in homemade tart shell is so luxurious and rich, yet amazingly so uplifting in taste at the same time. Lots of creamy notes amid the crispy texture for a good contrast. The umami got an amazing vegetal sweetness that develops as I bite more into it. Excellent.

Foie Gras sandwiched with Rhubarb Jelly and Myoga between thin wafer-like Monaka, topped with a cute golden goose, is incredibly smooth and buttery. Most smooth foie gras? Yes! Hints of complexity, with the taste tuned lighter, due to the jelly introduced, to tease but not overwhelm the palates. Incredibly well-balanced in taste for a foie gras dish.

Pulled Wagyu with Shintamanegi and Nire Cheese features this warm sweetness hitting the sweet spot that makes me, “Ooh, wow!” I love the transition from bright umami of first appetizer to soft meaty warmth of this Wagyu Appetiser. This dish has a mysterious core that makes me wonder, “What is this that is so good?”

Japanese Tiger Prawn of this menu tastes like the prawn of spring because it is amazingly refreshing, with a harmony of briny sweetness, soft zest from the Finger Lime and light vegetal creaminess of Green Pea. The medley of vegetables lifts up and elevates the intense sweetness of the prawn. Tasting this is a moment of “I can’t believe prawns can taste so refreshing!”

Sakura Masu, soaked in oil and herbs, actually tastes slightly meaty, in an excellent way. Yes, it’s the best Masu! The vegetal freshness of dill and asparagus lifts up the taste and its crunchiness juxtaposes so well with the flesh of the fish. The wasabi does the magic to open up the taste and add the light feel to the creaminess. The asparagus has the zest to cut through the briny sweetness of the trout. It is amazing how the vegetables make such a huge difference in this dish, just like how spring lifts up our mood. Unique Ayu sauce adds the extra sweetness ❤️.

I absolutely miss the Amadai here due to the lovely juxtapose of deep fried crispy top and succulent flesh. The broth is light yet packed with clear light umami of Hamaguri, adding a warmness to the dish. The sweetness of amadei came through zest, making the taste even more exciting.

Kagoshima beef is so juicy, so meaty, and so perfect with the crispy exterior. Yes, my first thought is, “Oh my, so juicy, so good!” Hatcho Miso and Madeira add complexity to the taste and highlight the meaty sweetness. I feel like I’m in bliss when enjoying this dish.

Donabe made with Koshihikari Rice tastes so good so satisfying. With the favourful Sakura Ebi deep fried to soufflé crispiness, earthy spicy Kuro Shimichi and bouncy earthy Kinoko added, it is a soft burst of harmonsed flavours with each mouthful.

Akaniku Melon and Musk Melon, with Okinawa Tea, yield a lovely floral mellow sweet taste where savoury sweetness, earthy goodness and refreshing goodness are rolled into one.

Sumo Citrus presented in the form of Candy and Soufflé, with Apanage 1874 wine added is like citrus in its finest forms, highlighting the sweet, zesty, floral flavour of citrus. I love the crispy sugar shell of the candy that makes the texture exciting.

Unique delicious petite fours

Incredibly smooth, sweetness highlighted by the tint of bitterness

Unique Sake with distinct taste of Umami

Thoughts: Amazing Taste of Spring

30 Stevens Road

Absurdities Vol 1 - Exciting Dining in Different Worlds

After the awesome experience at Wonderland Upside Down, I’m all eager to experience what Absurdities, another dining concept of ANSOFORTH. This has the same concept of interactive dining, with a huge difference in how Absurdities focuses on the food, exploration of different tastes, while immersing in the different worlds. It feels like dining in six different restaurants in one night, and I love it.

The food here is unique in both taste and the pairing of ingredients, in a very good way. Most importantly, they are delicious.

The host of each world adds vibrancy to the atmosphere of each verse, making the experience here one of a kind and totally worth it. And we have some light games to make the experience even more fun.

First verse of the experience is a quaint cafe, called Asylum Cafe, decked with Muji vibes and European sensibilities:

The first dish of the night absolutely impresses me with how refreshing, flavourful and unique the taste is. And this dish is lovingly made with herbs grown in-house. The herbal vegetal creaminess, with a well-balanced of zest, sweetness, savoury goodness and bitterness, turns the super crispy bread into a light, delightful snack. The special clear broth made with mushrooms and herbs add a nice earthiness to the taste of the bread. This is actually my favourite dish of the dish:

Then it’s time to figure out which of these doors lead to another verse:

We walk through the correct door and what lies before us makes everyone goes, “Wow!” Including me, of course. Before us is a futuristic Kaleidoscope-like hallway, full of dazzling lights of different colours:

Within this fantastical hallway, we need to shout, “Hello!” For the secret door to open, which leads to a secret cavern that speaks of nature and harmony:

The burger is so delicious, in which the patty is meaty sweet super juicy, and the light tangy taste of the thin strips of pickles cut through meaty flavour to balance the richness. I also like the cassava fries, whose earthy sweetness is elevated by vegetable seasoning sprinkled on top:

Then we have a mini game, and I’m the winner 🎉 I get a dragon origami as prize ✌️ 

Then we have to find the secret door in the cavern that brings us to a world that speaks of Arabian Nights. Sand dunes, beautiful Middle-Eastern lamps, bronze tables with motifs, translucent drapes and the mysterious host with a hypnotic voice make me feel like I’m in a secret world hidden in the vast desert:

Whiffs of smoke escape from the dish the moment I lift up the clay cover. It feels so magical: 

The fish is fresh and succulent, and Arabian spices makes the taste exotic and eve better. The accompanying cubed vegetables add the refreshing element that juxtaposes well with the spices. I'm not exactly a fish person,  but this fish dish gets my approval 😉 

After the stay at the Arabian tent, it's time to climb up a ladder to get to the next world:

And through a top cupboard in a kitchen, we step into a whimsical world of the 50s. I love the pastel pink and green walls, kitchen wares scattered at the stove, English crockery and the radio playing songs of the 50s and commercials of the old times:

There are lots of corn flakes boxes lining the shelves, which means that the next dish is packed with corn flakes. And surprisingly, the corn flakes go so well wth the chicken. The crispiness of the corn flakes contrasts so well with the texture of the chicken. This dish actually tastes meaty. The special milk made from cauliflower adds a nice light creaminess to this dish:

Then we need to crawl through the tunnel to get to secret alchemy for magicians. Shelves of books, potions lining the shelves, drawers storing herbs for conjuring magic, the setting here will delight fans of Harry Potter. I'm not a fan but I love it too:

Umami bomb, an additional drink that I have ordered, is full of umami. And the little bottle of herbs is for adding to the risotto to create some magic:

It is so fun to add the special herb and special crystal salt to this bowl of risotto, recite the magic spell together and then stir everything together to see dish turning purplish red, and the briny sweet smell manifest also upon stirring. The risotto is actually made from squid rice, so the texture is slightly bouncy while the taste is milky umami with seaweed flavour. I love this:

After the magic lesson, it is time to rest and relax on board a plane with champagne and dessert:

The jelly tastes so light and refreshing. I like the gold flakes added for a touch of lux.

When the plane is landing at "Jalan Besar airport", we sing a song together before alighting from the plane and going back to the real world 😊

Thoughts: Intriguing, Multifaceted Dining Experience