One Restaurant, Three Cuisines

Heading into its fifth year, ME@OUE, a dining establishment that offers three distinct cuisines, recently welcomed new Executive Chef SAM CHIN HAN LING. We chatted with the Penangborn chef – who helms the openconcept Japanese, French and Chinese kitchens

Congratulations on joining the Me@ OUE team! What changes have you made to the menus?

While one of the restaurant’s key highlights has been our three distinct cuisines, we are bringing the focus back to the ingredients. I’ve made it a priority to source ingredients from the best producers in the world, and the rare Kumamoto beef is a great example of this.

Among our new menus is a four-course chef’s tasting menu, which represents all three cuisines. Another new addition is the omakase menu (the word means “leave it up to the chef”), which utilises a fresh whole fish flown in from Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji Market. I prepare the fish in three ways – Japanese, French and Chinese-style – and our diners choose which cooking methods and flavours they’d like.

Tell us more about the concept behind serving three distinct cuisines.

It’s important to emphasise that we are not a fusion restaurant. Instead, we serve Japanese, French and Chinese dishes – and we do it well! Each individual kitchen upholds the integrity of its cuisine while ensuring that the different dishes complement each other. You can order a French starter, a Chinese main and a Japanese dessert, for example, and walk out of here amazed by how well they work together.

How do you feel about the highly prized Kumamoto wagyu that you use?

To be given a chance to include this incomparable meat in my debut dinner menu at ME@OUE is simply wonderful. I have access to the entire cow, and this gives me the luxury of deciding which cut best suits each kitchen – from sashimi to wok-fried kung pao to a stunning charcoal-grilled steak! Just the other night, I served a superb tenderloin sushi and our diners were blown away by the quality. We aim to serve exceptional cuts at great value, with the hope that everyone leaves our restaurant with a smile on their face.

27 Lorong Mambong 6463 4995 | drinksandco.asia

First impressions: Compared with the rest of the line-up at Holland Village, Drinks & Co is a bit cooler, in both style and concept. Like its sister outlet on Club Street, in lieu of a drinks list the bar has an expansive shelf of liquor (mostly boutique brands) from which you can choose a bottle to purchase and then drink at the bar.

The Chosen One: Buying by the bottle can be a bit of a gamble, but our red was exceptional – a Quarter Acre Syrah from New Zealand ($52). With wine starting from $35, it’s good value; spirits by the bottle start at $65. There are also beers by Crossroads (brewed here in Singapore), plus ales and lagers. They’ve even got cool little boutique gins!

The Cheapskate: During happy hour (Saturday to Thursday until 8pm, and Fridays until 7pm), a glass of house wine is $7 and a pint of draft beer is $9; or get five beers for $35. Bite on this: It was really good to get something different from the standard deep-fried bar food; French chef Adama Koita delivers on good quality and healthier options. The largeportioned tuna tartar with avocado ($16) was delicious, as were the little New Zealand lamb chops ($15) that melted in the mouth. Later, we hit the amazing and not-so-healthy Margherita pizza ($20) – yum!

Last but not least: They’ve just started serving brunch on Saturdays and Sundays; the menu includes items like the avocado and feta smash ($14) and the Chef’s Big Breakfast ($20). Can’t wait to try it out!