2 HOME-MADE TOFU, FOIE GRAS-MIRIN SAUCE, ICED LETTUCE AT VENUE BY SEBASTIAN

The house-made tofu stands out amid the modern European dishes on the menu. Chef-owner Sebastian Ng – formerly of Restaurant Ember – has a penchant for Asian accents in his cooking, but making tofu from scratch seems extreme.

As it turns out, the tofu is simply the vehicle for Chef Ng to showcase his deliciously indulgent foie gras-and-mirin sauce, created to salvage foie gras trimmings and put them to good use.

But make no mistake: this starter has plenty of finesse. Chef Ng decided to make his egg tofu in-house after finding many options overladen with monosodium glutamate, and lacking the right firmness. His version is rst steamed with mushrooms to kick-start the umami avours, then briefy deepfried. The result is tofu that remains pillowy within, but has a crisp, golden exterior, enhanced by a velvety glaze that’s both sweet and savoury. Have it with the iced lettuce, the nishing touch that lends refreshing crunch when you least expect it. Venue by Sebastian is at #01-02 Downtown Gallery Tower 1, 6A Shenton Way.

Extremely rare for a restaurant of this calibre, the wine list is shockingly walletfriendly. The bulk of the bottles go for under $70 each, with the lowest priced at $44. Sweet. TEXT MIA CHENYZE PHOTOGRAPHY FRENCHESCAR LIM, ASSISTED BY SHERMAN SEE-THO...