ADRIFT, MARINA BAY SANDS, SINGAPORE

Located within the Marina Bay Sands, Adrift is a Californian-style izakaya concept restaurant, inspired by Michelin-starred chef David Myers’ travels throughout

Asia. Merging Japanese and other Asian ingredients and flavours with Californian cooking techniques, Myers has created a contemporary and varied menu, with an emphasis on handcrafted signature cocktails, small and share plates, and food grilled over coals on a traditional robata grill. The restaurant is relaxed yet stylish, encouraging guests to linger over good food and drink with good company, which is exactly what we do on this rainy, tropical afternoon.

We whet our appetite with a Singapore Sling (when in Rome), and starters, including a soft and creamy lobster roll with a plate of zesty spiced cucumber kimchi. Next up, the Japanese Flying Squid evokes a “wow” from my fellow diners. Served whole, it‘s chargrilled to perfection and served with a white soy dressing and simple wedge of lemon, allowing its natural flavours to shine through. The barbecued market fish is a beautifully cooked barramundi, complemented with a green onion and pil-pil sauce. The Wagyu Tobanyaki arrives sizzling in a hot clay pot, and is sprinkled with smoked bonito flakes, Asian herbs and has a delicate apple ginger slaw. The theatrical dragon egg then arrives under a pouring of liquid nitrogen, its gold-speckled dark chocolate shell cracking open to reveal a whimsy of chocolate mousse, yuzu curd and soy caramel ice cream, giving us the perfect fairytale ending.