Celebrated Singaporean chef melds art, progressive desserts, and Mod-Chinese cuisine at new restaurant
September 8th, 2016
Much lauded Singapore pastry chef Janice Wong continues to expand her restaurant footprint in major Asian cities with the mid-August opening of her new eponymous flagship restaurant – Janice Wong Singapore. Located within the heritage-listed National Museum Singapore, her latest restaurant follows openings earlier this year in Tokyo, and more recently in Hong Kong. Joining her widely acclaimed 2am:dessertbar – home to some of Singapore’s most innovative desserts – the new flagship restaurant combines a sweets boutique that showcases her progressive sweets and edible art products, with the 40-seat restaurant – serving both signature dessert creations and a concise menu of Mod-Chinese savoury dishes with a focus on creative interpretations of dim sum and dumplings. Beverages including house-blended coffees and teas, selections of wines, and elegant cocktails that complement the sweet and savoury dishes.
Design Beyond the imposing colonial-era facade, the high-ceilinged restaurant interior features a pared-back contemporary decor with shades of grey and white providing a neutral backdrop to the colourful sweets displays and art installations. Comfortably spaced freeform dining tables reference the original 2am:dessertbar decor, while a 6-seat dining counter offers an interactive experience with the chefs as they prepare desserts.
Cuisine With an extensive grounding in classic French savoury culinary techniques, Janice Wong recently has turned her creative talents to savoury dishes and with her new menu, the focus is on dim sum. A progressive interpretation of traditional dumplings is exemplified by her Signature 5 – featuring an eye-catching array of five distinct flour casing styles and paired fillings – Crystal (scallop + prawn); Elastic ( aubergine +peppers); Transparent (mushroom); Matt (chicken); and Crispy Skin (potato + cured pork). Other highlights from the savoury menu include the Poem in a Noodle Bowl – with braised beef and mushroom; and Liquid Explosion Dumplings. Desserts are categorised under Classic and Contemporary – including familiar signature desserts such as Cassis Plum – with cassis bombe, elderflower yoghurt foam, choya granita, yuzu pearls and rubies; while new highlights include creations like the Kyoto Garden – with ginger flower ganache, orange blossom ice cream rock, pistachio sponge, and parfait.
Cocktails Refined and elegant, the cocktails incorporate influences from Japanese and local culinary ingredients. The Midorizaru with Monkey 47 Gin, solerno, vermouth blanco, Chartreuse, St. Germain, and ginger flower typifies the sophisticated yet unpretentious cocktail aesthetic. In addition to a succinct range of red and white wines, sweet Japanese wines offer rewarding pairing with the desserts.
Janice Wong Singapore opens daily from 11am, serving lunch, high tea, and dinner. Guests can select dishes from the a la carte menu, while set menus include a 3-course Lunch degustation menu, 5-course Dinner, and High Tea. Or simply order from the dessert menu anytime during the day. The retail sweets boutique follows the same opening hours as the restaurant.
