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2012-07-27
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For the full review with photos, please see http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2011/03/restaurant-ember.htmlThe chef and owner behind Restaurant Ember, Sebastian Ng, is the reason for Restaurant Ember's success. Chef Ng's modern take on European cuisine is effortlessly nuanced and balanced. For a fine-dining establishment, the food is incredibly understated and uncomplicated, whilst the ambience is friendly and unstuffy. However, just because the vibe is convivial doesn't mean that you can ente
The chef and owner behind Restaurant Ember, Sebastian Ng, is the reason for Restaurant Ember's success. Chef Ng's modern take on European cuisine is effortlessly nuanced and balanced. For a fine-dining establishment, the food is incredibly understated and uncomplicated, whilst the ambience is friendly and unstuffy. However, just because the vibe is convivial doesn't mean that you can enter in slippers and/or shorts, there's a dress code to adhere to here. Also, it's best to make reservations to avoid disappointment at the door because the restaurant is so tiny.
We ate:
1) Pan Seared Foie Gras ($25) with caramelized apple lightly dressed with fragrant clove and a dazzling drizzle of port and raspberry glaze.For anyone not particularly fond of foie gras, I daresay Restaurant Ember's version will change your mind. It totally melts on the tongue, with a delightfully thin crispy crust from the searing process. Sweet but tartish diced apples help keep the goose liver light.
2) Pan Seared Scallops ($19) - wrapped lovingly with rich salty Parma ham atop a bed of crunchy mesclun greens tossed with a tangy orange tarragon vinaigrette
3) Cold Tofu Salad ($85 as part of the Set Dinner) with avocado, Sicily date tomato and a savoury sesame dressing. The soft and smooth beancurd was served refreshingly chilled, with a tangy sweetish Japanese-inspired sesame dressing for flavour
4) Crispy Maine Lobster (2nd course of the Set Dinner), with lobster beurre blanc and mesclun was delicious. The lobster had a nice caramelized crust, but remained plump and bouncy inside
5) USDA Prime Beef Tenderloin (main course of the Set Dinner) pan roasted to a perfect medium rare, served with forest mushrooms, and new potatoes set on top a bed of mash, wilted spinach in a pool of caramelized onion-thyme sauce
6) Marinated Cod with Black Miso ($32), herbed potatoes and par-boiled sugar snap peas. The fatty oily fish was balanced with sweet miso that lent a smoky accent to the flaky moist fish
7) Chilean Seabass ($34), clean and clear, pan seared to retain all of its moistness, alongside wild mushrooms simply seasoned with smoked bacon ragout, and an aromatic truffle-yuzu butter sauce
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