Dec 16
Harvest Salad at Bacchanalia, Singapore
[UPDATE: We bid a fond farewell to chef Ivan Brehm who completed his last service at the Kitchen at Bacchanalia last night. Sous chef Mark Ebbels also left the restaurant earlier this month. Chopstix thanks them for bringing great food, integrity and passion to the Singapore dining scene and can’t wait to see what they do next.]
Scallops for two at Bacchanalia
Sunday is when some top restaurants take a well deserved break but with Valentine’s falling on the day of rest this year, two of Singapore’s finest are opening their doors.
Bacchanalia is offering a seven course menu at S$150 pp with a free glass of champagne while the Tippling Club has a 14 course menu at S$350 pp – S$400 with champagne and wine pairings.
Tom yum with tempura coriander at Tippling Club
With Ivan Brehm at Bacchanalia and Ryan Clift at Tippling Club being the most innovative chefs in the city, this certainly won’t be a dull date.
Harvest Salad at Bacchanalia, Singapore
[UPDATE: Bacchanalia has been renamed Kitchen by Bacchanalia and was awarded a Michelin star in the inaugural Singapore guide on July 21st 2016.]
Former Fat Duck chef Ivan Brehm has at last got the restaurant he deserves in the new Bacchanalia venue on gentrified Hong Kong Street. Gone is the moody lighting and lounge bar setting, refreshingly replaced by an airy, open space that’s like eating in someone’s (very expensive) kitchen.
More importantly chef Brehm – and fellow Fat Duck alum Mark Ebbels – are able to focus on the food. Out with the a la carte burgers and fries, in with a tasting menu only that really lets the food shine.
Ivan will talk you through the mind blowing detail that went into each component of every dish. Produce-driven is becoming an overused phrase but Brehem and Ebbels seeks out the finest ingredients they can in nearby Cameron Highlands and also grow their own on the rooftop vegetable garden.
Lamb saddle with kibbeh nayeh
Left to his own devises, Ivan also brings in touches of Middle Eastern. Such as the lamb saddle and charred eggplant purees with harissa and kibbeh nay (a minced raw lamb on Arabic bread) – one of the best dishes Chopstix and tasted in Singapore this year.
It’s a relief to see that old favourites like the cold pressed coconut cream aged carnaroli risotto are still on the menu too.
Desserts such as marsala mousse, coffee ganache, cacao gel and blackcurrent sorbet are equally cleverly created and delectable.
You won’t want to miss out on the superb drinks pairings from sommelier Matthew Chan either.
Gone too is the chef’s table, right in the kitchen, which is a shame but overall we’ll take the new incarnation of Bacchanalia over the old hands down.
[UPDATE: Bacchanalia has introduced a three course set dinner menu for SG$65, available Monday – Thursday. The Table D’Hote menu currently includes the classic cold pressed coconut cream with aged carnaroli risotto.]
The open kitchen interior of Bacchanalia, Singapore
A Different Vegetable Salad
A former chef at The Fat Duck, Ivan Brehm’s Chef’s Table is one of the most genuinely interesting food concepts in Singapore.
The table for two in the kitchen at Bacchanalia restaurant is bookable by arrangement only. Once there, the boffinish Brehm can be watched overseeing his supremely clever and artfully executed dishes at the pass and his brigade (including sous chef and fellow Fat Duck alumni Mark Ebbels) preparing them at their immaculate stations. Don’t expect expletives: Brehm is impressively calm and it rubs off on his team.
The Chef’s Table at Bacchanalia
After discussing your culinary preferences, Brehm will create a personalised menu for you (expect to pay a minimum of $SG500 plus taxes). Accompanied, if you wish, by wines chosen by the sommelier. These may include A Different Vegetable Salad, Rice & Coconuts, Hamachi Carambola and White Chocolate & Cherry Tart.
Nothing is quite how it sounds but neither does it come with Heston Blumenthal theatrics – Brehm likes his food to look like food.
Chef Ivan Brehm
The head chef will bring the dishes to your table, some including rare and local Asian herbs from Bacchanalia’s kitchen garden and each accompanied by a fascinating description of how the dish was devised.
In a city that’s dominated by copycat restaurant formats this makes a refreshing change.
UPDATE Bacchanalia has moved to 39 Hong Kong Street, the Chef’s Table in the kitchen is no longer in operation.
Chopstix & the City 