When you think of true-blue Singaporean cuisine, you’d think that there’s no way it would fit into the mould of fine dining. But at the one michelin starred, Restaurant Labyrinth, you’ll get to witness (and taste) for yourself just how elegantly and refined Chef-Owner LG Han transforms familiar local recipes.
As an avenue that boasts the produce Singapore has to offer, Labyrinth is engaged in a deeper conversation with local farmers, fishermen and fishery ports. It is an exploration of age-old recipes, and an expression of local flavours and food memories. Chef LG Han unveils a contemporary dining experience that pays tribute to Singapore and his late grandmother, evoking a multitude of memories and emotions.
The menus offered here only come as set menus, one for each service of the day. The lunch menu starts at $98++, while the Chef’s Tasting Menu is $138++. The menus generally remain the same, save for slight changes dependent on seasonality of the produce.
A prelude to my meal was the Tea Egg with Oolong Tea, which has a nice burst of egg yolk upon one bite. There is a series of snacks on both lunch and dinner menu, before diners move on to the mains proper. For us, this delectable dish was accompanied by Kelong Green Lip Mussels and Ngoh Hiang, chef’s take on stuffed chicken wings!
One of the dishes which resonated well with me is the Heartland Waffle with local duck liver. It was the first time I heard of locally produced duck liver and this came from the Toh Thye San farm. The inspiration of the dish also came from the heartland waffles we are familiar with and I loved the taste of the duck liver which was very smooth in flavour and resembled foie gras to some extent.
Next in line were Kulhbarra Barramundi, Roasted Fish Bone Broth and Bak Chor Mee loaded with scallops and squids. We also ended up trying the Chilli Crab topped with chilli crab ice cream and crab foam which ended up being a huge highlight for us!
We all love chicken rice and this version is probably one of the most refined I have seen. Aptly dubbed the ‘Ang Moh” Chicken Rice, the dumpling here was filled with diced chicken from Toh Thye San and then cooked in chicken rice stock. The best way to enjoy the dish is to have it with the accompanying white sauce on the plate, made with a mix of chicken fat and flour.
On to the main desserts which I was very excited about, we were served Ice Kachang, with mango ice cream, coconut milk and shaved ice alongside a Buah Keluak Pudding with gulajawa ice cream and coconut caramel!
The new direction that Restaurant Labyrinth is taking by choosing to utilise local and regional produce shows Chef Han’s dedication to supporting these smaller agriculture businesses. Apart from that, it also allows the restaurant to be a platform to highlight the modernity of Singaporean cuisine and how far it’s come from tradition, while maintaining its innate heritage.
I was really fascinated with the interpretations presented that afternoon, and I would highly recommend both local and international diners to have a taste of the future of Singapore’s local fare.
TheGourmetGuhas Verdict:
Taste bud: 4/5
Price: 4/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5
It is always good to read about the tasty food and the rich culture of Singapore. I always wish to explore completely my place, but only able to cover few points. Hope this will going to be happen soon. Subscribed your blog.
Thank you so much!