Cover Willow chef Nicolas Tam
Willow chef Nicolas Tam
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The space that previously housed award-winning Bacchanalia and Vianney Massot Restaurant has been taken over by this promising contemporary pan-Asian dining concept under the Ebb & Flow Group
As the F&B scene continues to recover after being hit by the pandemic, we’ve been seeing a slew of new restaurants opening across the island in the past year—some are easily forgettable while a few stand out from the rest. The latter is the case for Willow, Ebb & Flow Group’s latest contemporary pan-Asian restaurant which has taken over the space at 39 HongKong Street.
A lot has changed since Willow took over the iconic address and former home of the now-defunct Vianney Massot Restaurant (which was also under the same F&B group). The fine dining ‘look’ is characterised by its black and white colour palette that extends to the walls, kitchen tiles in the open kitchen, and linen-covered tables have been replaced by a warm and welcoming ambience. Calming shades of brown and grey now dominate the interiors and offers two seating options—a 10-seater counter for unobstructed views of the chefs in action and dining tables further to the back for a bit of privacy.
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Above Willow menu
Above Snacks to start
Willow menu
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Helming the young culinary team is 32-year-old Nicolas Tam, who boasts an impressive resume after cutting his teeth at three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Zén, one-Michelin-starred Esora, and now-shuttered Joël Robuchon Restaurant. His cooking is grounded in European culinary techniques and defined by his use of seasonal Japanese ingredients and exemplary pairing of flavours and textures.
“I’m a simple guy and I just like making simple food,” explains Tam, who prefers to use Japanese ingredients due to their consistently high quality. These are rendered into dishes that are “comfortably updated yet still familiar” and showcased in his lunch and dinner menus.
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Willow entrance
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The meal typically starts with three to four snacks that are served on a mini zen garden tray. Enough to whet your palate are the Kairos caviar and bonito creme atop a crisp dehydrated potato chip; pillowy soft foie gras ‘bolo bao’ brightened by wild berry and aged vinegar gel; and uni on homemade toast. Up next is the bread course—a warm and decadent pain au lait (milk bun) studded with nori bits and best dipped in the accompanying katsuobushi (bonito) sabayon.
The main dishes that follow are the Mikan-Tai, mikan-fed sea bream boosted by the acidic and earthy components of the rhubarb and umeboshi sauce; Hotaru Ika, firefly squid lightly cooked on the binchotan grill and laid on a bed of squid ink risotto and spiced sea crème; and Iberico pork, binchotan-grilled meaty Iberico pork presa paired with seasonal white asparagus and charcoal powder made with wild garlic leaf.
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Those who have tried Tam’s cooking will know his signature donabe rice dish, and this is reincarnated in the form of Tachiuo. This two-part dish—currently available as a special pre-order—starts off with a bowl of koshihikari rice studded with rice crackers, shiso powder and microgreens, and crowned with salt-grilled seasonal Japanese fish. It also comes with a pot of umami-packed bone broth that has been boiled for three hours to achieve its rich and milky texture. Dig into the fish and the rice, but make sure you leave some to soak in the flavours of the broth.
For sweet endings, head pastry chef Soh Hui Shan whips up treats inspired by her childhood favourites. Her muah chee is presented with mochi, peanut gelato and a thin rice veil. As for her petit fours, she serves up candied chestnut madeleines and breakfast toast macarons which draws cues from McDonald’s Big Breakfast meal.
Willow, 39 HongKong Street, S(059678), +65 8885 4867, hello@willowrestaurant.sg
Dudi Aureus is the senior dining and travel editor at Tatler Singapore, covering the city’s most exciting restaurants, global travel trends, and the personalities shaping the culinary and lifestyle scenes. She also serves as co-jury chair for the Tatler Best awards in Singapore, celebrating the very best in hospitality. When she’s off duty, she can often be found at a favourite hole-in-the-wall Thai spot, savouring a perfectly balanced pad thai.
