The chef-founder of Tate Dining Room launches a new dining concept on Upper Lascar Row that celebrates one of Asia's most versatile ingredients
At Tate Dining Room, chef Vicky Lau would often turn her lens on the possibilities of specific ingredients and flavours resulting in her now-iconic “odes” menus. In June 2020, Lau created an eight-course feast featuring myriad tofu preparations, from cold noodles with yuba to fermented tofu; later, in January 2021, she explored the complexities of soy sauce and featured six wildly different courses spanning savoury and sweet, each bringing out the character of the ingredient.
Now, a year since Ode to Soy, Lau is going full throttle with a brand new restaurant named Mora—a small 28-seat venue on historic Upper Lascar Row that will delve deep into the world of soybeans, opened with partner Romain Herbreteau and helmed by chef Percy Ho.
It’s an incredible task considering the last two endeavours were experimental menus available for a short period; this time, it’s a bricks-and-mortar restaurant that will focus fully on soy as a common thread throughout its existence. In addition, the majority of the soy-based products that will be used on Mora’s menu are being produced in Lau’s own dedicated factory, which uses a method of extraction that is said to result in a thicker texture and more intense soy aroma. From soy sauce to tofu and soy milk, the ingredients find themselves presented in dishes that are classically Lau—that is, incredibly detailed and with a beautiful aesthetic.