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Get ready for the new Aurora
A lot can happen in a year. For Aurora, that was most certainly true. From opening its doors for the first time, hosting a range of collaborations, and introducing lunch service to a change of name, chefs Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar have had a year full of eventful milestones.
“I’ve always approached concept creation based on its location, and given that we’re inside a lobby of a corporate building, we thought it would be best to start as a café to get to know our immediate market better. 10 months in and a couple of menu changes later, we found ourselves a bit constricted creatively due to the confines of being a café concept. We’ve decided as a team to evolve into a restaurant and see where this next journey takes us. You can expect more interesting seasonal numbers and specials instead of just straightforward dishes,” Santos divulges.
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To celebrate their first year done and dusted, the duo proudly hosted a two-night-only anniversary special featuring a hefty and expertly prepared 10-course menu. “The Year One menu was inspired by some of the dishes that became guest favourites throughout the year, some courses from some of our collaboration dinners (which we further refined), and a couple of brand new ones that we thought our regulars and new guests might enjoy. We did it in a tasting [menu] format to creatively and mentally push ourselves and to set the tone for 2024”, shares Vilar.
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Some familiar items (that received welcomed twists) appeared on the menu, like their extremely crave-worthy fluffy shokupan, silky Angus beef tartare on a nori streaked tarlet, or tender chicken meatball with tare sauce. But we were also greeted with brand new innovative creations like texture-filled raw buri with burnt jalapeño, chicken liver paste, and crispy sesame tempura. My favourite item on the tasting menu was a stunningly prepared, perfectly pink New Zealand lamb with sweet mustard, miso paste and gremolata.
The last main course featured melt-in-your-mouth beef short ribs with crisp shiso leaves, cucumber achar, and a fascinating trio of sauces designed to be mixed together to elicit the taste of keluak. Santos and Quenee recounted that they stumbled upon this winning combination by accident during R&D. Their mushroom and eggplant sambal, peanut sauce and a barbecue rendang reduction were individually unique and powerful but combined effortlessly to create a brand new flavour, which paired flawlessly with the beef and buttered rice with shiitake mushroom, corn, kalkag and fried shallots. The Year One degustation was nothing short of impressive and left us optimistically curious about what the future holds.
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While Aurora will not be introducing tasting menus as part of their re-brand, we can expect set menus for lunch and a snack tasting course for dinner in the near future.
“It’s been quite a rollercoaster. It’s been three and half years since we’ve operated a restaurant, so we focused on being mentally, physically, and emotionally present to get to know our new market. Aside from that, we are continuously pushing ourselves creatively and professionally to be better restaurant operators,” Santos underscores.
“One of our biggest wins was being featured in Tatler Dining’s article about the best new restaurant openings of 2023. My team and I are honestly quite proud of it, so thank you so much for recognising our work,” he shared, much to our delight. “We are determined to stay on the dragon’s back and ride its waves all the way to 2025”, he adds.
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About
Isabel loves to learn, and see things from different perspectives. Connecting with people and engaging in new experiences to broaden her horizons is what inspires this storyteller, keeping her constantly curious, and excited for what's to come. An absolute love for all things F&B ignited a hunger to devour content from this world and keeps her jumping into tasty adventures around the globe. From the beauty of simple bites, to nuanced fine dining tasting menus, street food, and the art of entertaining, the multi-faceted nature of the dining experience is something she can't get enough of. A good cup of coffee or a glass of wine paired with a dash of witty conversation is a quick way to win her over. This editor loves travelling, food, music, skincare, fitness, and is only friends with people who love dogs. Guilty pleasure?: Binge-watching TV shows and movies she has already seen.
Work
Concept creation is the name of the game and branding takes centre stage in Isabel's day-to-day schedule. From producing shoots, conceptualising bespoke projects for our partners, relationship management, to cooking up features and events for Tatler Dining, this editor is a tried and tested foodie at heart. She mainly writes content for Tatler Dining, engaging in captivating discussions with restaurateurs, chefs, producers, and food enthusiasts to tell must-know stories. Aside from that Isabel manages Tatler Dining's flagship events like Off Menu, or Cocktail Festival and puts together the Tatler Dining Guide, our annual listing of the best eats around town.
Follow her on Instagram @isabelvmf.
