Be transported to Jeju with chef-owner Louis Han’s seventh episodic menu for spring, “Jeju Blossoms”. As always, Han marries his memories with a contemporary Korean sensibility—see the oi naengguk, a chilled cucumber soup that Han elevates with sea bass carpaccio and Tosaka nori, drizzled with a sesame oil and garlic dressing. Or look at the “Jeju surf and turf”, which spotlights the breadth of Jeju’s terrain with Ibérico pork loin and grilled Jeju abalone, accompanied by a “pie” of red kimchi and roasted celeriac. Of course, not to ignore the tangerines and carrots that are so desirable on the island, which are here presented in a dessert of carrots simmered in mandarin syrup and a tangerine and mint sorbet.

Butcher’s Block welcomes spring with a new indoor vertical farm in partnership with Farmd, meaning that the gems of chef de cuisine Jordan Keao’s seasonal Imua menu are locally-grown and harvested. Take the miso black cod, which is grilled over woodfire and paired with kimchi made with baby kailan from the farm, as well as Swiss chard and crispy lettuce. See also the “congee” with a base of Hokkaido Yumepirika sushi rice and fish-and-bone broth, and topped with powerful flavour enhancers such as dehydrated, smoked and grated scallop roe and caviar.

Now is the time for shun, that instance where ingredients have reached their full seasonal potential, and at Esora, chef Takeshi Araki transforms spring’s blessings into purifying creations. Sansai, or highly-prized mountain vegetables, present a compelling, complex bitterness on the palate; see them in dishes such as the kombu-cured, bincho-grilled Wagyu, which is accompanied by nanohana and mountain garlic. Look out for other seasonal delights as well, best encapsulated in this season’s hassun platter, or the garnishes in Araki’s spring donabe, where chives, young ginger, and Japanese parsley adorn the rice dish with deep-fried sakura ebi.

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Cantonese chefs have different answers on how to straddle the line between tradition and modernity. At Jia He Chinese Restaurant, you’ll find one of them in its new à la carte menu, refreshed just in time for spring. Start your meal here with a lightly-seared slice of foie gras with sliced mango and crushed pistachios for bright tang and crisp, before selecting from an entire range of barbecue meats, including the iconic Peking duck with its crisp, juicy skin and flavourful flesh. No meal at a Chinese restaurant is complete without a bowl of hot, comforting soup, and the double-boiled chicken soup, which enjoys a kick from Sarawak pepper, is a fine example. But if there’s one thing that’s not to be missed, it’s the signature crispy hor fun, presented to you with an array of seafood. A hot egg sauce is ladled over the dish right before your eyes with an audible crackling onomatopoeia, which softens the noodles to a satisfying bite. 

Jia He Chinese Restaurant
Address: 1 Farrer Park Station Road, 01-14/15/16 One Farrer Hotel Connexion, S(217562), +65 6694 8988

As always, executive chef Kirk Westaway pays homage to his home county of Devon with his new menu, which reflects the freshness and optimism of spring. Vegetables receive pristine treatment here; see the globe artichokes served with crab meat and confit fennel leaves, or the sweetheart cabbage that is grilled over Japanese charcoal and served with garlic oil, lemon zest, and Kristal caviar. But look out for the Pyrenees lamb, only available for eight months in a year—from the back saddle to the trimmings, it is meticulously prepared and served with classic accompaniments of English peas and salad for an elegant yet unpretentious main.

Resident chef Denis Lucchi brings Italy’s springtime treasures to Buona Terra, where ingredients such as puntarella and salsify are crafted into modern Italian delicacies. It’s hard to say no to lobster, especially one that has been encased in Wagyu fat and grilled over binchotan, served with sliced artichoke, preserved Amalfi lemon, and a savoury anchovy sauce. And if you think you know sweetbread, think again—this veal iteration is pan-fried with a semolina coating, offering a delicate crunch that adds to the complexity of the dish, thanks to the parsnip purée, coffee powder, and salsify.

There’s always a shock to the palate at Indian woodfire restaurant Revolver, but if anything, it’s delicious, and always daring. This spring, the new Bullet 12 menu brings new seasonal produce from Australia, France, India and Japan, coming together to present an exploration of Indian cuisine. There is the delicate, which includes fresh hamachi slices in a refreshing coriander jus, but there is also the bold, brought to life with its woodfire grill and tandoor oven. Take the French turbot, which is on the grill just long enough for its flavoursome Achari marinade to penetrate its tender meat. Look out also for seasonal produce such as white asparagus, lightly grilled and served with a coconut and lime sauce. 

Spring is the time for white asparagus, and at The Cliff, you can treat yourself to a whole menu dedicated to the prized spargel from April 4 to 30. Simple preparation is key to preserve the sweetness and bite of this seasonal delicacy; in one dish, chef de cuisine Paolo Benedet has poached white asparagus and served it with pan-seared Hokkaido scallop and Avruga caviar. Otherwise, grilling them imbues a complementary char and slight smoke, which is best enjoyed with a grilled beef tenderloin with cheese fondue. Pasta lovers are not to miss out on the egg fettuccine either, which comes with white asparagus, crispy bacon, and prawn.

This spring, Goho welcomes new chef de cuisine Stefan Kam, previously of Table65 and Tippling Club, to helm the kitchen at the kaiseki bar. Besides the spring versions of menu mainstays like the hassun and the monaka, look out for some of Kam’s signature seasonal creations such as the unagi tamaki and the aka ebi, which is marinated in mango curry and comes to your table gloriously fried alongside mango salsa. 

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