Cover Dessert featuring 72 per cent dark chocolate mousse and Sumatran coffee cream
Dessert featuring 72 per cent dark chocolate mousse and Sumatran coffee cream
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Conrad Centennial Singapore executive chef Mandar Madav and his team took inspiration from their favourite dishes and admired chefs to curate a delectable four-course menu, paired with Old and New World gems
When Conrad Centennial Singapore executive chef Mandar Madav found out that this year’s Tatler Ball theme was Make Your Mark, he got excited. Aside from the fact that he and his team got to flex their creative muscles for a second time (Madav curated the Tatler Ball menu last year), it deeply resonated with his team’s philosophy of “creating connections in the experiences we deliver”.
In planning the four-course menu, Madav started with a blank canvas and let his imagination run wild, taking inspiration from his favourite ingredients and dishes—as well as admired chefs—to whip up exclusive creations that weaved his culinary influences and techniques with various ingredients, colours and textures. The result was a repertoire of exclusive dishes that definitely made their mark in taste and presentation.
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Bobby Tonelli
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The big night came on November 11, when close to 300 guests dressed in their most striking ensembles flocked to the National Gallery Singapore to celebrate Tatler Singapore’s 41st anniversary. While Madav and his chef brigade put the finishing touches to the dishes, guests caught up with friends at the photo wall while sipping on Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial champagne, Don Julio 1942 tequila, Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Belvedere vodka, enjoyed neat or in cocktails. Those who fancied cognac were invited to the Glass Room, where they enjoyed a dram or two of Hennessy cognacs VSOP, XO and Paradis.
As the evening progressed and appetites slowly awakened, our guests made their way to the Supreme Court Terrace, an exhibit space by day that was transformed into an opulent dining room dressed in sumptuous hues of black and gold. After being welcomed by Tatler Singapore’s managing director Stephanie Tay, guests tucked into the first course of the night, an appetiser which came in two parts: the first was a cured carabinero prawn with a delicate sweetness lifted by sustainably farm caviar and avocado timbale, while the second was a citrus beet-cured salmon dressed in yuzu gel, cucumber cream and black garlic puree.
First course: Cured Carabinero Prawns
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The appetiser’s fresh and bright flavours awakened everyone’s palates before they were served the beautiful harvest of fall in the form of a warm and comforting roasted kabocha velouté that soothed the soul. The vibrant orange pumpkin soup was even presented in a hollowed out pumpkin shell and topped with crumbled goat cheese for added complexity.
In creating the main course—a choice between braised Wagyu beef and roasted cod loin—Madav took inspiration from renowned Italian restaurant Osteria Francescana’s famous dessert, ‘Oops I Dropped the Lemon Tart’. Reminiscent of artworks, both proteins were served on a blank canvas which had colourful and artistic splashes of saffron carrot and baby beet sauces. Tatler friends had fun mixing these colours together and letting their choice of beef or fish soak in all the sweet and earthy flavours of the sauces.
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It’s worth noting that vegans were also not forgotten that night, with specially created dishes such as the avocado timbale with morel mushrooms and pickles for the appetiser, and grilled matsukake mushroom served with splashes of saffron carrot and spinach sauce.
Throughout the evening, Tatler friends enjoyed free-flowing servings of Old and New World gems such as the cult rosé Whispering Angel 2022, with a refreshing and crisp acidity that rejuvenated the palates; Cloudy Bay Te Koko 2020, with a remarkable density and mineral finish that complemented the seafood dishes; and the Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2020, brimming with fruity notes that more than held their own against the flavourful mains.
In true Tatler Ball fashion, the night ended with our traditional Teochew porridge, and everyone made sure to partake in our “midnight tradition” before they danced the night away at the after-party.
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.
