Cover Naked Finn chef de cuisine Marcus Leow takes over the Magic Square kitchen for its final chapter
Naked Finn chef de cuisine Marcus Leow takes over the Magic Square kitchen for its final chapter
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While the restaurant that has served as an incubation space for young local chefs will close its doors for good in July, Tan shares that his mission to train these young chefs remains the same—it will just be on a different format
It was 2018 when Tan Ken Loon, the founder of acclaimed seafood restaurant Naked Finn and burger joint Burger Labo, launched an ambitious incubation space for young Singaporean chefs called Magic Square. Three then-unknown local chefs in their 20s—namely Marcus Leow, Desmond Shen and Abel Su—took turns to showcase their version of Singaporean cuisine through inspired menus that explored their culinary identities. How they defined Singaporean cuisine was completely up to the chefs, Tan tells us, but the ultimate goal was for them not to “copy and paste” or redo hawker dishes in a modern way. “That is not creativity,” he declares.
The first pop-up that showcased young local talents on the island was well received by gourmands and critics alike, that Tan decided to invest “close to S$700,000” to open a permanent spot at Portsdown Road in 2021. However, with issues that came about from the Covid-19 pandemic and the “lack of training” amongst the youth, he announced in May that he’s permanently closing Magic Square on July 29, 2023.
Read more: What went down at Mortlach Midnight Malt’s pop-up space in Singapore
Above Marcus Leow
Above Jonathan Gan
Marcus Leow
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BACK TO BASICS
“I feel like now is the time to take a step back and start thinking about how we nurture these young chefs,” reflects Tan, after running Magic Square for five years. And, while he admits that these fresh culinary talents “have the heart”, they lack the technical abilities that will help them further their careers in the kitchen.
So instead of “throwing these young chefs into the deep end” by forcing them to helm the pop-up kitchen, Tan and his team will work on “re-training them” at some of the notable kitchens in Singapore. Tan, who also co-owns Ashino with chef Taku Ashino, makes use of the sushi-ya as a training ground for the chefs to master their craft by understanding exceptional ingredients, developing their knife skills, and learning about discipline, among many others.
Tan also wants to teach the kids about limitations. “I don’t think any restaurant in Singapore provides that kind of training yet,” he adds, so his plan is to bring Takatsu to the island. The Japanese restaurant based in Yamaguchi Prefecture is helmed by Kenichi Takatsu, who runs the day-to-day operations as a one-man show—from serving each food course, doing the wine or sake pairing, to washing up the tableware after service. “When you don't have enough resources, it restricts your creativity… and I believe that's where your true ability shines.” He adds that it’s really about not over complicating things; rather, it’s mastering the “art of reduction” where you can still create amazing dishes with less ingredients.
The end goal for Tan is to establish four to five restaurants where his mentees can rotate and learn from veteran chefs that will arm them with the necessary tools to succeed in their culinary careers. And, of course, he also hopes that one of these establishments would be a Singaporean restaurant where diners from all over the world would fly to the island just for a taste of its delectable cuisine.
See also: Fat Cow head chef Shingo Iijima shares his favourite restaurants in Tokyo
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FINAL MENU
While Tan’s vision for the next chapter of Magic Square is clear, he and his team are leaving the dining scene with one last hurrah. Leow (who is now chef de cuisine at Naked Finn) worked with chef Jonathan Gan to create the final tasting menu which, at its core, is Singaporean, but is crafted with premium ingredients from Japan and Europe. It is a parade of elevated dishes that tap on nostalgic memories; the Akagai, for example, is reminiscent of laksa as the cockles are bathed in a coconut milk reduction, while the starter of Iwashi (sardine) is cured and served with pickled starfruit (an ingredient commonly used in our local cuisine).
Even when the curtains finally close on July 29, Tan and his team will still be busier than ever discovering these new talents and offering them a platform to succeed in the kitchen. It might only be a matter of time before they open their own restaurants, and we can dig into their innovative and local creations.
Credits
Photography: Hei Kiu Au
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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.
