Cover Roia at the EJH Corner House in the Botanic Gardens

At Roia, chef Priyam Chatterjee leads the charge with his modern French culinary flair coupled with verdant garden views at the iconic EJH Corner House

The EJH Corner House in the Botanic Gardens sees a new lease of life with Roia. The modern French restaurant, which now replaces the former one-Michelin-starred restaurant Corner House, pays tribute to the Roya—a river that flows between France and Italy and is home to former assistant director of the Botanic Gardens Professor Edred John Henry Corner.

At the helm is Indian chef Priyam Chatterjee, who marries his French culinary training and his heritage into his cuisine. He is also the youngest and first chef of Indian heritage to be conferred the French knighthood, Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole in 2019—conferred by France in recognition of outstanding contributions in gastronomy.

In case you missed it: André Chiang returns to Singapore for an exclusive two-week residency at La Dame de Pic, Raffles Singapore this March

Tatler Asia
Above Roia main dining room

Having worked under the exceptional stewardship of renowned European chefs including Jean-Claude Fugier of the revered three-Michelin-starred La Maison Troisgros, Chatterjee went on to lead Delhi-based restaurants Rooh and Qla before Kishin RK—Singapore’s youngest billionaire and CEO of real estate acquisition and development company RB Capital Group—courted him to debut Roia, his latest venture in Singapore’s eclectic dining scene.

In fashion with quiet luxury, the refurbished interiors offer a chic yet understated look and feel—think buttery neutral-toned booth seats, and sleek furnishings fabricated from rustic rattan, posh marble and dark wood. For plush views of the surrounding lush greenery, request a table outside of the intimate dining room which offers limited views in exchange for a more intimate ambience. So what can epicureans expect about the food?

Tatler Asia
Above Trio of amuse-bouche

First off, the locale’s flora and fauna serve as a predominant source of inspiration for Chatterjee, whose culinary approach works with natural and organic practices. Every dish in both the six- and eight-course tasting menu pays an ode to the Unesco World Heritage site and weaves in uniquely Singaporean flavours. 

To start, Chatterjee presents a series of amuse-bouches, each inspired by a distinct food memory from when he first arrived in Singapore. These include curry puff, reinterpreted as a shatteringly crisp kudzu flour crystal toast enhanced with the warming spice of curry powder; and kueh pie tee, made with nutty buckwheat and filled with sweet corn mousse and briny Japanese sea grapes.

Tatler Asia
Above Fungi and Corner
Tatler Asia
Above Corner's Flowers

In the spirit of Professor Corner, who once resided in the iconic building, Chatterjee taps into Corner’s love and fascination for mushrooms and orchids for a dish that arrives with the soothing aromas of the forest floor. The decadent number sees a crisped disc of potato rosti at the base while layers of seasonal mushrooms, truffles, and a confit egg yolk await a liberal splash of mushroom velouté, edible floral embellishments—picked fresh from the garden—and a quenelle of caviar.

Chatterjee’s distinct French background shines through once again with his reimagined take on the classic duck à l'orange. Challandais duck from Maison Burgaud is expertly cooked—pink in the middle with a perfectly charred crust—and paired with carrot puree and a perfumy orange glaze to finish. Other dishes in the lineup feature luxurious ingredients such as Hokkaido scallops, Japanese ginpo (plowfish) and premium beef, depending on the season.

Tatler Asia
Above What's for Breakfast

The creativity extends to the dessert course where Chatterjee hopes to engage the diners with visually stunning elements. The breakfast staple of a sunny-side-up egg is a cheeky optical illusion where coconut meringue and mango puree replace the whites and the yolk, in their respective order. Having just opened its doors in February, Roia is set to embark on a new culinary reign within the walls of the EJH Corner House. 

And with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, Roia welcomes couples with a special six-course dinner that includes complimentary return limousine transfers and a welcome glass of champagne on arrival.

Credits

Images  

Roia

Topics