Cover Chef and founder of Restaurant Story, Tom Sellers
Chef and founder of Restaurant Story, Tom Sellers
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Ahead of his pop-up restaurant at Flutes, we chat with the chef-founder on what he’s most excited about his trip and what he’ll be whipping up for local diners
Two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Story has captivated the hearts—and palates—of gourmands across the world since it burst into the London food scene in 2013. In fact, British journalist Marina O'Loughlin of The Guardian enthused that “she can't remember a meal that prompted so many actual, physical reactions”, while the late restaurant critic AA Gil of the Sunday Times wrote that “the menu has a deceptive simplicity—troikas of ingredients—but behind them is a sophisticated, expert construction that is elegant, thoughtful and clear”.
The man behind it is chef-patron Tom Sellers. After working in the kitchens of Thomas Keller at three-Michelin-starred Per Se in New York and René Redzepi at two-Michelin-starred Noma in Copenhagen, he forged his own path with the opening of Restaurant Story. Here, he continues to break fine dining conventions and serve up innovative dishes that tell his own story. He states: “I always wanted a restaurant and always wanted to call it Story because I was going to tell what I was all about... my story, my life and everything I’ve worked for—the hours of blood, sweat and tears, it all came down to this.”
Sellers has definitely come a long way in this journey, from earning two Michelin stars last year to being the UK Chef Ambassador for Rolls Royce and Audemars Piguet. Now, he will be taking over Flutes Restaurant for four weeks to share the Restaurant Story experience with the local diners.
We chat with him to find out what we can expect from this much-awaited event.
Don’t miss: Tom Sellers Brings the Restaurant Story Experience to Singapore With a Four-Week Culinary Residency
How does it feel like to be travelling again after two years?
Tom Sellers (TS): I’m pleased that the world is opening up again and we’re able to travel and discover new ingredients that allow us (chefs) to grow, learn and progress in our craft. It’s great that I have the chance to come back to Singapore because it’s an exciting and culturally diverse place.
What are you most excited about your four-week culinary residency in Singapore?
TS: My core group of chefs and front-of-house staff will be in Singapore for a good amount of time, and we’re looking forward to meeting a lot of new customers. For many, I believe it will be their first experience of Restaurant Story and our food.
What’s exciting about these types of projects is the different challenges that are thrown at us along the way. However, preparation is key and we’re working closely with the team at Flutes Restaurant to get all the details correct.
How did this residency come about?
TS: A mutual contact reached out with this amazing opportunity and thought we’d be a good fit for the National Museum of Singapore and Flutes Restaurant.
Above Grilled oyster
Above Tuna tart
Grilled oyster
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Are you planning to visit any restaurants or hawker centres while you’re in Singapore?
TS: None in particular. I’m just really excited to get out and explore the city, go to the market in the early morning and taste all the different hawker foods.
What is the ‘story’ you want to tell the diners in Singapore?
TS: At Restaurant Story, we always fold in some narrative around the food, hence, our name. Sometimes, people take it literally that we're going to tell a story with food. For us, we look to tell that story with the elements of our cooking.
What are some of the signature dishes you’ll be serving? Any exclusive creations you’ll present for the pop-up?
TS: The menu that we will be creating in Singapore features a mix of signature dishes from our London restaurant and some new dishes that are influenced by Singapore’s surroundings and flavours. Some of the signature dishes people can expect to see are our Rabbit Sandwich, Paddington Bear and scallop, elderflower and horseradish.
Also read: Just Be Really Good At What You Do, Says Isaac McHale Of The Clove Club
Above Two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Story
Two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Story
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How has your cooking changed since the pandemic?
TS: One of the most beautiful things about cooking is it reveals everything about the people who engage in it. As I grow, my understanding of ingredients has also grown. I think it’s important to look at the dining experience through my guests’ eyes and try to understand them, now more than ever.
What is next for Tom Sellers after the culinary residency?
TS: We have lots of exciting projects in the pipeline—most of which I’m not currently allowed to disclose information on at this stage. What I can say is that we’re building a second floor at Restaurant Story due to open in late autumn 2022, which has been a dream of ours for a long time now. I am also proud to announce that I will be cooking at the Wimbledon Championships this year in partnership with Keith Prowse UK.
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Images: Restaurant Story
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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.
