Element Restaurant Tasting Session 2018 - Bluefin Tuna Night
165 Tanjong Pagar Road
Level 1, Amara Singapore
One-Time Event
20th April 2018 Only: 6:30pm - 10pm
http://singapore.amarahotels.com/dining/element/
This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session.
Attended with representatives from Purple Taste, and SG Food On Foot.
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| Mosaic Of Freshly Smoked Bluefin Tuna Fish With Caviar |
The Night Of The Bluefin Tuna Celebration
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 7
Value for Money: 9
Budget about SGD $98 ++ per person.
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I've enjoyed my previous visits to Element Restaurant, and as part of their plan for 2018, they're holding a series of one-time-only events, either to showcase a seasonal ingredient, or the skill of their chefs in a selected cuisine. For April 2018, we were fortunate to be invited to Element Restaurant for their Bluefin Tuna Night special.
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| Element Restaurant - Bluefin Tuna Night 2018 Poster |
As with past visits to Element Restaurant, the ambience, service, and food quality remain consistently above average. For the Bluefin Tuna Night event held on 20th April 2018, a whole bluefin tuna fish weighing 56kg was imported fresh from Okinawa, Japan, and presented on an ice block, with an accompanying carved ice sculpture of a tuna fish.
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| Bluefin Tuna Fish, Prepped On Ice Block |
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| Bluefin Tuna Fish Ice Sculpture |
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| Japanese Chef Yow Mun Fai & Team |
The highlight was watching Executive Chef Charles Goh & Japanese Chef Yow Mun Fai skillfully carve up the whole bluefin tuna fish. The 2 men worked quickly together to carefully slice off each part, handing it off to the kitchen team for prep.
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| Executive Chef Charles Goh & Japanese Chef Yow Mun Fai |
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| Executive Chef Charles Goh & Japanese Chef Yow Mun Fai |
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| Slicing |
On top of the regular International Buffet available, a specially curated menu was designed, to showcase Chef's skill in serving a Kaiseki Set, with the themed ingredient being the freshly filleted bluefin tuna fish. Almost feels like an Iron Chef style challenge, prepare and serve 6 courses featuring the ingredient.
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| Element Restaurant - Bluefin Tuna Night 2018 Menu - International Buffet & Kaiseki Set |
Several rounds of sake, chilled and smooth, to whet the appetite and complement the meal. Soft fairy lights cast a gentle glow over the sturdy wooden outdoor tables, creating nice mood lighting.
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| Sake & Fairy Lights |
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| Sake & Fairy Lights |
I began with a DIY Garden Salad, Drunken Chicken, Duck À L'Orange. I wanted a salad, but threw in a couple of slices of protein just for kicks. Love the fresh and crunchy vegetables, including the curly endive / frisée, arugula / wild rocket leaves, purple cabbage, and stir-fried pea shoots with straw mushrooms. Nice vegetal sweet savoury bitter flavours. The chilled Drunken Chicken was nicely sweet savoury and refreshing on the palate, while the warm Duck À L'Orange had a zesty tangy sweet orange sauce that went well with the bold meaty savoury flavour of the duck meat.
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| DIY Garden Salad, Drunken Chicken, Duck À L'Orange |
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| DIY Garden Salad, Drunken Chicken, Duck À L'Orange |
Freshly filleted, the Sashimi - Hon Maguro / Bluefin Tuna Fish - Akami / Top Loin has a tender, bouncy bite to texture. None of that fishy smell or flavour, instead, it's nicely meaty sweet, lacking the astringent metallic note of poorer versions. Great quality in this. Good!
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| Sashimi - Hon Maguro / Bluefin Tuna Fish - Akami / Top Loin |
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| Sashimi - Hon Maguro / Bluefin Tuna Fish - Akami / Top Loin |
The only thing better - the freshly filleted Sashimi - Hon Maguro / Bluefin Tuna Fish - Otoro / Belly. With a tender lively bite to texture, and a delicate sweet savoury flavour, you also get the lovely fatty sensation of this premium cut. Very luxurious.
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| Sashimi - Hon Maguro / Bluefin Tuna Fish - Otoro / Belly |
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| Sashimi - Hon Maguro / Bluefin Tuna Fish - Otoro / Belly |
My favourite dish of the event was the Mosaic Of Freshly Smoked Bluefin Tuna Fish With Caviar. I love it for its bold, smoky notes, intense savoury salty briny flavour, and firm bouncy chew to texture. The luxurious caviar complements the bluefin tuna fish cubes so well. Will appeal more to gentlemen. Highly recommended!
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| Mosaic Of Freshly Smoked Bluefin Tuna Fish With Caviar |
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| Mosaic Of Freshly Smoked Bluefin Tuna Fish With Caviar |
The Bluefin Tuna Fish Carpaccio With Salad And Japanese Shoyu Dressing is more a salad, making for a nice appetizer. Fresh and crunchy coral greens and purple cabbage form the base, while the bluefin tuna fish carpaccio has a bright zesty salty sour flavour from the shoyu dressing. Nicely slippery and tender in texture, with a slight smoky aroma.
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| Bluefin Tuna Fish Carpaccio With Salad And Japanese Shoyu Dressing |
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| Bluefin Tuna Fish Carpaccio With Salad And Japanese Shoyu Dressing |
The Bluefin Tuna Fish With 63 Degrees Poached Egg And Spicy Gochujang Sauce is a novel idea. The overall taste profile is sweet savoury spicy, almost like a meaty salsa. The poached egg lends a silky texture to the marinated, tender diced bluefin tuna fish, while the spicy gochujang sauce kicks with a burst of heat. A crisp sesame lavash flatbread lends a contrasting crunch to texture. Creative dish that is well executed.
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| Bluefin Tuna Fish With 63 Degrees Poached Egg And Spicy Gochujang Sauce |
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| Bluefin Tuna Fish With 63 Degrees Poached Egg And Spicy Gochujang Sauce |
Sampled the Assorted Bluefin Tuna Fish Sashimi And Sushi. The vinegared sushi rice is lightly savoury sour, with a sticky chewy texture. As before, the slices of fresh Akami / Top Loin and Otoro / Belly are the highlights here, the delicate taste is so lovely.
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| Assorted Bluefin Tuna Fish Sashimi And Sushi |
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| Assorted Bluefin Tuna Fish Sashimi And Sushi |
A real Wasabi Root & Steel Grater. Was informed that less than 10 Japanese restaurants in Singapore utilise pure wasabi - typically, most versions in Singapore use a processed paste that combines wasabi with horseradish. This means the Singaporean wasabi has a sharp spicy flavour, in contrast, the pure wasabi has a delicate vegetal sweet spicy flavour, without the sharpness. Another barrier to using pure wasabi is the price; a whole root of this size (approximately 15cm in length) costs SGD $40!
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| Wasabi Root & Steel Grater |
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| Wasabi Root & Steel Grater |
The warm Bluefin Tuna Fish Belly Soup With Leek And Tofu is so soulful. The fish lends a delicate sweet flavour to the dashi (kombu seaweed) soup / broth, balancing out its natural earthy flavour. Chunks of tender bluefin tuna fish and crunchy scallions fortify this hearty dish. Pure comfort food that opens the appetite.
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| Bluefin Tuna Fish Belly Soup With Leek And Tofu |
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| Bluefin Tuna Fish Belly Soup With Leek And Tofu |
The Vanilla Ice Cream, Almond Financier is a DIY creation. The cream smooth vanilla ice cream has a rich flavour, not overly sweet. The almond financier is fluffy soft in texture, with a light bready sweet flavour, pretty good.
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| Vanilla Ice Cream, Almond Financier |
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| Vanilla Ice Cream, Almond Financier |
Always great to catch up with Chef & team on previous visits to Element Restaurant, and this visit was just as fun as before. For advance notice on more one-time-only events held at Element Restaurant, follow their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Elementatplay/ .
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CONVERSATION