Witness the evolution of dining in the heart of Singapore at Meta Restaurant.
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By Jake Fredericks
Meta, a stylish restaurant serving contemporary Asian dishes, opened in late October 2015 along the vibrant Keong Saik Road, adding to the neighbourhood’s exciting dining line-up. Short for metamorphosis, Meta emphasises an evolutionary approach to the menu and a seasonally changing menu of glorious gastronomic masterpieces.
Helming the kitchen is Sun Kim, who hails from a family of South Korean restaurateurs. After previous stints at the acclaimed Tetsuya Sydney and Waku Ghin Singapore, Sun Kim’s Asian-inspired dishes present a creative modern twist. In collaboration with a fantastic young team of famous culinary experts, such as acclaimed Pastry Chef Tammy Mah, Sun Kim is constantly developing the restaurant’s ever-changing five-and eight-course tasting menus and a five-course vegetarian menu.
Current appetiser highlights include the oyster with pomelo, lemon and ginger and amaebi with yuzu and apples. The former is a freshly shucked oyster seasoned with a lemon and ginger dressing, and finished with a sprinkle of pomelo flesh for bursts of sweetness. The amaebi dish on the other hand, features shelled Japanese sweet shrimp served with a dashi jelly, trout roe, slivers of pickled beetroot stems and carrot, as well as a crunchy charred prawn head which is to be eaten last to provide a smoky finish to the dish.
Another unforgettable favourite is the Wagyu tartare with egg Jelly and Korean pear kimchi. Here, Chef Sun draws upon the traditional Korean beef bulgogi and reinvents it as a steak tartare. The cubed Wagyu beef is mixed with sweet and savoury bulgogi sauce – a combination of mirin, soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil – while the julienned pear is seasoned with Chef Sun’s homemade kimchi dressing. The creamy droplets of egg jelly help balance the acidity in the dish and a topping of puffed rice adds crunch to it.
Diners can also savour the comforting John Dory with clams, fregola and basil which sees the pan-fried fillet of white fish presented atop a trio of clams in a clear broth and finished with drops of basil oil. Equally toothsome is the slow cooked Tasmanian grass-fed beef short rib with parsnip. The beef is cooked sous vide for over 30 hours at 62°C to achieve the desired tenderness. It is then paired with pickled oyster mushrooms, charred spring onions and a smooth parsnip purée.
Vegetarians can look forward to Meta’s dedicated vegetarian menu which features a take on the popular street snack, the Korean pancake with seasonal vegetables. This delectable dish is based on a family recipe which Chef Sun learnt as a child by watching his grandmother cook. The menu also features a potato gnocchi with sweet corn and parsnip, where the pasta is freshly made with purple potatoes and accompanied by charred sweet corn.
Pastry Chef Tammy Mah’s novel and delicious desserts also reflect the restaurant’s evolutionary culinary philosophy. Diners should not miss her interpretation of the classic cheesecake, the citrus cheesecake with blood orange bon bon. It is creatively presented as a sphere with a gilded outer layer of citrus gel that encases citrus cheesecake and a dark chocolate shell with a blood orange liquid centre. Another standout is the white chocolate wasabi cream with sesame sponge and yoghurt which consists of black sesame sponge, yuzu sabayon and wasabi spiked white chocolate cream. Chef Tammy’s knack for fun desserts is similarly apparent in The Rock, a nitrogen-led surprise to end your meal.
