Singapore’s new dining destination brings a sultry atmosphere to its innovative and modern take on Middle Eastern cuisine.
Singapore’s dine and drink scene never disappoints – it’s vibrant, it’s conceptually trendy and it’s eclectic, with an endless variety of cuisine on offer. One of the latest stellar destinations all discerning diners should check out is The Ottomani. The Ottomani is hidden in the back of a heritage shop house on Peck Seah Street, giving the establishment an elusive vibe for those in the know.
In a nutshell, The Ottomani is a New Middle Eastern supper club, enriching the already exciting dining scene. That said, visiting the restaurant reveals so much more, like discovering a hidden gem. Brought to you by The Dandy Partnership from Neon Pigeon, Summerlong and Fat Prince fame, The Ottomani seamlessly blends a modern and innovative culinary experience with the ambience and personal touch of days gone by. The culinary team sums it up best with the motto, “We take traditional concepts and view them through a modern lens.”
The atmosphere is intimate with the warm light from the oil lanterns giving the place an unmatched feel, perfect for a night out. Speaking of lanterns, fire seems to be the key element at The Ottomani, including in its food selection. The restaurant takes pride in its one-of-a-kind custom-designed wood-fired earth pit, where every night before closing the team builds a fire, burns it down to the embers, buries the next evening’s menu inside and leaves it to roast slowly overnight. The meticulous process creates succulent textures and flavour depths that just can’t be obtained with modern-day equipment.
The labour intensive method births unique dishes that you don’t want to miss, like the sticky pork belly with a rub of Turkish coffee, palm sugar and Szechuan pepper and the slow-roasted lamb shoulder with spiced molasses and sumac gremolata. Furthermore, the culinary team gives the region’s favourites a contemporary twist. Take the Adana beef tartare kebab, for example. The unique interpretation of the traditional dish sees steak tartare with classic spices mixed with caviar. As a special touch, the dish is prepared on the side of your table, enhancing the overall dining experience.
Another personal touch of The Ottomani comes with the serving of the drinks. The restaurant doesn’t have your regular bar; instead, bartenders bring the bar to you and prepare the drinks on a mobile golden drinks trolley – providing entertainment for you as well. The Ottomani offers a wine list and cocktail programme curated by Singapore’s rising mixology star Symphony Loo. The selection of exclusive regional wines and upscale old and new world bottles provides the perfect conclusion to the distinctive culinary experience at The Ottomani.
The Ottomani’s Adana beef Tartare Kebab
Ingredients
Beef tartare
- 25g 100-day aged stockyard beef fillet
- The Ottomani‘s secret chemen paste (roasted, and reduced peppers and aromatics)
- 5g parsley
- 1tsp Turkish olive oil
- A pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 burnt rye pita
- 10g caviar
- A dash of tomato powder
Sumac fermented onions
- 150g brown onion thickly cut
- 3g salt
- 8g sumac
Pepper tuille
- 60g red chili
- 180g water
- 30g corn oil
- 20g corn flour
Tomato gel
- 400g tomato water
- 3g agar agar
- Pinch of salt and white pepper
Method
- For the sumac fermented onions, cut onions in half and separate all layers. Add sumac and salt. Let ferment in a vacuum-sealed bag.
- For the pepper tuille, blend peppers and water until smooth. Strain through strainer. Mix starch and pepper mix. Cook on low heat until the mix looks dry.
- Bring tomato water to a boil with agar agar. Set in the fridge overnight. Blend until smooth and gel-like. Strain through a fine strainer.
- Break down the 100-day aged stockyard beef fillet into a small dice size.
- In a chilled bowl, add all the ingredients for the tartare to incorporate. This includes 25 grams of cut beef, and a secret house-made chemen paste, sumac fermented onions, parsley, Turkish olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Start the plating process. First put the burnt rye pita on the plate. Quenelle (shape) the tartare mix smack dab in the center. Then a couple dots of local tomato gel, and with a spicy pepper tuille.
- Finish the dish with goods, in this case a little caviar and tomato powder.
The Ottomani
48 Peck Seah Street
Singapore 079317
T: (+65) 92319316
