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2019-08-19
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After six months of work in the making, Chef Richard Ekkebus' Amber 2.0 was finally unveiled in May. Apart from a new and exciting menu that's staying completely away from dairy and gluten, the dining room was also revamped into a more casual space. There's more. The re-organization of space has created a brand new concept, some call the old Amber named SOMM, a casual French neo-bistro sharing Amber's same address.On top of the neo-bistro fare, SOMM also boasts more than 1,000 labels from all ov
On top of the neo-bistro fare, SOMM also boasts more than 1,000 labels from all over the world.
For someone like me who doesn't like to waste time studying the a la carte menu, the "Weekend Sommeliers' Lunch" menu was perfect (3 courses $538 - starter, main+dessert or 4 courses $608 - snack, starter, main+dessert). I was a little full after my breakfast at The Mandarin Cake Shop so I went with the 3-course set without the snack.
Taking a page out of our local cha chaan teng (traditional tea restaurants), all the cutlery and napkins are hidden inside a drawer underneath the table. How cool is that?
We started things off with some homemade bread.
Not bad. 
Hokkaido scallops, razor clams, sea lettuce and Kyuri condiment - Raw scallop carpaccio and razor clams were served on the shell (scallop) with kombu, diced cucumber and shallots. 
Hokkaido scallops, razor clams, kombu and Kyuri condiment
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Tasmanian salmon confit, Ikura and vinegared rice cream - I have seen pictures of this dish everywhere from online magazine to SOMM's official website so I'm guessing it's some sort of house specialty!? Again the seasoning of the dish was very very light and it came primarily from the umami-rich salmon roes. The vinegared rice cream was a nice touch. I had a similar dish in Kyoto where they used vinegared sushi rice to make some kind of puree or cream as a dipping sauce. The concept was very similar yielding equally great results.
Tasmanian salmon confit, Ikura and vinegared rice cream
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Madai, green flat bean coulis, pickled onions and horseradish
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Veal “Wiener Schnitzel”, baked new potatoes
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Raspberry 1000-Feuilles and whipped pepperberry ganache - Mille feuille is always a crowd pleaser. This was topped with fresh raspberries, strawberry sorbet and whipped pepperberry ganache.
Raspberry 1000-Feuilles and whipped pepperberry ganache
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Abinao chocolate soufflé with cacao sorbet
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For a restaurant dubbed as Amber's sister restaurant, I was certainly expecting more than what I've seen this afternoon. While all the dishes tasted reasonably good, they lacked the refinement, sophistication and artistry I was anticipating from a Neo-French bistro (something along the line of Belon perhaps?), especially for a MO establishment.
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