Weets Eats: Preludio serves up colourful flavour
Colours are usually vital to enhancing the look of a dish.
So for a new, un-established restaurant like Preludio to debut with a menu of monochromatic dishes, that takes audacity.
It is not just what you eat. Even the wines come from grapes grown in black or white soil.
You don't even get much of a choice too, because Preludio only serves set menus.
For lunch, it is $55 for four courses and you choose a main, or you can leave your meal to the kitchen for $98 (seven courses). Dinner is either six ($168) or eight ($218) courses.
For both lunch and dinner, you can opt for wine pairing too.
But whatever colours that may be lacking on the plate, it is there in the food. Executive chef Fernando Arevalo seems to favour acidity, and flavours are bold and buoyant because of that.
The prime example is Peek A Boo.
The food is hidden under a cap of deep fried dehydrated rice. But once you crack open that shell, the colours emerge.
The medley of ingredients include smoked eel, roasted girolle mushrooms and French root vegetables, with the winning touch of an egg yolk emulsion made with mustard and yuzu.
The mix of textures and flavours is stunning.
Equally impressive is the Pata Negra, a dish made out of Iberico pork shoulder with a white carrot and apple puree, and charred grape tomato.
The darkness in its appearance hints at the smouldering taste. The pork is spiced with cumin, cayenne and paprika, and induces a comforting warmth as it goes down the throat.
It is probably the sexiest dish from Preludio.
While La Cortina feels more homely than sexy, the agnolotti (similar to small ravioli) is by no means a wallflower.
Part of the appeal is the precious 25-year-old balsamic vinegar lovingly drizzled over the dish. The filling of butternut squash and the parmesan sauce help too.
The acidity of the White Opal hit me hard on first bite.
The Patagonian toothfish is vacuumed in a brine of clear tom yum broth and briefly sous vide, after which it is coated with a layer of dehydrated kalamata olives.
Then there is a small pile of almonds pickled with white wine vinegar and Champagne vinegar.
All that contributes to that shockingly pleasant first bite. The brightness can draw a mixed reaction, but I'm all for it.
Now, a grey dessert is not appealing. And when the Irezumi came by, I felt it was more artistic than palatable.
But the black sesame and sea salt ice cream is smooth, dense yet not cloying, balanced by the lime zest that also contains sesame and marinated strawberries. It is such a nice way to end the meal.
Preludio
Frasers Tower #03-01/02
Tel: 6904-5686
Weekdays 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10.30pm; Saturdays 6pm to 10.30pm
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