Singapore foodies will remember the sakura ebi angel hair pasta and duck leg confit that were signature dishes of local chef Sebastian Ng during his 12 years at now-closed Restaurant Ember. Ng, who trained at three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay along Royal Hospital Road in London and Hotel de Mikuni in Tokyo, announced his departure from Ember in 2014. His decision to take a break and travel the world with his family left many regulars wondering if they would get to taste the Singaporean's take on hearty French-style cooking with touches of Asian influence again.
A move away from fine dining
The wait is now over, with the opening of his latest restaurant VENUE by Sebastian. Located in the CBD, this 80-seater space is Ng’s new playground where he churns out contemporary European fare in a more casual setting.
Unlike Ng's time at Restaurant Ember, there are no starched white table cloths or fine wine glasses here. Instead, these are swapped for long communal tables and bar counter seats. Even placing an order takes a turn away from the holy trinity of having an appetiser-main-dessert for a full meal. Instead, diners pick half or full portions across categories Toast; Fritti (fried food) & Greens; Pan, Coal & Roast; and Sweets. To keep things fun and in line with the spirit of sharing here, orders are placed via a slip, much like at a dim sum restaurant.
The wait is now over, with the opening of his latest restaurant VENUE by Sebastian. Located in the CBD, this 80-seater space is Ng’s new playground where he churns out contemporary European fare in a more casual setting.
Unlike Ng's time at Restaurant Ember, there are no starched white table cloths or fine wine glasses here. Instead, these are swapped for long communal tables and bar counter seats. Even placing an order takes a turn away from the holy trinity of having an appetiser-main-dessert for a full meal. Instead, diners pick half or full portions across categories Toast; Fritti (fried food) & Greens; Pan, Coal & Roast; and Sweets. To keep things fun and in line with the spirit of sharing here, orders are placed via a slip, much like at a dim sum restaurant.
Chef Sebastian Ng preparing a dish of pan-seared duck breast
“One of the biggest differences is how we (the kitchen) send out food. Over at Ember, we had to prepare all the appetisers and send them out at the same time before we did the mains,” shares Ng.
“Here, because it’s communal dining, we can fire up the food and send out whichever dish is ready first.”
This means rather than having the whole table wait for a dish to be ready before all their mains are served, diners can expect their orders to arrive quicker - even if it does mean tucking into their main course before the salad arrives.
A French top is chef Ng's favourite stove to cook from
Old favourites, new twist
His new concept might be all about keeping it casual, but what stays the same is Ng’s penchant for classic French dishes done with an Asian influence. Dishes such as Chilean sea bass with bacon ragout and angel hair pasta with sakura ebi - arguably what gave Restaurant Ember its successful opening in 2002 - will once again be back on the menu. Peek into Ng's new kitchen, and you’ll even spy the same French top stove he swears by to fire up his well-loved signatures.
That's not to say Ng doesn't have new tricks up his sleeve. Inspired by his recent travels, Ng recalls tasting the dry-aged beef at popular British steakhouse Hawksmoor when he was in London. In love with the flavour and texture of the beef, Ng will be trying his hand at dry-ageing meat for the first time. Currently, his pink Himalayan salt-tiled cabinet holds his prized offering - a hefty 12kg Australian OP rib that he plans to age for up to 50 days.
Helping him in the kitchen is chef de cuisine Jonathan Lee, previously from Middle Eastern restaurant Artichoke. With Ng wanting to take on more of a mentorship role now that he is older, Lee is his diligent (sometimes cheeky) student. Ng also shares that Lee adds new ideas to the menu Take the grilled baby gem lettuce with burrata. While Ng came up with the mentaiko and chilli vinaigrette dressing, he still felt the dish was missing something; it was Lee who came up with the idea to round the dish off with a creamy cheese.
“It’s not really my style, but Jon really liked it. And he taught me something new in the process,” says Ng.
Asked why he decided to return after his hiatus, Ng replies: "I really missed cooking. It's what I want to do for life."
Venue by Sebastian Ng officially opens its doors later this week. Address: #01-02 Downtown Gallery, 6A Shenton Way.
His new concept might be all about keeping it casual, but what stays the same is Ng’s penchant for classic French dishes done with an Asian influence. Dishes such as Chilean sea bass with bacon ragout and angel hair pasta with sakura ebi - arguably what gave Restaurant Ember its successful opening in 2002 - will once again be back on the menu. Peek into Ng's new kitchen, and you’ll even spy the same French top stove he swears by to fire up his well-loved signatures.
That's not to say Ng doesn't have new tricks up his sleeve. Inspired by his recent travels, Ng recalls tasting the dry-aged beef at popular British steakhouse Hawksmoor when he was in London. In love with the flavour and texture of the beef, Ng will be trying his hand at dry-ageing meat for the first time. Currently, his pink Himalayan salt-tiled cabinet holds his prized offering - a hefty 12kg Australian OP rib that he plans to age for up to 50 days.
Helping him in the kitchen is chef de cuisine Jonathan Lee, previously from Middle Eastern restaurant Artichoke. With Ng wanting to take on more of a mentorship role now that he is older, Lee is his diligent (sometimes cheeky) student. Ng also shares that Lee adds new ideas to the menu Take the grilled baby gem lettuce with burrata. While Ng came up with the mentaiko and chilli vinaigrette dressing, he still felt the dish was missing something; it was Lee who came up with the idea to round the dish off with a creamy cheese.
“It’s not really my style, but Jon really liked it. And he taught me something new in the process,” says Ng.
Asked why he decided to return after his hiatus, Ng replies: "I really missed cooking. It's what I want to do for life."
Venue by Sebastian Ng officially opens its doors later this week. Address: #01-02 Downtown Gallery, 6A Shenton Way.
