Having been recognised with its first MICHELIN Star in the MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2023, Willow is where Nicolas Tam makes his debut as Head Chef.
An alum of Zén and Esora, which are known for their cutting edge approach to both European Contemporary and Innovative cuisines respectively, Tam's philosophy at Willow is refreshingly grounded and rooted on simplicity, while championing premium produce. "I am a very simple guy," he says with a grin. "At Willow, we cook food that tastes good and with no frills."
Many say that it's the simplest of methods that are the most difficult to perfect, and at Willow, our MICHELIN Guide inspectors were impressed by the solid French techniques that came through in the restaurant's pan-Asian tasting menu, which mostly features Japanese ingredients. According to them, the dishes sport refinement, precision, and balance. Served and introduced by the Willow chef-team themselves, the courses flow seamlessly and build upon each other.
"I've always wanted to be a chef ever since I was young because my dad works at an airline company," Tam shares. "Whenever he travels, he usually brings back ingredients from dishes that he ate overseas and tries to replicate them at home." Tam also says that this was how he was first exposed to international cuisines.
“I feel that food, in a way, allows you to see the world without even leaving your home.”
"I am passionate about my craft because I believe that through food, you can experience different cultures, you can experience different tastes, and you can experience how people live in other places of the world," Tam expresses.
Tam also shares that the dishes at Willow may or may not change everyday, depending on what's available produce-wise and whether improvements can be made on existing offerings. "A dish today might be different from tomorrow because at the end of the day's service, we gather around, discuss, and ask ourselves how we can do things better. Every day paves an opportunity for a small, constant evolution."
Being a seafood-focused menu, one fish that Tam has had since Willow's first day of operations is the Japanese Amadai, or tile fish, which is part of the sea bream family. "We crisp up the Amadai's scales by basting it with oil until the skin puffs up. Then, we grill the fish over charcoal," he explains. In a recent version of the dish, Tam paired the Amadai with a light broth made with dashi, dried scallops, and chrysanthemum to resemble the opulent Chinese delicacy of shark's fin soup, which is telling of the chef's heritage and background.
When asked what Tam's advice is to other chefs who have dreams of running their own restaurants one day, he answers, "I think the most important thing is to be a little bit crazy." He continues, "my advice is to be very certain and to be very sure — I must emphasise this because you will work long hours, and you will have a lot of sleepless nights. And once you set your heart on your goal, stay on the path and never give up. That's what I did, even though it was very tough in the beginning."
Tam also shares that when he opened Willow, he and the team were afraid and nervous. "You question yourself whether you are good enough, you have moments of uncertainty, and you have moments of self-doubt. But I think, with the help of a strong team and people around you that support you, you can go way further than you ever thought was possible."
Willow is located at 39 HongKong Street, 059678, Singapore. Book your tables here.
