There is certain expectation that come with the opening of Nouri restaurant at 72 Amoy Street.
Nouri is rooted in the Latin word for “nourishment”, and your tastebud would probably be “well-nourished” here.
It is after all opened by Chef-Owner Ivan Brehm, who led The Kitchen At Bacchanalia to a Michelin Star.
Chef Ivan also has an impressive resume, having worked before at Per Se New Yolk, Hibiscus in London, Mugaritz in the Basque Country, and also spent 4 years as Development Chef at the Experimental Kitchen of The Fat Duck under Heston Blumenthal.
Excuse me, but upon walking into Nouri, the first impression was (actually for all of us), ”This looks like The Kitchen At Bacchanalia?”
Maybe because I was seated at the same spot, facing the central chef’s table.
Except that Nouri has an even longer massive marble table where diners were actually eating there, bridging the gap between the chefs and consumers.
Vibes was more upbeat, the kitchen and service teams looked young, and music was a choice of hits from the 70s and 80s.
On a side note, I probably had the next best table as it was directly under where sunlight could filter in through a barrisol canvas.
For lunch, you get a 5 course Omakase menu ($85++) or Teishoku style a la carte menu. Unfortunately, the Omakase menu is not available on Mondays.
2 tasting menus are showcased for dinner, priced at $140 for 5 courses and $170 for 7 courses.
Food at Nouri is described as “Crossroads cooking”, where it takes influence from around the globe, but showcases the similarities and connections shared across cultures.
The recommended signature dishes are Acaraje and Vatapa – Afro-Brazilian fritter, turmeric and coconut sauce, bread and salted prawn vatapa; Black Pepper Fish – Raymond’s grouper, black pepper and vanilla sauce, charred pickled carrot; and Big Red Robe which features different textures of plum, Mirabelle plum fluid gel, chocolate moelleux and oolong tea.
I chose from the Teishoku style menu, because the Omakase was unavailable. However, it was a good indication of what better things would come in my next visit.
Typically, I won’t have picked “Vegetable” ($28) as a choice of a main course, but I went ahead with the bubbly server’s recommendation.
Then I had a better idea of what was meant by “Crossroads cooking”.
With an interplay of chewy egg yolk, vegetable turmeric and coconut curry, pickled and fresh Hatiku tomato, all the elements worked harmoniously together.
I thought I was having Thai, Japanese, European food at the same time, yet there were no clashes, but complemented each other well.
The sides of vegetable “restaurant” broth, coconut and sweet potato mash, and Thai sweetcorn, lime and paprika were all exciting in their own right.
My dining partners had “Fish” ($40) and “Steak” ($42), and both were almost-impeccable in execution.
Another surprise. There is dessert included in the meal. Not just a scoop of token ice cream, but a banana dessert with Tahitian vanilla ice cream and buckwheat crumble.
This is certainly one of the best “set lunches” I had in Singapore this year, and sets the bar high for other new restaurants to follow.
Nouri
72 Amoy Street, Singapore 069891
Tel: +65 6221 4148
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3:00pm, Last Order 2:30pm (Mon – Fri), 6:00pm – 12:00am, Last Order 10:30pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun
Other Related Entries
The Kitchen At Bacchanalia (HongKong Street)
Beni (Orchard)
Joël Robuchon Restaurant (Resorts World Sentosa)
Odette (National Gallery Singapore)
Restaurant André (Bukit Pasoh Road)
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