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If you’re looking for a sleek bakery bistro by day and a refined omakase restaurant by night, Sonder is the twoin-one to know about.
D
iners searching for a gastronomic experience off the Aubergine beaten track need look no Red Curry further than Sonder. Tucked Sorbet in a Henderson industrial estate, the location is as surprising as the creative dishes you’ll find there. The dual-purpose venue is the first Lemon Meringue independent venture of chef Joe Beef Pastrami Sourdough Tart Sandwich Leong. Being the son of celebrity chefs Sam and Forest Leong carries its own pressures, but Chef Leong embraces the Our first dish was challenge with a glint in his eye and proudly the Aubergine, Red adds that his grandparents played a Curry Sorbet, Pearl crucial role in his culinary journey. Onions, Sun Dried Sonder by day (12pm - 5pm), is a Cherry Tomatoes. At first bakery. Chef Leong’s creations include glance the contrast of the a Butter Brioche, and a Flavoured cold red curry sorbet and the Focaccia that sit alongside his grilled aubergine took us aback, superb Viennoiserie offering butter but the layers and textures worked. croissants, and fresh fruit tarts that Home-made salty potato crisps balance the go toe-to-toe with the best patisseries tanginess of the curry and add a welcome crunch. in Europe. For those looking away from sweets, Sonder offers set lunches with Risotto with Roulade of Chicken and Spring options of two or three courses, priced at Next up was a nod to the red dot’s iconic chicken rice Onion Pesto $30++ and $45++ respectively. The menu dish. The Risotto, Roulade of Chicken, Spring Onion Pesto includes the Beef Pastrami Sourdough Sandwich was superb. The risotto was creamy and matched the juicy ($20) and Whole Pork Knuckle by Grandpa Prin ($45) slices of roulade perfectly, accompanied by a punchy spring onion which is perfect for sharing between 2-3 pax. The pork knuckle has pesto and chilli sauce. the perfect crackle that wraps tender meat underneath; a side of For a meatier bite we tried the Kurobuta Pork Collar, Burnt Apple, fresh vegetables provides a crunch of refreshment, while a sweet Coconut Glaze. The pork is marinated for 24 hours and then charcoal and sour Thai dressing livens things up. grilled to add smoky layers. Served with burnt apple for fruitiness and a coconut glaze, it brought our beloved Asian-born Kurobuta back to the geographical centre of this East-meets-West dish. To close this gastronomic experience, Chef Leong introduced his When the sun goes down Sonder morphs into a refined omakase exquisite hand-crafted desserts. The Red Ruby, a coconut sorbet restaurant that takes diners on an elegant and succulent journey served over a delicate crumble with a back flavour of rose water was of Euro-Asian flavours. We started with a mixed bread basket of the ideal start. Then came the Sonder Apple Crumble, a flawlessly wonderfully warm homemade breads accompanied by three types crafted candied red apple that took the fairground toffee apple of butter made inhouse: Kombu, Salted butter, and Black Garlic – the concept to new heights. We used our spoons to crack the brandy challenge here was not making covered “skin”, then dipped into an airy creamy mousse filling and a meal out of the bread alone! scooped up the crunchy crumble at the bottom. It was the perfect Thankfully, the amuse-bouche end to an amazing meal. soon arrived, these bite-sized morsels sent our taste buds VERDICT: Sonder’s creations come from the Chef Leong’ heart, with skyrocketing. The first was the his stories and personal journey reflected in each dish. Grab a seat Sea Urchin, served on a black at the counter and let Chef Leong share stories behind the dishes sesame cracker with a citrusy as they’re served. There are three set menus available, The Petit calamansi foam, followed by the Menu ($88++), The Classic Menu ($138++) and The Gourmand Menu Mapo Spinach Tofu, deep-fried ($188++) – serving up four, six and eight courses respectively with a tofu topped with Szechuanchoice of the signature dishes. style minced pork on top.
Meatier bites
Journey of flavours
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anza January/February 2023
Hotspots EAT Jan23.indd 72
19/12/2022 11:19:51 AM
