Caviar Restaurant
A new opening at Palais Renaissance has us intrigued. Caviar restaurant is dedicated to the sturgeon roe in a fine dining setting. Will it be too rich for us? We check out the affordable lunch menu.
Opened in December 2021, Caviar restaurant at Palais Renaissance is named after its star item. On the menu is eight kinds of caviar, served in multiple ways to showcase the versatility and briny pops of flavour that the sturgeon roe brings to the plate. We didn’t want to commit to the dinner menus – $248 for 5 courses, $328 for 9 courses, so the 4-course lunch menu at $98 proved to be a good deal.
In the kitchen is 28-year old head chef Karleen Kasim. The young but focused team delivers modern European fine dining with a few creative ideas, while still trying to stay sustainable through a zero-waste philosophy.
Lunch starts well with an amuse bouche of puff pastry topped with smoked Japanese oyster and a generous portion of Polanco Siberian Reserve caviar. The buttery, oily caviar and creamy oyster made for a harmonious match, and we were happy to pair it with a glass of Legras & Haas Intuition Brut Champagne. Polanco is one of the brands carried by Caviar restaurant, and is from Uruguay.
In the first course, we were impressed by the clever textures of botan ebi tartare with its deep-fried head served with two types of caviar for contrast. The second course of Spanish octopus featured a sweet corn espuma balanced with dashi, and then we had to choose between uni pasta and Westholme Wagyu rump for mains. Intrigued, we chose the beef as we wanted to experience its pairing with caviar. Chef Kasim didn’t let us down as the beef was perfectly grilled and served with smoked butter, fermented and grilled leek and beef jus – all executed well and complementing the long, nutty notes of the Polanco Siberian Reserve caviar once again. Dessert comprised a refreshing dessert of clementine meringue served with sorbet and a shot of gin to cleanse the palate.
At the end, our tastebuds felt pampered and satisfied with the variety of food and caviar. The lunch experience is a taste of good value and kickstarted our craving for even more caviar in future.
Caviar Restaurant
Food: 8.5/10
Setting: 8/10
Price: Lunch from $100/pax (without drinks)
Address: #B1-07 Palais Renaissance, 390 Orchard Road
Telephone: (65) 9888 1217
