Juan Amador’s Soul Food
Location: Orchard, Singapore
Style: Modern European with an Asian twist
Budget: £££
Nestled in the Goodwood Park Hotel sits the Singaporean venture of acclaimed chef Juan Amador, founder of the self-named restaurant in Germany. Alma Singapore, Spanish for “soul”, brings Iberian based Modern European with Asian influences to the city. Alma was a beneficiary of the inaugural Michelin awards in 2016, earning it one star which it retains to this day in a city of incredible restaurants. Located away from downtown Singapore, Alma is well worth a trip away from the main drag.
Dining at Alma Singapore
For our dinner at Alma we opted to share the eight and six course tasting menus, enjoying the full spectrum of what Alma has to offer. A dining experience at Alma kicks off with a selection of five bitesize and delicious snacks, our highlights included potato pureee with bacon and onion jelly and an adorable take on the local favourite of ‘kaya toast’ – served as a coffee meringue, chicken liver parfait, yuzu and a grape chutney within a little paper bag.
Alma’s cuisine ranges from the classically European flavours to much more modern innovative cooking with touches of molecular gastronomy thrown in. We’ve listed some of our favourite dishes below to give you a taste of Alma’s unique menu, to experience the full 14 courses you’ll have to visit for yourself!
Ocean Trout
With a great balance between sharp, sweet and sour flavours we thoroughly enjoyed the light and tasty trout dish. This delightful dish consists of Tasmanian sourced Ocean Trout, smoked, and served with a “degustation” of vegetables, including a selection of beetroot, and onions, as well as a sorrel sorbet.
Lobster vs. Lobster
The first of two contrasting dishes, the chefs at Alma have concocted includes two versions of lobster with very different tastes. One, the Thai Lobster, is served with coconut, mango, and a chill and mint powder created theatrically tableside with dry ice. This dish offered just the right level of kick but with great sweetness coming through from the fruits. The second offers a more traditional European style variant with the lobster served with pumpkin slivers, bergamot and a shellfish jus. Both complemented the lobster is different ways, although perhaps the Thai version might have pipped the European version to the post.
Potato
Not usually an ingredient used as the centrepiece of a dish, Alma presented what is famously known as ‘the most expensive potato in the world’ – the Noirmoutier, sourced from a small island off Brittany. With a supporting cast of pork belly, edible seaweed and a delightful parmesan sauce, after this dish you’ll never look at potatoes the same again!
Toasted Cheese Sandwich
What immediately comes to mind when you think of “soul” food? The classic cheese toasty is one of those comfort foods that everybody loves. Surely not the type of dish you’d expect to find in a Michelin star restaurant! Well think again, as Alma presents a divine suckling pig ham and cheese served between toasted brioche topped with a generous shaving of truffle.
Cow or Deer?
Often the subject of great debate between us, what is the king of red meat? Luckily we didn’t have to choose with each of the menus serving one as their showpiece meat course. The eight course menu included one of Japan’s fine wagyu cuts, the Ohmi, alongside eschallot, artichoke, mustard and a red wine jus. The six course instead served up venison with swede, beetroot and a deliciously tart plum wine sauce. Which triumphed? Well, you’ll have to test that out for yourself, plus I’m not sure we could pick one!
Chestnut - Sweet or Savoury?
The famous ‘Mont Blanc’ is traditionally a dessert which originated from the depths of Italy, consisting of pureed chestnut and whipped cream. Whilst serving the dish on both the six and eight course menus, Alma wonderfully present two very different versions. One in the typical sweet style accompanied by pear, with the second as a savoury starter, served with artichoke and foie gras, both equally delicious in their own way.
Key Information on Alma Singapore
What wine is served at Alma Singapore?
Alma offers an excellent cellar of wines from across the World. Both the six and eight course tasting menus are offered with a wine pairing, priced at $58 and $68 respectively. The restaurant’s owner has a number of vineyards in California, leading to a Napa heavy selection of Pinots and Sauvignons in their matching.
What menus are offered at Alma Singapore?
At lunchtime, you can choose from an excellent value three course menu for $39. In the evening you have two choices of tasting menu – six courses priced at $148 and eight courses for $187. Alma’s staff are very accommodating with several other diners opting to try both menus they merged these into a joint dining experience seamlessly.
What is the dress code at Alma Singapore?
Situated in a five star hotel, although there is no formal dress code for Alma, we would suggest that classic smart casual dress is employed.
How do I get to Alma Singapore?
The restaurant is part of the The Goodwood Hotel, located to the north of the city centre and Marina Bay. The nearest MRT station is Newton, which is a 10 minute walk away, otherwise its a 15 minute taxi journey from Marina Bay Sands.
Our final thoughts on... Alma Singapore
Singapore’s food scene was fully deserving of the Michelin award system a couple of years ago and, equally, Alma by Juan Amador has been fully deserving of its one star ever since. Showing real dynamism in its cooking, Alma offers a spectrum of cuisine, from classic European to very modern and innovative Asian fusion dishes. We particularly enjoyed the varied take on the same ingredients, the lobster and chestnut dishes – all in all Alma is well worth a visit whilst you’re in Singapore.
Find Out More…
Alma by Juan Amador – http://alma.sg
Explore more from Singapore and check out my Singapore Travel Guide.
Many thanks to Alma for hosting our meal during our time in Singapore. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely our own, we wouldn’t recommend something if we didn’t love it!
