Lunch @ Esora Review | Chef Shigeru Koizumi 22.03.2019

It was a truly wonderful experience to have lunch at ESORA on the 22.03.2019.

We first heard of ESORA's name from KEISUKE OHNO of [Sushi Mieda]. He recommended ESORA when we asked for good Japanese restaurants recommendation. I certainly did not regret lunching there.

I really love the "Kirei" minimalist vibe of the kitchen when I first entered ESORA. It was a delight to enter into a brightly lit kitchen and to be sitting at the counter seat where all the "actions" can be seen.

Great attention to details was given to the preparation of every single food. It makes one appreciate the food even more with every single bite, doesn't it? In my opinion, the most appalling fact is looking at how these chefs could use different ingredients to create such delicious dishes.

I also wish to compliment on their service which I find them extremely sincere and attentive.

We tried the spring menu and My friend has opted for tea pairing.

Honestly, we became quite full after that.



About the Chef: Shigeru Koizumi
- More than 15 years of experience in the culinary industry
- Previously worked in Michelin starred restaurants in Tokyo and Singapore below:
 3-starred Michelin Nihonryori RyuGin (Tokyo)  2-starred Michelin Odette (Singapore)

Esora
15 Mohamed Sultan Road Singapore 238964
https://goo.gl/maps/TkNyYfDHCVKQQ6yi6
Tel: +65 6365 1266
26-seater (Please reserve seats in advance.)
Lunch:
Wednesdays – Saturdays | 6 courses 138 SGD (Excl Tax)
Dinner:
Tuesdays – Saturdays | 8 courses 268 SGD (Excl Tax)

Overall Review: There are some decent good dishes which will bring a surprise to your tastebud but it doesn't make a huge impact for me to want to go back again in the near future though. The food is above average, but there is not one dish that left a very strong impact leaving you to yearn to visit again. The food

Dashi - Katsuobushi Kombu, Sake , Yuzu.
You can really taste the zesty fragrance of Yuzu in this Dashi and the sweetness of the kombu in this Dashi. A very nice starter.

The server present to us the tea leaves used with every tea pairing served (Toho Bijin)

Toho Biijin (Sparkling Wulong, hibiscus & Umeshu)
This is not bad . It has a sparkling sweet taste to it from the hibiscus. Not overpowering. Just mild and carries a nice hinge of fragrance. Though i find it a lil bit dry.

Amuse Bouche - Pea Puree with Takenoko and Sakura Ebi. The Pea Puree is top notch creamy and sweet! This is the first time I ever tasted this. The Sakura Ebi is rather crispy !
There is a cube-like ingredient which is really crunchy to bite and matched perfectly with the puree.  

.

Fried Scallop with Nori (Seaweed) Sandwiched in between. Asparagus & Caviar. The sauce below heightens the taste a lot. Without the sauce, it would make a huge difference.


The caviar sort of overwhelms the overall taste of the dish a little.

Sashimi

Shiraou Somen

Shiraou Somen ( Icefish drenched in zesty sauce and eaten like a noodle). Rather interesting combination. Its refreshingly smooth a little bit slimy. But a great enjoyment to eat.

Maguro- Baby Tuna is not bad. 

Saba Bozushi- Don't really like this a bit on the acidic side

Grilled Sawara (Spanish Mackerel). The soya sauce matches well witht he Sawara.

Firefly squid in pea soup. Firefly squid is in-season which is why it was served. Personally quite like this dish though.

Hotaru ika chawanmushi

Firefly squid has a strong taste and may not be everyone's liking. I personally like this dish  As it pairs very well with the sweet pea and the sauce.

Iberico Pork topped with vegetables dressing on top. You can pair it with a pinch of salt to heighten the sweetness of the pork meat or grated wasabi for a change.

Iberico Pork with Special Sauce. The flavour is rich and the shitake puree below matches it perfectly. it's a delight to eat this.  You can pair it with other sauces at the side.

Pork matched with grated fresh wasabi. Was soso to pair with wasabi.

Pairing with salt is pretty good draws out the sweetness in the meat.


Awabi Zousui (Abalone Porridge) - A little bit salty to my liking.

Montblanc Tart - A very beautiful sight with all the gold leafs surrounding the chestnut cream. The cream is smooth yet rich in flavour. The tart is hard but carries a great fragrance.

Wasabon ice cream with black truffle. A definite must order.


Sake icecream with melon and sago. Well, the sweetness of melon and sago is pretty good. Other than that nothing much surprising to the tastebud.

Wagashi - Castella Cake was so-so. The Dango was not bad too! Totally love the crunchy macaron like dessert with very sweet filling. 

Again, am thankful to KEISUKE OHNO from Sushi Mieda for this recommendation.

All four elements were happening in equal measure - the cuisine, the wine, the service, and the overall ambience. It taught me that dining could happen at a spiritual level- Charlie Trotter

Date Visited: 22.03.2019
Date Published: 19.05.2019
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