Pop-Up Restaurant Review: JAAN’s Kirk Westaway Brings British Summer to Anti:dote
PUBLISHED August 7th, 2020 06:00 am | UPDATED August 18th, 2020 11:07 am
Talk about British chefs in Singapore and one cannot leave out Kirk Westaway, who has helmed JAAN since his mentor Julien Royer left to set up Odette at National Gallery Singapore. Unfortunately, while JAAN hasn’t been able to open its doors to the public, Chef Kirk has taken the reinvention of classic British cuisine to the Fairmont Singapore-Swissôtel The Stamford complex’s cocktail bar Anti:dote with his seasonal pop-up, A: CASUAL: BRITISH SUMMER.
Available till 13 September 2020, the pop-up is inspired by Chef Kirk’s recollections of growing up in Devon, England in the summer. With a menu that presents a more casual take on his usual fare, it’s good to see Chef Kirk offering a more accessible introduction to modern British dining.
Our tasting starts with a Pimms Cup (S$25) – specially crafted by the bar team for the pop-up. A concoction of Pimms No. 1 topped with prosecco, the slightly spicy notes melded well with the addition of cucumber sorbet in the glass. Refreshing and bubbly, it makes a great start to the meal.
Then, the small bites arrived: English Pickled Cucumber (S$10) and Crispy Cheese Wafers (S$8). The latter is savoury and downright delicious. Topped with sesame seeds and light to the touch, we polished them off in no time. Accompanied with mustard seeds, the pickled cucumbers are a great palate cleanser, but might come across too sour for some folks.
The Rye Sourdough Bread with Devonshire Butter (S$7). Satisfyingly chewy with a crackly crust, and the tangy notes sang well with the butter and a sprinkle of the Fleur de sel salt available on the side.
The first course gives us a peek into the abundance of produce from Chef Kirk’s hometown, specifically tomatoes. The Marinated Heirloom Tomato (S$15) was bursting with sweetness, offset by the salty olives scattered around the dish. The use of green basil sorbet enhanced that classic basil and tomato flavour profile, with the dish gaining an extra dimension as the cold sorbet coats each piece of tomato, almost acting as a sauce to the salad.
Grilled Scallop (S$32) was definitely one of the highlight of our meal. The perfectly cooked shellfish was soft and creamy, and served with roasted hispy cabbage that still had a slight bite to it. Pour over the garlic infused scallop sauce with caviar, and we were sold. Pro-tip: keep your rye sourdough to mop up whatever sauce is leftover from this plate.
Kirk’s Fish and Chips (S$35) is a treat. Coated in a London Pride Ale batter, the cod fillet is fresh and succulent, accentuated by the slight bitterness from the beer in the batter. The Maris Piper potatoes used for the chips were specially sourced from – surprise, surprise – Marks & Spencer by Chef Kirk, as they’re known to be one of the creamiest around. We can testify – these were the crispiest, creamiest chips we’ve eaten, and even more delicious with the tartar sauce served on the side.
We’re stuffed by the time dessert comes around, but the British Strawberries and Devonshire Clotted Cream Eton Mess (S$14) was a perfect ending. This modern take on a traditional British dessert balanced the sweet and sour notes of vanilla and strawberry exceptionally.
If fine dining scares you, Chef Kirk Westaway’s latest pop-up is a great segway into the world of modern British cuisine. For a get-together with a close friend or a casual lunch date, you can be sure you’ll leave impressed.
A: CASUAL: BRITISH SUMMER by Kirk Westaway is located at Anti:dote, 80 Bras Basah Road, Level 1, Fairmont Singapore, Singapore 189560. p. +65 6431 6156. Open daily from 12pm – 2pm, 6pm – 9pm.
