PUBLISHED January 13th, 2015 04:00 pm | UPDATED May 19th, 2017 01:32 pm
Corkage waived on Mondays and Tuesdays. A three-course Saturday brunch with free-flowing Prosecco at only $48. Margaritas going at $6 on Wednesdays. Complimentary ice cream and coffee during lunch.
Before you assume this is a restaurant that can afford to bleed with the backing of cash-rich bankers, or ready to fold because it’s finding all ways to say ‘come hither’, eat at Restaurant SELA, will you? Half a year from opening and this contemporary European outfit along Seah Street only comes onto our radar now? We apologise for the tardy review. But surely it’s not too late to experience a rib-sticking meal at SELA, even at a la carte prices, because chances are, it’s here to stay.
A palette of soft neutrals and an unassuming air of insouciance greets you as you step foot into this long shop-house space – nothing too dapper for a tie-and-shirt get-up, yet not too slouchy for a slipper-and-berms affair. Head Chef Mohd Shahrom, having earned his stripes at Garibaldi and Lolla, present a compact two-page food menu jam-packed with flavours and a complexity that is accessible, not unfathomable.
Credit to Chef Shahrom’s hand at the grill, his Salmon Skewers ($13) come out flaking soft with a taut crisp skin, accented with a chilli backbeat. They come with a grape relish that imparts some sweetness and the Himalayan salt slab the skewers are presented on provide gentle, albeit uneven, touches of saltiness. Tiger Prawns ($12) come from the same ‘For Sharing’ section of the menu, equally charred and satisfying, with a marinade that’s the best of butter and paprika put together. While paying for bread may be as silly as paying for tap water, nothing beats warm, crusty, textbook versions of Ciabatta Rolls ($3) that serve as perfect vessels for an odd-sounding but refreshing Cucumber Yoghurt ($12), or the white wine-based broth of Baby Mussels ($26).
By now, conversations should be flowing, egged on by a neat selection of Japanese specialty sakes and small-batch craft beers and might appear more appropriate in Waku Ghin than SELA (though it gradually makes sense when paired with the clean, delicate flavours from SELA’s repertoire). The mains also leave one proud that a local chef can comfortably pull his weight in the Western big league.
Baked Miso Chilean Seabass ($28): Caramelised exterior, crisp snap peas and beautiful salmon roe. Herb-crusted Lamb Rack ($32): Juicy medium-rare, sweet roasted tomatoes and a sauce with a ghost of chocolate. Seared Duck Breast ($26): Mildly overcooked, but with an intriguing cranberry ricotta tortellini. Top the feast off with the mind-blowing Wasabi Ice Cream ($10.50), that alas, officially declares a whole new world of culinary possibility for the horseradish, besides being snuck under raw fish and drowned in soy sauce, that is.
December (when we had this meal) brings the cheer of Christmas, and it is with this theme that SELA approaches its menu for the month. In some cases, while flirting with festive adventurism, swooshes of raspberries and splashes of cranberries can come across as major force-feed. We clearly prefer what SELA does best: inventive yet honest cooking. We’d hate to see mandarin oranges and bak kwa in February’s menu, because clearly, SELA doesn’t need all that ‘dong dong chiang’. You should count your lucky that it’s still pulling bells and whistles to get you in the door – the promo deals won’t be for long, we reckon.
By Brandon Ho
Read more about European dining at Restaurant Ember: Modern European Dining with an Asian Twist and COO Bistro: Contemporary Glocal Cuisine In A Social Setting