Seroja @ Bugis

This is definitely one table that I have been anticipating as I have heard so much about the creativity and uniqueness of the cuisine on offer.

Since opening in 2022, Chef/Owner Kevin Wong’s Seroja has experienced a meteoric rise, culminating in it entering this year’s list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants as the highest new entry. Showcasing cuisine from the Malay Archipelago, Wong uses locally sourced produce from both Singapore and Malaysia to shine a spotlight on the rich flavours of Southeast Asia. 

Seroja is the lotus flower in Malay, a significant cultural symbol for various peoples in the Malay Archipelago region. The signage at the door took its inspiration from the regional folk art of “Wayang Kulit” or shadow puppet theatre. One of the very first sight that welcomes guest is the organic installation done by the very talented Shilbe. The weaving of the palm leaves are inspired by a diamond shaped rice caked usually eaten during celebrations called “Ketupat“.

The multi-course Nusantara tasting menu puts a spotlight on flavours that come from the spices and herbs native to the region. They include ulam raja (also called king’s salad), torch ginger, nutmeg, and single-origin chocolate from Sabah.

The first act to welcome all guests was offering a small cup of “Toddy”. Toddy is typically made of coconut sap/water and typically fermented with wild yeast. At Seroja, they use their bread starter to ferment their toddy.

Small Bites

We started the journey in three small bites. Each of these bites are made up of many components from the flavours of the Malay Archipelago, taking pointers from Indian, Chinese, Peranakan, Malay and Indonesia cuisines.

fish floss with raita & mint

Crispy fish floss wrapped in a small parcel using filo pastry, a white pillow like reversed spherification of the classic raita and a wafer of konbu-like mint jelly separating the two. Raita is a common side dish of India and is usually cooked with deboned fish meat. The yoghurty and refreshing fish dish had been deconstructed in this one bite.

tuna with ginger kerabu & caviar

The final one bite was a tarlette of fatty tuna dressed with ginger kerabu (torch ginger) sauce, wafer with sare seaweed, emulsion made from ginger kerabu topped with Kristal caviar.

seaconch marinated with fermented shrimp dressing in pietee

This is Seroja’s version of kueh pie tee filled with julienne sea conch marinated with fermented prawn (“harjeong” 虾酱) dressing. The pie tee shell was made with betel leaf juice infused batter, hence the deep green colour. Topped with onion jam and kohlrabi matchsticks. One bite with explosive flavours and texture.

From the Farm

This is the course where the bountiful harvest across the region is showcased. The ingredients are sourced around the regions, including Singapore – beetroot from Brinchang; tamarin from Java; green asparagus and cucumber from Cameron Highlands; edible flowers and herbs from Singapore.

“Tropical Landscape” seasonal organic vegetables dressed in mustard seed & peanuts

Hidden underneath the pile of beautiful forage was the yellowtail sashimi. The dressing was made from mustard seed and peanut, reminded me of rojak but with more bite and depth.

Suertes Del Marqués Tenerife Valle De La Orotava Vidonia 2021

100% Listan blanco from ungrafted vines over 60 years old from Tenerife. It is a wine that speaks to where it is grown, full of intense minerality, beautiful texture on the palate and wonderfully balanced on the finish.

On the nose, it unfurls a spectrum of scents, with green apple and peach taking center stage, complemented by subtle citrus undertones. On the palate, its youthfulness is expressed through zest and a well-balanced acidity that accentuates its crisp and well-defined character. This white wine is an ode to the purity of the fruit and the sophistication of its craftsmanship.

roti paung with johorean milk butter

Roti Paung is a Terengganu style of bread where it is steamed and deep-fried. The texture is soft and pillowy, along with a slightly crispy golden-brown layer. It was meant to go with various sauces that came with the dishes thereafter but I felt it was good without as well. Came with butter made from dairy milk from Johor, that’s right, our next neighbour!

From the Sea

Malaysia is blessed with a wide variety of seafood, and more than a third of the fish we eat in Singapore come from there. The fish of the evening was the croaker. Croaker or ikan gelama 牛那妈 is quite commonly caught along the coasts of Peninsula Malaysia. It is quite different from yellow croakers from China and is harvested for its maw.

mangrove wood charred scallop with laksa leaf sauce

Hokkaido scallops lightly grilled over mangrove wood embers, served with a delicious laksa leaf sauce. This was the weakest course for the evening as it broke the narrative with a foreign sourced ingredient (scallops). The delicious laksa inspired sauce did not help to maintain the momentum.

Damijan Podversic Ribolla Gialla Venezia Giulia IGT

Podversic’s wines are among the most respected orange hued macerated white wines in the Italian / Slovenian region of Collio.

The wine was aged for 3 years in oak and 1 year in bottle, which all together makes this an expressive opulent wine. Podversic Ribolla unfolds and reveals itself freely in the Narrow-cut Burgundy which lets fresh fruit like yellow apple, apricot, persimmon and orange shine, with also some floral notes, resin, light honey, white almonds, vanilla and hints of Ponca and hay.

line caught croaker, prawn dumpling with sambal gulai

The fish was pan seared skin side to a crisp and rest atop a sauce of sambal gulai (gulai spice mix with coconut milk). Served along with morel mushroom stuffed with prawn paste by the side, and a chutney made from calamansi and red sambal. My favourite element here was the rich and flavourful sauce, reminded me of nasi padang.

Fernando de Castilla Antique Amontillado Sherry N.V.

Amontillado is a unique wine produced from the complete fermentation of palomino grape must. The fruit of the fusion of two different types of ageing processes (both biological and oxidative), Amontillado is an extraordinarily complex and interesting sherry.

Very nice nose and relaxing attitude. A relaxation complement rather than a drink. For conversation with other people (who drink the same, otherwise uncompassed discussion). Aromas of toasted bread, pine nuts, almonds. Honey. Elegant wood furniture. In mouth, the most similar thing to drinking ‘eating toasted almonds’.

Stuffed chicken wing (supplement)

This supplemental course came between the two seafood courses. Stuffed fried chicken wing coated with spice mix, with a side of raisin ketchup and vinegared chilli sauce.

The chicken wing reminded me of the spicy chicken wings that used to be served at a popular fast food chain. But it was the inside of the mid joint that mattered. Stuffed with yam, kohlrabi, mushrooms, glutinous rice, it was nice supplementary course.

From the Rainforest

The Malaysian rainforest used to be a food source for locals. Foragers in West Malaysia like the Batek people used to trade their finds (sago, yams, and other little things) at local markets. These interesting ingredients form the basis of many ethnic flavours and cooking, eg nasi ulam. Many have left the profession and turned commercial. One of these ingredient is betel leaf. Due to demand, the once foraged leaf is not commercially grown.

betel leaf noodle & handpick mudcrab

A dish inspired from nasi ulam, the dark green noodles were prepared in-house daily from betel leaf juice extract. A rather light and refreshing course, the noodle had texture like Japanese soba and was served cold. It was tossed with tropical herbs and Selangor mudcrab.

There were many elements going on in this plate – chilli padi, dried shrimps, sesame, handpicked mud-crab meat – but the most important was the ulam ulam dressing that bonded everything together.

Vignai da Duline Chioma Integrale Malvasia 2022

Hauntingly and uniquely perfumed, with ripe, buttery peach, green almond, and sea salt, the aroma of a well-made version is worth the price of entry—and nowhere is this more aptly demonstrated than at this address. A plump-bodied, smooth white that is also bright and invigorating, Duline’s Chioma has an engaging personality that is wonderful with fresh seafood pasta.

jasmine tea infused duck broth

And then the interlude, a duck broth made from the bones of the BBQ duck from the next course. Loved the aroma of the jasmine tea 香片 that filled the air but yet you could taste the duck flavour when you drink it. The taste as like those FOC soup that you get from your favourite duck rice store.

Tradition

The narrative in Seroja is all about ethnic cooking techniques in Peninsula Malaysia, sticking to traditional methods and ingredients. And this is demonstrated in this main attraction. The traders rice is a special rice harvested by the Lun Bawang tribe from highlands of Sarawak. Grown in a cool highland climate (3,000ft above sea level) using heirloom seeds passed down for generations, and nurtured by fertile soil, pristine air and crystal clear springs; the biodiverse environment directly dictates the superior terroir.

bbq duck percik with crispy traders rice & lauk pauk

The main course of my meal is BBQ duck glazed with Javanese long pepper caramel, and served with smoked bone sauce. Percik is a Malay cooking technique of basting aromatic sauces on the poultry while grilling the bird. Nothing had gone to waste, the duck liver was wrapped with betel nut leaves like dolmades. The heat was provided by the homemade sambal hijau. The main attraction came side dishes including salad and pickles.

The highlight of the course was the heirloom rice. The red colour of the rice comes naturally from a flavonoid known as anthocyanin. Two different textures were presented here – steamed and puffed. It paired really well with the duck bone sauce.

Lauk pauk is a Malay term for side dishes, not unlike banchan in Korean. The first was a mountain salad made with thinly sliced red onions, wing beans (“kacang botol“), edible flowers and cucumbers seasoned with a refreshing yoghurt dressing.

Another side dish was the pickled loofahs. It had the soft texture of loofahs that I love, and a slightly pickled sourness and saltiness that was like tsukemono. Loved this one – can you sell them for take home? It would be perfect with my Teochew porridge.

Heinrich Blaufränkisch Alter Berg 2012

Gernot and Heike Heinrich founded their winery in 1990 with just one hectare and have steadily grown to 90 hectares today. Heinrich converted to biodynamics in 2006.

Biodynamic grapes, spontaneous fermentation in wooden fermentation racks, aged for 20 months in used 500l oak barrels. Dark ruby red colour with garnet reflexes and thick tears. Ripe red cherries, tones of cooked plums and spices, hints of liquorice, leather and dried orange zests, some meaty notes, slight salty minerality, round acidity, well integrated silky tannins, long lingering finish.

Childhood Memories

Sweet dreams are made of these. Everyone has their favourite childhood moments, one of mine was sharing an ice ball with friends on a hot afternoon. For those who didn’t know what that was, it’s a shaved ice ball drizzled with colourful syrup that you eat with your bare hands. Freezing cold as you fought against time before it melted away!

tropical herb sorbet, tapai & bandung

Bandung ice shaving, tropical herb sorbet using local basil and other herbs, and a mushroom cap lookalike tapai (fermented sticky rice) that had texture like a mochi. Interesting dessert.

Nummer 8 Zwischen den Seen Welschriesling Trockenbeerenauslese 2005

The Kracher Winery lies in the Seewinkel area of Austria´s Burgenland. Here, through the evaporative periods of Lake Neusiedl, the evening fog and the warm Pannonian climate, continuous warm-humid weather patterns are dominant and, therefore, allow for Botrytis cinerea to be generated. This is what provides the basis for the fantastic sweet wines such as Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese.

Medium golden yellow. The nose is initially somewhat closed and requires aeration before releasing peach compote, orange peel, dried prune, and an elegant nuance of fresh green tobacco leaf.

paneer cheesecake with seasonal yellow tropical fruits

Homemade paneer is far superior to store bought – softer and creamier. And it was the main ingredient in this cheesecake served with bites of mango.

Sweet Treat

And finally, the petit four. Small, sweet bites to round up an adventurous culinary journey around the peninsula.

borneo raw sugar bahulu

Kuih bahulu is Malay-style egg sponge cake made with simple ingredients like eggs, flour, sugar, and a leavening agent. Baked in a brass gold pan, this traditional Malay pastry dessert was smokey from the brown sugar and had a soft, pillowy texture.  

“milo dinosaur”

I don’t know when it started to become popular, but topping iced Milo with more Milo powder was not my favourite thing. But topping a delicious chocolate truffle with Milo powder, this I can gladly accept. IMHO, this is much better than Ferrero Roche.

Temperance Collection

Besides the wine pairing, Seroja also offers a Temperance Collection pairing. The drinks feature interesting local ingredients and are meticulously curated to pair seamlessly with each course.

• Lemon oil infusion with Sea Kelp Broth
• “Rojak” Papaya Juice, Peanut, Verjus & Roasted Palm Sugar
• Yellow Curry, Coriander & Corn
• “Tom Yum” Tomato, Cucumber Skin, Kaffir Lime (not pictured)
• Pomegranate, Mulberries & Curry Leaves
• Strawberry & Tomato Consomme, Genmaicha

The team at Seroja were extremely friendly and knowledgeable. They came around while serving each dish, and educated us on each of them. Definitely very fun hearing each chef share about each dish came to be. After the meal, the new 2024 Michelin list was announced and they retained both the star and the green star. Congratulations, team Seroja.

SEROJA
7 Fraser Street 01-30/31/32/33 Duo Galleria Singapore 189356
Tel : +65 8522 2926

Visited May 2024

Michelin Singapore Guide 1 Star 2023 (debut) – 2024, Green Star 2023-24

Asia’s 50 Best #31 (2024)

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