Celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck's flagship restaurant, Spago, at the 57th Floor of Marina Bay Sands is its first in Asia and offers seasonal menus of Californian cuisine. Offering not only a spectacular city skyline, this instantly became my favourite restaurant on the 57th floor.
There are two arms of Spago, the bar and lounge and restaurant proper. With the buzzing activity of a perpetually filled infinity pool and bathrobe clad visitors, retreat into the marbled interiors of Spago for that exclusive meal.
The best seat in the house, in my opinion.
We started off with a round of breads - French Baguette, Olive Loaf, Figs and Raisin and lastly a multigrain cardamom bun together with seaweed butter and unsalted butter. All four bakes were equally delicious with the seaweed butter and my only grouse is, there were not refills. All the better actually since the amount of food we ordered was more than enough, despite the 'fine dining' tag.
Squid Ink Tagliatelle Pasta ($72)
Maine Lobster, Sweet Shrimp, Scallops, Calamoari, Tomato, Preserved Lemon, Spanish Saffron, Basil
Available in both appetizer and entree portions, entree is good for sharing amongst 7 of us and we were fighting for that last twirl even. Black as thunder, the tagliatelle was slurpworthy and so smooth! Served with a mountain of seafood, each bite was so fresh and brought me straight back to dining by the sea. Like a treasure trove, the deeper we delved the more flavours we uncovered, I ranked this an instant must order.
Alaskan King Crab Risotto ($63)
Zucchini, Confit Tomato, Garlic, Meyer Lemon Butter
Continuing with the luxurious experience, there were alaskan king crab chunks embedded in what the group classified as "best risotto eaten" Grains were lavishly coated with lemon butter and tomato, each spoonful was a true indulgence.
Pan Seared Red Snapper 'Laksa' ($58)
Vietnamese Coriander, Rice Noodles, Thai Basil, Clamansi, Curried Coconut Broth
Gordon Ramsay gave his thumbs up, so did a ton of followers and follow my heart I did though half suspecting if a foreigner could nail this national delicacy. The slab of pan seared red snapper was fresh yet bland but I understood why - the curried broth, belachan, limes and rice noodles were the bomb. Spot on flavours with the rich punches, the clams and squids served with it were definitely more satisfying than hums in the original recipe!
Sooooo good, for once laksa made sense of its $58 price tag.
Crispy Scale Black Sea Bass ($55)
Littleneck, Smoked Potato Puree, Garlic, Wild Oregano, Parsley, Lemon
Looking a lot less than the laksa dish, it was merely a slab of black sea bass with scales ruffled, missing out on some oomph and mediocre at best.
Honey Miso Broiled Black Cod ($62)
Chilled Egg Noodles, Orange Chilli Dressing, Black Sesame Vinaigrette, Coriander
Way too sweet with a generous massage of honey miso and sweet sauce tossed egg noodles. I liked the concept but execution ended up too much even for a sweet tooth like me.
Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs ($85)
Heirloom Baby Carrots, Creamed Spinach, Horseradish Potato Espuma
It was one of those moments of coming face to face with the dish and then getting so amused by the portions. Puny, if I may correctly put it and a ladies cut. Slow cooked for hours, this braised beef short ribs were tender. Lacking in the same complexity that the dishes that wowed did, if beef is up your alley, perhaps forking out more for their steaks would be a better bet.
Dutch Milk-Fed Veal Chop ($95)
Sunchoke Puree, Asparagus, Trumpet Mushrooms, Caramelized Garlic, Rosemary, Natural Jus
Stunning display of the veal bone and sliced veal done medium. Excellent choice for the carnivore, portions and even flavours. Very rustic and the whole game of asparagus, mushrooms and garlic was pure enjoyment. I would not say the same for the puree though, a hugely watered down version of mash.
Birthday surprises is not Spago's forte with the manager coming straight up to the birthday girls and asking if we were throwing a celebration. Huge bummer, if planning a proposal at Spago is on your plans, I'd say shelve them.
Despite the hooha, the gesture of complimentary scoops of icecream with a long candle was much appreciated. These skinny candles can burn for a reasonably long time for phototaking!
Salted Caramel Souffle ($24)
Farmer's Market Fuji Apple Sorbet
Easily the lightest and most memorable souffle, this definitely fits the bill of having my souffle and eating it without feeling any of the calories. Plus, that fuji apple sorbet with its tangy notes provided much refreshment after the heavy meal!
Pineapple Mille Feuille ($36)
Lime, Coriander, Tahitian Vanilla Cream Legere, House Made Puff Pastry, Coconut Sorbet
One very delicate yet beautifully put together dessert of pineapples, cream and pastry layers.
One amazing night we had, Spago is worth that occasional splurge with notable hits worthy of returns. How strange a conclusion though that I prefer this over CUT anyday.
Spago by Wolfgang Puck
Marina Bay Sands, 57th Floor
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