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| Pertuis asparagus |
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| Line caught halibut, Japanese kabu |
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| Caramelized pear, ginger ice cream |
As we tiptoe into early Spring, vegetables like asparagus are just beginning to peek out of menus and at Jaan, chef Kirk Westaway’s budding Spring menu is beginning to heave with produce that hints of the passing of winter. A spear of Pertuis asparagus from France served shoulder-to-shoulder with a spear of German white asparagus wrapped in garlic Parmesan crust alongside Joselito ham, rye crust, a wobbly pool of Champagne hollandaise sauce and a Norwegian langoustine speaks of Spring vegetables grandeur, made all the more impressive with spot-on matching with Parmesan and Joselito ham for maximum umami. For the fish course, mild tasting poached Norwegian line-caught halibut on a smidgen of kohralbi puree is plated against savoury stumps of carabinero prawns topped with briny ikura pearls, each bite counterpointed with slender wedges of earthy kabu (Japanese turnip). But Westaway’s neatest new courses arrive by way of perfectly balanced Asian-inspired desserts. There is an assembly of caramelized white balsamic-marinated Comice pear with pear chutney, butterscotch cream, cinnamon filo pastry, oat crumble and a scoop of outer-worldly ginger ice cream, the plate teeming with aromatically pronounced flavours and great textural play. Or the seemingly simple yet complexly laborious dessert of “coconut” – coconut meat ice cream paired with coconut milk-cooked tapioca pearls, frozen dehydrated coconut floss and a dust of kaffir lime zest. Westaway’s new produce-inspired spring dishes are available across Jaan’s array of lunch and dinner menus.
© Evelyn Chen 2013
Please note that the reviews published on this blog are sometimes hosted. I am under no obligation to review every restaurant I’ve visited. If I do, the reviews are 100% my own.
BIBIK GOURMAND 