Cantonese cuisine often doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. So, it is refreshing when a restaurant focuses on the cuisine, highlighting the best of it.
Enter Michelin-starred Summer Pavilion at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. Embodying the spirit and celebration of the summer, the restaurant is surrounded by a modern Chinese garden and a glass pavilion. Helming the kitchen is chef de cuisine Cheung Siu Kong, who excite palates with his contemporary Cantonese cuisine.
With more than 30 years in the culinary world, chef Kong has been with Summer Pavilion since 2003. “I believe in using traditional and modest cooking methods to ensure the authenticity of Cantonese flavour in my cooking. However, when it comes to plating, I try to adopt a more modern approach to the food presentation that would complement the colourful hand-painted Italian tableware used in Summer Pavilion,” says the chef. Though the exquisite Italian tableware isn’t the only “art” at the restaurant.
Inspired by Summer Pavilion‘s “dining in a garden” concept, each of the chef’s dishes are thoughtfully plated against the vibrant hues of the hand-painted floral motifs in Richard Ginori tableware, bringing the summer celebrations to life.
“I always try to make the dining experience sensorial,” adds chef Kong and to illustrate this is one of his signature dishes, Poached rice with Canadian lobster meat [S$28]. Crispy rice bits are added to the cooked rice to give texture. When the soup broth is poured over the rice tableside, both sight and smell are stimulated by the aroma from the broth and the act of pouring the soup.
The Double-boiled sea whelk soup with fish maw (S$48) per person is another highlight that showcases the chef’s modest cooking techniques, bringing out the natural flavours of the ingredients.
“Growing up, I spent a lot of time helping my grandmother in the kitchen, which helped me realised my passion for cooking and the culinary arts,” says the chef. Now, when creating new dishes, he always look towards the memories and flavours of his childhood as main inspirations. “Sometimes I recreate the comforting dishes that I used to enjoy as a child, but present them in an elevated form.” Though the menu is also inspired by his travels, drawing inspiration from the variety of cuisines sampled. The Poached Ibérico pork glutinous rice dumpling in superior chicken stock was a testament to his travels and was part of the Lunar New Year special. “This dish was inspired by my mother’s recipe, where she used to prepare glutinous rice dumplings in chicken broth every second day of the Lunar New Year for the entire family. I secretly learnt how to make this dish from watching her and my grandmother, and put my own spin on it to share with my guests at Summer Pavilion,” explains chef Kong. Though on the normal menu, this dish take a different form of Summer Pavilion barbecued Ibérico pork, honey sauce (S$42 per portion).
“Usually abalone is steamed and braised in Cantonese cooking. However, during my travels to Japan, I noticed that the Japanese tend to grill abalone over charcoal. Hence upon my return, I switched to pan-frying abalone to give the dish a bit of char to evoke this smoky taste,” adds the chef, and it is in the Pan-fried South African abalone served with homemade sauce and assorted mushroom (S$38 per 100g).
“I believe there is still a strong demand and appreciation for Cantonese cuisine. Guests come to dine at Summer Pavilion because our cooking is able to evoke authentic Cantonese flavours. Food presentation is another aspect I consider to stay relevant and appeal to younger customers, who are always looking for that Instagrammable moment to share on social media,” says chef Kong.
Some of the dishes that present these IG moments are the signature Poached rice, Canadian lobster meat (S28 per person) or the Marinated smoked duck with Chinese tea leaves (S$45 half, $90 whole), where the smoke and aroma from the jasmine tea leaves are visible upon lifting the lid of the dish tableside, making the meal more experiential.
The chef also works with the sommelier to curate wine pairing experiences; with Champagnes and natural wines, which may appeal to the younger diner who may be more passionate about organic food and sustainability.
In order to stay focused with the times, the restaurant has switched to cage-free eggs and will continue to be on the look out to procure ingredients from suppliers that support sustainable farming.
No Cantonese or Chinese meal is ever complete without a few teas. At Summer Pavilion, choose from a selection of specialty teas, including unique tea blends such as lychee oolong and momo-in-black (black tea with Chinese white peach) from Tea Bone Zen Mind.
“My cooking philosophy is simple. I believe that the key to creating authentic and exquisite Cantonese dishes is through modest cooking techniques, which bring out the natural favours of the ingredients,” says chef Kong.
Summer Pavilion is at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore and is open daily for lunch and dinner. Call +656-434-5286 or email rc.sinrz.summerpavilion@ritzcarlton.com.
