Global lifestyle company Zouk Group launches its newest F&B addition this month, completing its trinity of urban Japanese concepts in the heart of Clarke Quay that offers a unique take on exuberant hedonism.
Seating just eight guests, Maison Shūko offers a personal and intimate six-hands dining experience presented by chefs Angus Chow (Chef Patron, Zouk Group and Winner of World Gourmet Summit MKN Chef of The Year 2018 and 2020), Jeremmy Chiam (previously from Iggy’s, Table at 7 and A*MUSE Omakase, and the former chef-owner of Le Binchotan) and celebrity chef Justin Foo (formerly from Restaurant Par Andre, Le Saint Julien and Senso Ristorante).
Serving what Chef Justin calls “Asiatique cuisine”, the menu thoughtfully bends boundaries with intention, respect and a sense of place — resulting in dishes that are familiar, tinged with the unexpected. “With Asiatique cuisine, there’s really no boundaries in terms of whether something is Singaporean or not,” he explains. “Every item on the menu has a thought process behind it and it’s very intentional.”
At its heart, Maison Shūko focuses on connection — between diners and chefs, chefs and their creations, and most importantly, ingredients and their producers.
Elevating your meal is an audio-visual experience specially designed to amplify Maison Shūko’s philosophy of honouring how the food is created.
A three-minute short film is screened prior to every course, each themed around a key component of food sourcing – The Farmer, The Fisherman, The Cultivator, The Forager, The Hunter, The Craftsman, and The Explorer. Each film showcases the producer responsible for the course, setting the tone for the meal and educating diners on the inspiration and purpose behind each chef’s dish.
With over four decades of combined experience, Chefs Angus Chow, Justin Foo and Jeremmy Chiam tap into their various culinary backgrounds to interpret the various ingredients, often in unconventional ways.
The eight-course core menu, which is set to change seasonally, sees preconceived notions of familiar local ingredients being challenged through the chefs’ creative interpretations. In a departure from naming conventions that highlight dishes, Maison Shūko’s menu pays homage to the hardworking producers in Singapore without whom they would not have these ingredients to cook with.
Crocodile meat – lauded by TCM practitioners for its health benefits, and normally served in soups – from Long Kuang Hung Crocodile Farm features in Crocodile & Crackers. The sliced tail meat is pounded and marinated in lime, before being tossed in a zesty larb-style dressing made with ponzu, shoyu and black garlic puree, and nestled atop shards of black charcoal keropok and fresh herbs carefully arranged to evoke the lush image of the crocodile’s natural habitat.
Meaty, protein-rich bullfrog legs from Jurong Frog Farm are the star in Har Jiong Frog Legs & Papaya Sambal Sorbet. The frog legs, so often the star of many a stir-fried claypot dish, are marinated for up to two days in a heady har cheong (fermented prawn) mixture crafted by Chef Justin Foo, before they are deep-fried till fragrant and crispy. It is served alongside a jazzed-up papaya sambal in the form of a sorbet — a refreshing and almost dessert-like palate cleanser with the addition of tomatoes, lemongrass, kaffir lime and lemon zest.
Soy milk — usually consumed as a sweet beverage or dessert in Singapore — is used as the base for a savoury broth together with a grouper bone fumet and matsutake in the Grilled Grouper and Soy Milk Broth featuring grouper from Ah Hua Kelong. Chefs Justin and Angus bring their training in French culinary techniques to the fore, whipping up a creamy yet light broth with the soy milk, infused with the umami and earthiness of the dashi and matsutake to pair with the charcoal-grilled grouper.
In the evocatively-named Au Japon, Chef Jeremmy Chiam is inspired by his experiences as a flight attendant as well as when he was working for a Japanese chef in France. Luxuries like foie gras were hard to come by and convenience-store oden was a quick, comforting meal — and so Foie Gras & Daikon Dashi Broth was born. Foie gras is lightly grilled over a binchotan and glazed with sake, mirin and saikyo miso, then served atop simmered daikon in a clear dashi broth. Slivers of nashi pear lend a refreshing, sweet touch.
Kampung chicken, traditionally served with chicken rice, is the unlikely starting point for Ang Seng, a take on Chef Angus’ signature Truffle & Chicken Yolk Somen. Kampung chicken eggs have a deeper and more concentrated flavour, and here, these free-range eggs from Ang Seng Eggs Supplier are slow-cooked and used to create a rich sabayon for chilled somen. A sprinkle of crispy sakura ebi, along with ikura and shio kombu, add layers of umami while fresh shavings of truffles lend a decadent earthiness.
Beef is often paired with red wine, but Beef and Tea is a contemplative exploration of an unexpected pairing. A5 Miyazaki Wagyu, prized for its rich, buttery marbling, is grilled and dusted with Earl Grey tea and leek charcoal that evokes the aroma of hot tea. The dish is paired with Yen Cha, a toasted oolong tea brewed in a teapot by Kayn Pottery that was specially commissioned for Maison Shūko.
You are encouraged to indulge in quiet appreciation of the fatty meat, the robust red wine sauce it is served with, and aromatic tea with mineral notes and a long finish.
Finally, the Calamansi Blanc Manger takes inspiration not only from Singapore’s urban garden landscape, but also literally something quite close to home for Chef Justin. A calamansi tree and a pot of thyme — next to the HDB block where he lives — are the starting point for this riff on the flavours of key lime pie. Calamansi and thyme parfait sit on a bed of frozen shortbread shavings, almond sponge and calamansi gel.
A white chocolate bonbon filled with raspberry sauce offers a sweet-tart counterpoint. The dessert is finished with cres sourced from Green Cube, a social enterprise that trains people with disabilities in the urban farming of microgreens.
Working over the past year, Maison Shūko’s trio of chefs have created and embraced an ambitious approach to the idea of sourcing and eating locally.
a. 3E River Valley Road,# 02-02, Clarke Quay, The Cannery, 179024
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