The Cliff at Sentosa with Michellin-Starred Chef Alyn Williams

In the final installment of the Michellin-starred guest chef series at The Cliff, the restaurant is proud to host award-winning Chef Alyn Williams from the 13th to 17th August 2014.  Chef Williams will be showcasing his style of clean cut, straightforward cuisine with contemporary touches, featuring only the best of seasonal ingredients. Be treated to a special 6 course dinner from Thursday (14th August to 16th August) or indulge in a brunch buffet spread with exclusive dishes prepared by Chef Williams, available at The Terrace. After my first visit with Michellin-starred chef Jarad Gallagher, I was very excited to see what Chef Williams had up to offer.

Chef Williams, a Londoner, is well known for his eponymous restaurant Alyn Williams at The Westbury. After years of training under big name chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing, he started his restaurant in 2011 and has since then been awarded a Michelin star, three AA rosettes and has been voted 15th in UK’s National Restaurant Awards 2012.

Dinner begin with a glass of champagne on arrival.

Start off with some toasted Focaccia that served alongside butter, olive oil, salt, balsamic vinegar and an olive dip.

For the first course, each diner was treated to an assortment of three creative canapes. I was most impressed with the Squid Ink Crackers topped with Tom Yum Mayo and a sprig of Coriander. The smooth, alkaline savoury flavours of squid was mildly distinct and nicely complemented with the zesty and richer mayonnaise. The Blue Cheese Gouger was light and fluffy, although it could do with a touch stronger impression of cheese. An interesting combination of tuna tarte, gazpacho gel and sesame toast was lightly savoury, with the richer sesame flavours acting as the main focus of this dish.

I was then served up the Prawns, Scallop, Compressed Watermelon, Spiced Almonds with Caviar Dressing. I enjoyed this dish for the innovative way the scallops were presented. While the ordinary scallop halves were served up, I was constantly curious as to what the rectangular pieces were. I only found out later that the scallops here were cut in a different manner, along the circumference and then spread out to form its shape. The topping of spiced almonds, with that mild hint of curry dressing is nicely accented with saltish caviar. Compressed watermelon by the side was a simple palate cleanser, and it added all the more to the visual appeal.

The Pea Veloute, Confit Egg, Preserved Truffle, Frozen Goat Cheese and Gnocchi is simply put a creamy, sweet and lightly savoury dish that will surprise you with the flavours of truffle and robust goat cheese. The gnocchi provided an added dimension in texture, and its flavour was also nicely complemented with the velvety pea veloute. Good, although it was a really petite portion for you to simply sample the flavours.

The next course of Foie Gras Semifreddo, Lemon Curd, Hazelnut and Coffee is one of Chef Williams’ specialty. I was particularly enchanted in how a savoury dish is transformed and presented as a dessert. The foie gras semifreddo was light, creamy, and yet full of flavour. It was a pleasure taking a slice each time and engaging in the flavours as it rolled over the tongue. I didn’t really go for the lemon curd and coffee base as I thought the two were a little too bitter for my liking. While they provided a cleaner and refreshing charm to the dish, I thought the flavours could have been better.

Red Snapper, Miso Glaze, Seaweed Butter, Beach Vegetables

The Barbecued Young Lamb Loin and Shoulder, Dukka Smoked Aubergine and Tzatziki was perhaps the most hearty dish of the entire meal. Middle eastern influences inspired this dish’s creation, and the flavours are distinctly spiced, well complementing the more gamey lamb meat. I appreciated the choice of tender lamb loin and a cut of its shoulder although I would say that the smoked aubergine was a little detached from the overall dish.

The ending to the entire six course meal was a sweet surprise of Caramelised White Chocolate Panna Cotta, Honeycomb and Passionfruit. When the dessert was first placed on the table, I was immediately struck by the acidic and sweet fragrance of passionfruit wonderfully permeating the air. I then thought that the dessert was nothing more than a blended drink. However, as I dug into the dessert, I was surprised with the layers of panna cotta nicely hidden with bits of crispy honeycomb. The combination of sweet, velvety chocolate and a passionfruit foam made this dessert a favourite for the night.

 

Me and Chef Alyn Williams

Dinner at The Cliff for Chef Alyn Williams’ 6 course spread was an interesting affair as it revealed a creative way in how traditionally found ingredients can be rethought and presented. I enjoyed dishes like the squid ink crackers, foie gras semifreddo and the panna cotta with passion fruit. Although some of the ingredients, design and plating could do with a touch more work, it was surely a glimpse at his creativity. His creations will be available from now till the 16th August evening, and for Sunday Brunch, Chef will be adding an array of dishes on top of the Champagne Brunch Buffet available at The Terrace.

Thank you The Singapore Resort & Spa Sentosa, Managed by Accor for the invitation.