SINGAPORE - It is a foodie reunion not to be missed at the one-Michelin-starred restaurant Iggy's at Hilton Singapore.
Limited seats for the five-course lunch ($130++) and eight-course dinner ($245++, $295++ with wine) on Friday (Oct 20) at Iggy's are still available for the four-hands collaboration between Iggy's head chef Aitor Jeronimo Orive and Spanish chef Jose Luis "Chele" Gonzalez from Manila's Gallery Vask restaurant.
They had worked together in Spain - first at the one-Michelin-starred Nerua Guggenheim Bilbao where Orive was a cook and Gonzalez the chef de partie, and then at the two-Michelin-starred Mugaritz restaurant in the Basque area.
Orive joined Iggy's last year, while Gonzalez - who has worked at other acclaimed Spanish restaurants such as Arzak, elBulli and El Celler de Can Roca - opened Gallery Vask in 2014. The restaurant - known for showcasing the produce of the Philippines - is currently ranked No. 35 on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list.
The dishes on the menu showcase how each chef has been influenced by the cuisine of his current hometown.
The dinner menu includes highlights such as Iggy's Foie, with lap cheong dashi and shiso leaf; Gallery Vask's Mole made with beef tongue, peas and a zingy dash of citrus; and Iggy's Heirloom Tomatoes comprising tomatoes that have been compressed with flavours, cucumber and basil sorbet and tomato water granite.
A selection of snacks also combines influences from Singapore and Manila. Kwek Kwek, for example, is a spin on fried quail eggs from the Philippines, while Iggy's signature Roti John is made from sweet apple meringue and chicken liver mousse.
A surprise dish from Gonzalez, called Tear Drop, is a dish with sibujing (chives), kalingag (a cinnamon tree native to the Philippines) and jamon iberico.
On the collaboration, Orive says: "We both seek to showcase our adopted country's flavours and bounties. Chele seeks to present Filipino cuisine and lesser-known ingredients by way of modern European techniques. Much of his inspiration stems from the deep historical connection that the Philippines shares with Spain.
"At Iggy's, we firmly believe in presenting modern European cuisine with Asian overtones, to incorporate local or South-east Asian touches. This gives each dish a certain nuanced familiarity that diners may not necessarily be able to pinpoint straight away."
For reservations, call 6732-2234 or e-mail info@iggys.com.sg
