Author: Alexius Chua
If you elevate all-vegan, meatless dishes and paired them with organic wines, you get this 5-Course Back to Roots affair at Porta. Available on 5 October only, from 6.30pm to 10.30pm, $69 per person with pairing or $52 per person without wine pairing. Seemingly unassuming, this is an veg fine-dining experience unlike any other I have experienced.
Our evening starts with Lotus Root crisps and kombu-braised daikon. A dash of black vinegar, sesame oil and spiced Romesco puree whets the appetite for the next dish. The crisps are crunchy, with a whimsical play of the apparatus drip. Mild or Strong, the flavours are entirely up to you.
Then came the soup. Purple Potato Soup tempts with multi-dimensions of intensity, textures and contrast. It’s creamy with a light crispy wonton skin and a dash of harissa oil. Paired with an easy wine that comes with a deceptive complexity, Cotes du Rhone Parallele 45 Blanc 2017. Intense, fruity yet floral, with round, generous and elegant notes of a balanced finish on the palate.
This clever combo deserves a handshake with the chef. Baby Beetroot with citrus-infused rose apple – the play with beetroot, baby beetroot, refreshing and juicy Jambu (rose apple), cacao nibs for added depth of crunchy bitterness and almost surprising lobes of Thai lime vinegrette. To enhance the intense depth and character of this dish, the recommended Cotes du Rhone Parallele 45 Rouge 2016 Co gives the palate a delicate touch on the tongue, with hints of raspberries, redcurrants and licorice.
On the fourth dish is the sliced Celeriac prepared in roasted onion sauce and Maitake mushroom. My personal favourite, the texture and sauce give a meaty mouthfeel on the first bite. It immediately struck me that this could be an elevated version of Beyond Meat. Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets 2016 is recommended for this creation.
For our dessert we had a refreshing fruit-based dessert – Sapodilla or chiku butter cake is served with tenderly-stewed persimmon, roselle jam, poached jujubes and gooseberries. The dense palate of the cake combined with assorted jam (tenderly-stewed persimmon, roselle jam, poached jujubes and gooseberries) is like a dance on the mouth. The Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Le Chant des Griolles 2014 finishes off beautifully.
My verdict? Surprising tasty and filling despite it was vegetables. I almost forgotten about meat already.
Back to Roots Promotion
Porta @ Park Hotel Clarke Quay
Date: 5 October, Saturday
Time: 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Price: $52++ per adult (without wine pairing)
$69++ per adult (wine pairing with 4 labels)
Website: https://www.parkhotelgroup.com/en/clarkequay/
Instagram/ Facebook: @portasg
