Experience the ingenuity of a surprise-filled bespoke menu at Chef’s Table
Photos: Chef’s Table
The steely focus on creating with the freshest, seasonal produce is the vision that Chef Stephan Zoisl and his creative partner Lorenz Raich had in mind.
When at Chef’s Table, ask not for the menu. Instead, marvel at the ingenuity of the culinary surprises to come.
Once seated, you’ll find yourself presented with a sheet comprising a grid of 28 seasonal ingredients. Lest you think it be a bingo card, take a closer look and you’ll discover the core ingredients that would make up your bespoke meal of the day.
The steely focus on creating with the freshest, seasonal produce is the vision that Chef Stephan Zoisl and his creative partner Lorenz Raich had in mind.
Not surprisingly, this desire to share his love for cooking with others had been well present even in the chef’s previous venture “My Private Chef”, a culinary studio located within the same premises.
The menu changes all the time, so that every meal is a surprise!
Grid of ingredients
By the looks of my grid, I was in luck.
Ocean catch like Hokkaido scallops, lobster, octopus and yellowtail tuna were present, as were red meats like Wagyu beef. To my delight, fresh greens were in abundance — from globe artichoke to heirloom tomato and even oyster leaves.
To complete the dining experience, one would be wise to order a glass or two from their curated wine list, which boasts fine labels from Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France and Italy.
Our last savoury item was Angus Beef, a succulent slab of beef cheek braised for 48 hours.
Interplay of textures
Our six-course meal ($128) kicked off with a crisp and aromatic white wine, the Gruener Veltliner from Hagmann, Austria ($16 per glass). Its refreshing sweetness was well balanced by the slight brininess of our first dish, the Cured Arctic Char, which came accompanied by smoked sour cream, cucumber, oyster leaves and caviar d’aquitaine.
The interplay of textures was ever present as the meal went on, and the Hamachi (yellow amberjack) was proof. Luscious and buttery, the fish stole the show, but not without credit to the accompanying bouchot mussels, salty samphire and creamy cauliflower mash.
We indulged in a chocolate ganache cake topped with a thin, jelly-like layer of caramel.
Tender meats and more
With just three dishes left, we found ourselves mentally ticking off the ingredients that had been featured. Meats had to be next, I thought.
The Iberico Pork Presa was incredibly tender, but nearly played second fiddle to the vibrant symphony of greens that came with it. Parsley root added crunch, potimarron pumpkin offered a creamy sweetness and the tangy mustard seeds gave the dish a nice kick.
Our last savoury item was Angus Beef, a succulent slab of beef cheek braised for 48 hours and served alongside red carrot creme, heirloom carrots and nasturtium leaves. It was good beef, done right. For this, Chef Stephan recommended another Austrian wine pairing; the Klassik 14, a pinot noir with a finely wound tannin.
By our final course, we were stuffed but couldn’t resist the Dessert. We indulged in a chocolate ganache cake topped with a thin, jelly-like layer of caramel (its unusual texture was courtesy of a well-balanced butter to sugar ratio) and pop corn ice cream.
61 Tras Street
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