New kid on the block Zott’s True Alps joins the food scene with its take on alpine cuisine
When you first step into Zott’s True Alps, modern art pieces, taxidermy and a slightly rustic décor greets you. Don’t freak out if you’re sitting near the kitchen and a taxidermic bull’s head stares back at you. It is merely the owner’s late cow watching over the restaurant.
Opened in March, Mr Christian Zott, who is the owner, wanted to share his personal experiences by exposing diners to the history and folklore of Alpine cuisine. The restaurant is based on a concept of how the Alps and its surrounding areas are divided into many different regions, and creatively named in conjunction with a type of food specific to that area.
Alpine Delights
Helming the kitchen at Zott’s is a towering gentleman named Chef Lorenz-Maria Griesser, with a bone-crushing handshake, should you be greeted by him in the restaurant. You have been warned.
There, you will receive a complimentary Konig Ludwig Brot, a traditional Bavarian rye, spelt and malt bread that is made in-house daily and served with chives and radish as an amuse-bouche before your meal. The bread is slightly sour and drier, which is typical of European bread.
I did like the Carpaccio d’espadon ($28) to start the meal, a dish of thinly-sliced marinated swordfish with a frozen Topaz apple creation (apple mousse). The chef’s techniques are somewhat molecular, despite how much he dislikes the term, and that was evident in the Insalata di finocchio arance e olive ($26), a fennel salad comprising olive spheres and goat cheese mousse.
The Main Meal
There is a playful element in the menu as demonstrated in the Bondage Chicken, Bavarian Style ($36), a roasted young poussin – a chicken less than 28 days old – seasoned with sweet paprika powder, curry and cayenne pepper and served with truffle mayonnaise or fruit sour cream.
The chicken is incredibly tender and needs very little sauce to accompany; as the spices give it enough flavour. It comes mounted on a pike, making this a perfect food photo moment.
The Kaiserschmarrn – Zott’s Style ($29 or $45) is an interesting fusion of pan-fried foie gras and pineapple goose liver ice cream. The goose liver ice cream may sound bizarre but the pineapple in it adds much needed sweetness to it; thus, masking the gamey scent. Paired with the foie gras, it results in a palatable dish.
The crowd-pleasing Wiener Schnitzel ($48) is thinly-sliced veal escalope that is breaded and pan-fried, and comes with potato foam and red radish salad. It is a familiar dish to most Singaporeans. If you are less adventurous, you could go for that.
Desserts are fun at Zott’s as well, such as the Griessbrei ($16), a semolina pudding served with pear ice cream, cinnamon sugar and mint basil butter. It looks deceptively like a stodgy pancake but the pudding is surprisingly soft and had a wonderful spice to it from the cinnamon sugar and the mint basil butter. Try something new this weekend at Zott’s.
Zott’s, 97 Amoy Street, Singapore 069917, Tel: 6223 0913
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