All About White Asparagus at Pool Grill (Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel)

The green variety of asparagus is often shunned because we are so used to chefs grilling the aforementioned vegetable till all its juices and natural flavours have disappeared into oblivion. 

If you are craving for something novel and exquisite, you must try the seasonal white asparagus at Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel's Pool Grill, available from now until 31 May 2016. The chefs here certainly know how to treat this highly coveted healthy artisanal produce with some respect and almost every dish incorporating the white asparagus here exceeded our expectations.

The Buttered White Asparagus with Poached Egg & Hollandaise Sauce elevated the natural sweetness and nutty flavours of this seasonal white asparagus. It is a simple dish but done to perfection, with the lovely runny egg yolk oozing out with all its yellow organic goodness and the white asparagus accentuating everything yummy and sensational about the dish. 

The White Asparagus Soup with Seared Scallop & Avruga Caviar was also rich in flavours and the smell was intoxicating. It just begs you to savour every last drop of the creamy, flavourful soup while chewing on the fresh, firm, succulent scallops topped with slightly salty briny caviar. It never felt too thick or overwhelming, and I savoured every drop of this piping hot nourishing concoction. At the end of the dish, it just makes one feel well nourished and pampered after a long day at work. A simple dish, yet everything could have gone wrong if the chefs had no clue over what they were doing.

An even healthier option would be the Grilled White Asparagus Salad which certainly went well with the fresh figs. Nothing screams more of artisanal produce than the chef's confidence to just let the diner enjoy everything in its finest form without much seasoning destroying the intrinsic freshness of the ingredients.

The Pan-fried Sea Bass with White Asparagus, Clams & Mussel Chowder was another amazing dish. I am not usually a fan of sea bass as I find the taste rather bland compared to its softer and whiter cousins, the cod fish and sea perch. But this version of crispy pan-fried sea bass was absolutely amazing, especially the crispy fish skin, which brought back wonderful memories of the amazing sea bass I had at Guy Savoy a couple of years ago when it was open at Marina Bay Sands. A pity that it had to close down because it was one of my favourite french restaurant in Singapore for some time. Well, at least we still have Les Amis, Jaan, Odette and Joel Robuchon still at our shores, but I digress.

The Lobster Ravioli with Langoustine, White Asparagus & Squid Ink Sauce didn't really do it for me though. Something just didn't synthesize well. Perhaps I have been spoilt by the whole Maine lobster with black truffle sauce from Wolfgang Puck's CUT, and this somehow paled in comparison. But to be fair, I'm not really a fan of ravioli, or Italian dumplings. I prefer the real thing. Give me a fresh whole lobster and I would be more than happy to eat this lovely crustacean.

The Gratinated Beef Tenderloin with Buttered White Asparagus, Porcini Crust & Truffle Sauce certainly didn't come with high expectations initially, but having tasted it, I found the seared wagyu meat to be mind blowingly melt-in-your-mouth, succulent and juicy. The porcini, asparagus and truffle integrated well to provide a harmony of textures and flavours. Not much else can be said here but this is a MUST try!

The Strawberry Romanoff was a sweet, tantalizing, crunchy biscuit-like dessert served with alcohol that tasted miles better than it looks. What else is there to say? 

The à la carte delicacies start from $20++, and are available from now until 31 May 2016 for lunch (Monday to Saturday) and dinner (Monday to Sunday).

The Hedgehog thanks Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel for the media invitation.

Pool Grill

Level 5, Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, 
Singapore 238865

For reservations:

(Tel) 6831 4605/ 
(Email) mhrs.sindt.fb.reservations@marriotthotels.com

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