Any excuse to come back

After a very short stint at Red Lantern, visiting Singapore chef Zor Tan hopes to return

OOPS! We missed announcing that Zor Tan, with one Michelin star for his restaurant Born in Singapore, was in town from Nov. 14 to 16 at Solaire’s Red Lantern. Don’t worry, we’ll tell you all about the eight-course dinner he served us at a preview media luncheon on the 13th — besides, he’s always raring to come back here.

The meal opened cold with Kanpachi (greater amberjack), ginger, and pear snow (frozen puree); cold, cutting, and sharp, like a slap of winter air to the face. The fish was surprisingly the mildest ingredient here, and the cold was accentuated by the snap of ginger.

The second dish was a Bao with Wagyu and Oyster: indulgent and served with caviar on top. The bao itself is bouncy in both flavor and texture coupled with the tender beef, with a mild unthreatening flavor despite the caviar. The oyster was not to be found: it had been made into a creamy emulsion at the bottom.

Our favorite dish was the Jade Fungus and Poached Abalone with Chicken Fat, accompanied by a Szechuan pepper sauce. It had a very clean, clear flavor, and just a whisper of meaty flavor, then the rest of the heat came after.

Next was a King Crab Risotto with Fish Maw, flavored with a familiar ingredient: taba ng talangka (crab fat), an ingredient introduced to him by the late great chef Margarita Forés (we assume the pili nuts used in this dish were also her influence). The fish maw was braised in bak kut teh, a clear Malay pork bone soup, giving bite to the creamy but spicy risotto.

For the last of the savories, he served Wagyu with Maitake (dancing mushrooms), served with an onion-based soubise. We already had some expectations about how this should taste, but in the hands of a gifted chef, it exceeded all expectations. The beef was extremely tender, matching its mild taste; the mushrooms beside them give it a mere hint of a snap. The sauce, just lightly enveloping it, gave it a mere suggestion of onion. We skipped the dessert (sweet potato chips on sea salt and oolong tea ice cream) to get to another engagement.

Zor Tan started his career being mentored by Andre Chiang, who himself earned various Michelin stars, including in Taiwan’s Raw, which closed in 2024. “Born,” he said, “Is a new birth of me: to start my own journey, and my own venture.”

Speaking about his own awards, he said, “I always dreamt to get a star. I think I worked hard for it, and the team as well.” Hoping for another star next year, he said, “We need to get ready before we move up to the next level.”

We mentioned a previous relationship between Mr. Tan and a great Filipino chef, but it turned out these Philippine bonds run deep. During previous visits, he visited the country’s recent Michelin-star awardees: Helm (with two stars), and Toyo Eatery and Gallery by Chele (one each). Now that his previous haunts have stars, he said in a group interview, “It made me very busy, because there are so many restaurants I want to visit, but I don’t have much time.”

“It’s good to visit and learn from them as well,” he said. “Anyone who wants me to cook here, I will come,” adding, “I always want to find an excuse to come back.” — JLG