Asu at Labrador Nature Reserve: A progressive Asian culinary journey in a heritage bungalow

Taking over the historic black and white bungalow (formerly Tamarind) in the lush surroundings of Labrador Nature Reserve is a new fine-dining restaurant, Asu.

With Chef Ace Tan at the helm, alongside his team of chefs from across Asia, expect an elegant culinary journey through Progressive Asian cuisine that marries flavours with healthful elements. 

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The Asu experience begins in nature as we stroll through the gardens toward the heritage building. Inside, a cosy living area with plush sofas creates a warm welcome, leading us to three doors, each opening into a unique dining concept-one of which is ASU.

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Its elegantly simple and warm aesthetics embraces the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi with recycled timber and oxidized bronze.

White and earthy hues add to the organic warmth, while its open layout with clean lines naturally draws our eyes to the main centerpiece — the Chef's Dining Table. It sits 15 persons, we recommend a seat there for a touch of theatrical flair as you watch the chefs at work.

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Asu's debut menu, Origins, is inspired by Chef Ace's fond memories of local food, reimagined with a contemporary twist.

Here, we see stories of Chef Ace's favourite childhood snacks in the Crystal Dumpling, with lobster, pickled bamboo shoot, and white fungus encased in a delicate, translucent sphere, and the Oyster Bao — Chef's take on the classic Fuzhou oyster cake — stuffed with succulent pork jowl and chunks of oyster in a rich, house-made oyster sauce.

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In the second course, we enjoyed the cold but hearty Jessica's Duck Soup, a homage to his mother's recipe that's reimagined with consomme granita and enriched with ginseng, a stuffed Amela tomato, and free-range duck.

We spot a hint of Teochew cuisine in the third course Re: Pomfret, where kanpachi fish paste is piped between the crispy grilled skin and the sweet flesh of the managatsuo. 

Although the four-course menu (S$168++ per person) more than satisfies our stomachs, we'd stretch our appetite (and budget) for supplementary dishes like the Ngor Hiang (S$20++), which sees red-legged prawn and chestnuts in a yuba casing. It even comes with a deep-fried prawn head fritter.

For desserts, we loved the sweet and savoury flavours from Yuan Yang(S$15++), the dalgona-style caramel coffee made into a coffee kombucha sherbet and topped with house-made chicken floss.

Note: The menu is refreshed periodically to embrace seasonal eating, highlighting ingredients at their peak for both flavour and wellness.

Asu is located at 30 Labrador Villa Road, Singapore 119189, p.+65 6278 6364. Open Wed - Sun 6pm -11pm. Closed Mon- Tue.

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This article was first published in City Nomads.