Food to nourish the soul

SINGAPORE (Feb 14): Nestled on the ground floor of the Goodwood Park Hotel on Orchard Road, the unassuming, low-ceilinged front entrance of the one-Michelin starred Alma by Juan Amador belies a real feast for the gastronomic senses within. Since its launch in 2016, Alma – which means ‘soul’ in Spanish and ‘nourishing’ in Latin – has done an admirable job of maintaining its coveted Michelin star and bringing avant-garde European fine cuisine to local connoisseurs. However, as demand grows for vegetarian options, Alma – headed by executive chef Haikal Johari – has revamped its dinner and lunch menus to include some truly boundary pushing herbivorous offerings. As an unrepentant carnivore, I am often unimpressed by anything vegetarian.

Nevertheless, under Haikal’s careful hands, the new menu takes on an almost playful quality, with root vegetables heartily taking centre stage. I sampled the Salt baked Celeriac with wakame (seaweed), grape and chervil, and the Kaboucha Pumpkin with orange, almonds and galangal (ginger). Both are a part of a set lunch at $49++, or a fivecourse dinner priced at $138++ While celeriac is not my favourite root vegetable, it is nevertheless masterfully presented and cooked.