It takes great passion and determination to compete in something as prestigious as the Bocuse d’Or, a culinary competition often regarded as the Olympics of gastronomy.
And local chef Mathew Leong has done just that. He came in sixth out of 24 contestants in the 2025 edition of the competition in France and was also the top Asian contestant, finishing five places ahead of chef Ryuya Kainuma of Japan.
Normally, it would be hard for Singaporeans to taste his cooking, simply because he is based all the way in Norway at three-Michelin-starred restaurant Re-naa.
So I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to try his food during his five-day pop-up, A Nordic Expedition, at Dusk @ Mount Faber.
And boy, was it an experience.
The pop-up had a specially curated five-course menu ($188++) featuring dishes with an “Asian touch” cooked with Nordic produce.
I also got to enjoy my meal with a wine-pairing option that is an add-on price of $80++.
Our first dish of the night was Hamachi, prepared with fermented yuzu, sea buckthorn, kaffir lime, and topped with a generous serving of caviar.
This was paired with a glass of N.V Laurent-Perrier La Cuvee Brut from Champagne, France, which had fragrances of fresh citrus fruits and white flowers.
Mathew executed this well, ensuring that the zesty elements of the yuzu and kaffir lime didn’t overpower the natural sweetness of the protein.
Next up was Skrei, which essentially is an Atlantic cod fish. This was prepared with smoked mussel, leek, tarragon oil and fish roe.
It was paired with a glass of 2021 Maison Saint Aix Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence ‘Aix’ from Provence, France, which had notes of red fruits, peach and subtle floral hints.
Upon first impression, I actually thought the fish was a massive scallop because of its shape.
I absolutely loved its texture, which was buttery and smooth. The smoked mussel also gave the dish a strong umami taste that went well with the Atlantic cod. To contrast, the roe added little pops of sweetness with every bite.
In between courses, we were served some really good bread and butter.
While the bread alone was scrumptious, the butter, which was mixed with a variety of spices, definitely enhanced the flavour profile.
In fact, it was so good that my dining companions and I asked for seconds.
The Lobster was cooked in a flavourful kosho and XO emulsion sauce. It was completed with a side of mushroom crudite and a scattering of ikura.
It was paired with a glass of 2018 Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese from Mosel, Germany, and had subtle notes of yellow peach and pollen.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that this was one of the best lobsters I’ve ever had.
I usually don’t enjoy the crustacean because most eateries tend to overcook it till its rubbery.
But the texture on this lobster was fantastic — tender with a slight firmness.
While it was not the star, the mushrooms were also impressive and completed the dish by adding a lovely crunch.
Up to that point, I was really impressed by all the dishes Mathew had prepared for us. But the one that really takes the cake was the main course, Quail.
The bird was served with a side of Jerusalem artichoke, watercress, and a warm spiced quail jus sauce. It was paired with a glass of 2022 Silver Heights Jiayuan Marselan from Ningxia, China.
We were told that Mathew was initially sceptical about pairing this dish with a Chinese wine but after tasting it together with the quail, he was convinced. And so were we after trying them together.
Quail can be hard to cook thanks to it low fat content but this one was prepared in a way that ensured the bird was very moist, juicy and tender. I wish that I could have had seconds!
Finally, the last dish of the night was dessert and we were served Pumpkin Ice Cream that was laid atop a bed of citrus salad.
This was paired with a glass of 2020 M. Chapoutier Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise from Rhone Valley, France. It had a rich and elegant nose of candied flowers and fruits.
The ice cream was infused with lavender and while I originally wouldn’t have imagined it to be a good combination with pumpkin, I was proven wrong.
The dessert was light, refreshing and subtly sweet — the perfect way to end the meal.
Considering that the ingredients Mathew used were not sourced locally, but brought in from a place as far as Norway, I felt that he executed the entire meal excellently.
It takes years of knowledge and skills to not only time the shipment of the ingredients, but prepare them with such finesse, and I could really get a sense of that after tasting his cooking.
While some may find the $188++ price point steep, I felt that it was well worth it and definitely wouldn’t mind paying that kind of money for such a meal a second time.
In fact, if you compare the price to other Michelin-starred restaurants in Singapore, it’s actually quite reasonable.
My only gripe would be that the pop-up is for just five days! If it were longer, I definitely would have wanted to come back with my loved ones.
Unfortunately, slots for the rest of the nights are sold out.
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melissateo@asiaone.com
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