Alma by Juan Amador offering bold and inventive Spanish food at Goodwood Park Hotel is certainly eye-opening. With the same token, it may not be suitable for all. Awarded one Michelin star in 2016, I suppose it has its merit. With its Asian-influenced Spanish–European, guests will either be in for a treat or a shock. Since our taste buds are influenced by our preference and previous experience.
As we were in the mood for Michelin Star restuarant, among the list, it was easier to land a reservation with the 1 Michelin star restaurants. The 2-star requires reservation at least 2 weeks in advance.
Ambience at Alma By Juan Amador is in a fine dinning setting with the cutlery meticulously lay on the white table cloth of each table. As it is dimly lit, there’s a romantic feel as such.
At Alma By Juan Amador, they offer 3-course ($39++) for lunch and option of 6-course or 8-course ($178++) set menu at dinner. An option of Wine & Beverage Pairing at $68++ is available. We were at the restaurant for dinner and selected the latter of the dinner menu. Since we do not drink, we passed the wine pairing, however, coffee isn’t included in the dinner set as such.
Dinner was inclusive of Alma Snacks specially prepared by Chef Haikal Johari. Artfully decorated were 3 items. First the Tomato Meringue, Buffala, Black Olive Jam with Truffle. Next was the Beef Tartare with Miso Mustard, Beef Floss and Coriander. Last item was the Sable. Topped with beetroot, blueberry and goat cheese. We thought well of them and it was a fabulous first impression.
Next was the Egg Custard with potato cracker. It was a little too salty for our liking.
Followed by the freshly in-house baked Potato Bread with butter. This is a savoury bread. The taste resembled white bread with bacon. Till now, dinner was enjoyable.
First course of the dinner started with Foie Gras. We were expecting a piece of pan-fried foie gras served. It came as a surprise when isn’t. The Foie Gras was blended resulting in a texture similar to pâté. And the distinct foie gras flavour was diluted. Like the Egg Custard, it was pretty salty.
If you are squeamish about having raw lamb, need not be. This beautiful Lamb Tartare with chopped raw lamb were masked totally by the sauce. For those who love their Beef Tartare will appreciate this dish.
Hokkaido Scallop with green apple sauce for one and curry sauce with spanner crab for the other was our third course. By the side are leek and finger root. We didn’t appreciate both the sauce with scallop.
Then came the Crispy Tofu with Wild Mushroom, Black Garlic, Foie Gras and an Asian sauce. The combination complemented but again it was a little too salty.
Subsequently, the Kingfish Belly with Saffron, Beurre Blanc and Kaffir Lime was our 5th course. We find the fish a little fishy. Saffron though was lightly flavoured but may after all be an acquired taste. As we requested for less generous amount of salt as such, it was much preferred.
Next is Alma interpretation of “Ham & Cheese Sandwich” sandwiched with suckling pig and topped with manchego and Manjimup Truffle. Advised to eat it with hand. Though we welcome that but it may not be as convenient since after which we returned to handling the utensil. This sandwich was tasty but a little too oily.
Here comes the highly anticipated 7th course, the Blackmore Wagyu. The fats though was rather well distributed within the meat but a little over abundant. The beef was smooth and fats within the meat oozes. Personally, it was too much of oozes from the fat for me.
Before the Truffle dessert, we have the pre-dessert, cucumber sorbet.
Last course was the Truffle with Brown Butter, Pear and Dark Chocolate Ice Cream. The truffle was savoury versus the chocolate ice cream that was sweet. Personally, I like such taste profile but somehow, this dessert didn’t complement as well as I was expecting.
Before the end of the meal, Alma’s Petite Four was the finale. We found them impressive and truly enjoyed. In addition, we were glad that it started and ended with both positive note though there were some flavours not to our liking.
And it is ashamed that Alma By Juan Amador decided not to include Coffee or Tea as part of the menu. The cuppa was strong and nutty.
NAHMJ Verdict
Creation at Alma By Juan Amador is absolutely refreshing and certainly creative. Furthermore, it may be beyond our imagination in terms of pairing of complex flavours. As such, it may not be for everyone, especially the less adventurous.
Alma by Juan Amador
22 Scotts Road, Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore 228221
Tel: +65 6735 9937
Website: http://alma.sg/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/juanamador.sg/
Opening Hours
Monday – Tuesday 1800 to 2230; Wednesday – Friday 1200 to 1430, 1800 to 2230
Getting There
Rating: 7.5/10