The Place Located in Onze @ Tanjong Pagar, I checked out a relatively low key restaurant in this buzzing district, Foliage. Foliage is a 14-seater Asian restaurant run by chefs/owners/husband and wife duo, Dillon and Lulu, where Chef Dillon was previously at Allium, Gastrosmiths, and The Humble Loaf. He has no pedigree nor past experiences in Michelin Star Restaurants. It is a small and cosy space with just a few counter seats and table, and the restaurant only accepts reservations. 

The Food At the core of Foliage is essentially Modern Asian meets Singaporean cuisine, along with an elevated twist and with Japanese influences. The focus here is on a single tasting menu which is completely revamped every quarter. The self-taught Chef Dillon has a passion for local cuisine, and he also gets his inspirations from his travels to Japan. 

There are only tasting menus here, with dinner course at S$188+/pax, and lunch is at S$108+/pax. 

I had the lunch menu and here is what to expect: 

Tougan Winter Melon Soup, Sea Prawn & Pork Rib Dumpling 
My meal started with this comforting bowl of soup. Very well-balanced flavours and I love that well-stuffed pork dumpling which is quite meaty and delicious. 

Zuwai Snow Crab White Laksa Kueh Pie Tee 
A pair of same snacks came next, and it features Japanese snow crab with a classic Peranakan Kueh Pie Tee. That laksa element adds to the oomph of the flavours. 

Primrose Pork, Seri & Gobo “Kong Bak Pau” 
A take on the Chinese “Kong Bak Pau”, the homemade buns here are soft and it has the right mix of sauce and the tender primrose pork. 

Tara Shirako Mapo Tofu, Hokkaido Rice 
For mains, this is my first time seeing shirako in mapo tofu! You can go for the normal or extra spicy option, and must say the extra spicy version wasn’t too spicy and quite manageable even for me. The shirako just adds another interesting soft element to the rice in addition to the tofu. 

The staff asked if I want a second helping of the mapo tofu, of course I said yes.

Mikan Chiffon Sando, Winter Fruits 
For dessert, the mikan chiffon cake is a unique flavour which I never had before. It is not too sweet and quite light on the palate, especially when it comes with some assorted fruits as well. 

Coffee or Tea is also served with the dessert. 

Rants For big eaters, the portions for the lunch menu might not be sufficient. 

Will I Return Again? Other than the comforting flavours of the dishes I had, one element which stood out for me is the passion the team has towards running this concept. It makes diners feel comfortable, and we were even offered if we are good for a second serving of the mapo tofu. Overall, a good meal if you are looking for something cosy with good fusion of Asian flavours.   

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5 

Foliage 
11 Kee Seng Street, Onze @ Tanjong Pagar 
#01 – 03   
Singapore 089218 

Opening Hours 
12:00pm to 2:00pm; 6:30pm to 10:00pm 

Ranted by The Ranter