The Place Located at the buzzing CQ @ Clarke Quay is a new contemporary restaurant named Liora which focuses on Korean flavours expressed through modern European techniques. The name Liora is inspired by the idea of light where the team is relatively young, led by Chef Kenny who had spent time previously at restaurants like Burnt Ends. 

The interior of Liora is a balance between an intimate, moody date-night spot and an approachable contemporary space. It is an elegant dining ambience anchored by the open view of the woodfire hearth — stepping far away from the rigid, overly stiff atmosphere typical of upscale fine dining. 

The Food The cuisine here is a play on traditional Korean fermentation principles and woodfire cooking meet modern European techniques. In terms of the menu, it is organized into snacks, small plates, mains and dessert. 

I started with the “Mulhwae” (S$36) which features seasonal fish with omija ponzu, cucamelon and kombu oil. 

The Yukhwe Tartlet (S$22 per piece) is an indulgent piece of wagyu petit tender beef with smoked sesame vinaigrette and topped with Uni. 

The bread course of Liora’s Brioche (S$18) uses smoked beef tallow to infuse in the bread and is served along with charred spring onion butter. 

An addictive snack I had was the Chikin Nugget (S$20) which is a chunky nugget made from various parts of the chicken in a minced format. Expect golden crisp skin served with pickled radish and maesil BBQ sauce to go along. 

On to small plates, the King Crab Egg Custard (S$32) is a take on chawanmushi and it features smooth crab roe velouté with pickled myoga and a hint of citrusy yuzu tobiko. 

The Tofu Hummus (S$22) is surprisingly good for me where the homemade pita bread goes well with the silky tofu hummus of chickpea, pomegranate and a bright touch of sumac. 

The Burnt Onion (S$28) is an interesting take on the ingredient where the onions are prepared with doenjang butter and served alongside crisp shallot garlic chips. 

For mains, I had their Steak – Wagyu Cube Roll MB 4/5 (S$68/100g). Cooked over the woodfire grill, the beef is expectedly tender and flavourful. There are sauces to go with like garlic mustard and perilla coriander chimichurri. 

And for desserts, expect the likes of Makgeolli Panna Cotta (S$18) with roasted chestnut and topped with yuzu snow; Tteok (S$20) where the rice cake is topped with tofu ice cream; and Petit Four (S$15) which is essentially chocolate raspberry bon bon. 

Rants Prices are on the steeper end of the spectrum for the dishes here. The layout of the space is also quite open where the tables in the middle of the restaurant lack privacy. 

Will I Return Again? The flavours of the dishes I had at Liora are generally good, especially if you enjoy Korean elements. The presentation and execution of dishes lean towards the fine spectrum without the traditional stifling ambience of fine-dining. 

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

Liora Contemporary Dining 
Blk 3B River Valley Road 
#01-09 
Singapore 179021 
Tel: +65 8989 0109 

Opening Hours 
Monday to Sunday: 11.30am to 2.30pm; 5.30pm to 11pm 

Ranted by The Ranter