February 2025
At Nae:um, every detail is measured and intentional, weaving a story from chef to diners
For Chef Bruno Verjus’ famous Lobster Mi-cru Mi-cuit (half cooked, half raw), which allegedly earned him his first Michelin star, he only grills the shell briefly and dips the flesh into warm butter just a second before serving.
Imagine that juicy tender mouth-feel coated with warm, savoury butter.
Numbers play a pivotal role in the culinary arts. It could be the number of seconds and degrees needed to achieve an ideal texture or the exact amount of ingredients used that makes one’s eyes widen while letting out an audible “Mmmm!”.
Verjus, who is world-renowned for his two-Michelin-starred Table, which ranks a mighty third on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024, does not heat his butter above 98.6 degrees.
Chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana, a three-Michelin-starred establishment, has a famous dish called the Five Ages of Parmigiano-Reggiano, for which he once told Reporter Gourmet that it comprises only two ingredients: Parmigiano-Reggiano and time.
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses aged between 24 to 50 months are raised to different temperatures and plated as different textures of one dish: “It delivered different sensations on the palate, and this was known as the dish of the decade,” he shares.
Chefs of the carefully curated partner restaurants on The Culinaire’s List are also particular. Exemplifying through four of our partners, we show you their life stories in numbers, in an exploration of how their exacting standards of time, temperature, and proportions have helped them create their masterpieces.
Chef Zor was 36 when he opened Born in 2022. Just a year later, it claims its first Michelin star and is now ranked no. 25 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants
Born’s striking design, juxtaposed against historic building of the Jinrikisha Station built in 1903, is part of the charm of its dining experience (Credit: Born)
20 key team members, from chefs to front-of-house staff, who create the award-winning experience at Born (Credit: Born)
Chef Louis Han likes to measure his ingredients in even numbers
Among over 20 types of fermentation at Nae:um, several are kombucha of different flavours (Credit: Nae:um)
Shima ji (white trevally) is dry-aged for 5 days at Imbue
Chef Lee Boon Seng’s success stems from his creativity and careful planning (Credit: Imbue)
Imbue’s interiors set the stage for Chef Lee Boon Seng’s culinary vision (Credit: Imbue)
2004: Year Chef Imamura Hirofumi became a Sake Sommelier. Kanpai!
Executed with precision, every drop and decimal matters at Imamura (Credit: Imamura)
Having witnessed all the numbers that are significant to these chefs, some even followed with military precision, Chef Imamura tells us, “The recipe helps us have more consistency in our cooking, and to minimise gaps when using different ingredients. That's why we need to calculate and measure when referring to recipes. But, we still have to taste with our palate.”
He adds, “My staff asks me, ‘Chef, why is there a different taste even when I follow the recipe?’ and I’ll say, ‘Of course! Because the ingredients are all different in size!”
In the culinary world, precision is a vital tool guiding chefs to achieve consistency, while leaving room for their intuition to shine. Behind every perfect dish lies not just numbers, but the passion, expertise, and adaptability that bring each creation to life.
Especially for DBS Insignia Cardmembers, The Culinaire’s List is a celebration of Singapore’s vibrant culinary scene through our partnership with both Michelin-starred restaurants and hidden gems. Be updated on Singapore’s fine dining scene through our monthly editorial series, The Culinary Canvas, where we bring you the narratives of each chef, their dishes, their inspiration for a finer appreciation of their culinary creations.
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