I was very disappointed when I first found out that Celebrity Chef Forest Leong was leaving Tangerine at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore. I’ve grown to love her creations, all those light, healthy and yet flavourful food at Tangerine. I cannot deny that I really miss her Oriental Herbal Chicken Soup with Cordycep Flower.

With all these baggages, I was concerned that I wouldn’t like the revamped Tangerine. However, after my dinner there last weekend, I was glad that my fears were unfounded and Celebrity Chef Ian Kittichai wowed me completely with his marvelous creations. With the exception of a couple of desserts, Chef Ian gave the menu a complete makeover. The new menu is more friendly to those who, like me, are not a big fan of seafood.

There are several dishes that one must definitely try when at Tangerine and one of them is the Thai-inspired Sous Vide Pork. Cooked at 65oC for 1.5 hours, the thinnly sliced Australian pork loinis is very tender and outrageously delicious. Served cold, the pork is complemented with fresh greens and young broccoli. I love how the crunchiness from the greens complement the tender pork loin. But the best part is how the Thai chilli dressing enhances the pork loin so well.

I hate vegetables and watercress is one of them. So you can say that I wasn’t that thrilled over the Chilled Vichyssoise, a chilled soup of watercress puree, when I first saw it. Again, I was proven wrong and Chef Ian has skillfully tricked the carnivore me to love the hideous greens. Loaded with lots of antioxidants and nutrients, this chilled mixture of creamy watercress and mushroom puree is very flavourful. Frankly, if you blindfold me, I wouldn’t be able to tell that it’s a watercress soup. If I were to nitpick, the soup was a tad salty. Other than that, I love the silky smooth texture.

If you love beef, you must try the Lean and Spicy Black Angus Tenderloin. The char-grilled tenderloin is cooked to perfection. Recommended to have the meat done at medium, the tenderloin is juicy and tender without coming across as too bloody. The meat retains its pink interior and the abundance of greens, such as Kai Lan and mushrooms, make this dish a healthy option for the meat lovers. But it was the homemade dried chilli tamarind dressing that floored me. The Thai chilli dressing was simply heavenly.

The Baked Carrot-Miso Cod with Wakame Salad is good, although I still prefer the beef. The cod was fresh and it paired nicely with the brown rice and wakame salad. I couldn’t help but to compare Chef Ian’s Baked Carrot-Miso Cod with Wakame Salad with Chef Forest’s Baked Honey Cod Fish. Unlike the latter which consists of the fish only, the former is more filling as it has a reasonable amount of sides. However, it was the simplicity of the Baked Honey Cod Fish that made it so memorable.

I am glad that Chef Ian Kittichai has brought his magic touch to Tangerine and helped those regular customers to transit nicely to his cooking style and food. As for those who have never been to Tangerine, Chef Ian’s creations will definitely impress you.

Tangerine at Resorts World Sentosa
ESPA, Level 1
8 Sentosa Gateway
Singapore 099958
Tel: (65) 65776688
www.rwsentosa.com/Homepage/Restaurants/Tangerine