Located at the former site of Olive Tree Restaurant, Ash & Elm features selections like the Boston Lobster Themidor, Presse de Foie Gras with Smoked Duck, steaks, cheeses and charcuterie
Opened in September, the 150-seater Ash & Elm at InterContinental Singapore is a breath of fresh air that upholds the tradition of European cuisine, with a branched-out selection of dining delights that’s already garnering praise in the food scene. We sum up for you five things you need to know about this restaurant:
1) It’s rooted in elegance and edginess
While built on the foundation of the now-defunct Olive Tree, Ash & Elm adopts a character of its own with a setting and ambience that sets the tone for a new chapter. The glow and warmth of natural daylight is welcomed by its skylight canopy, festooned with pendant light chandeliers that can cater to a romantic night-out. And in the same vein as its flora-friendly name, Ash & Elm has adorned its interior with natural materials like exotic marble and aged oak timbre – almost like you’re dining within a tree.
2) It boasts three culinary theatres
’Cos where’s the fun in having just one kitchen, yeah? More preparation methods mean more nom-worthy goodies on the menu. There’s a Charcuterie & Cheese room for ham-o-philes and turophiles alike, and a Wood-Fired Oven that brings out the best in bread and even seafood (but we’ll get to that later). And thirdly, there’s nothing like an Charcoal Grill Kitchen that blazes your meat, just the way you like it.
3) It offers several platters for your palate
Unless you’re a one-man eating machine, sharing is always fun when you’re munching with friends and loved ones. Available in two sizes, the Ash & Elm Platter ($24 for small/$42 for large) is a charcuterie showcase of house-cured beef pastrami, hot smoked pork loin, cold-roasted beef, air-dried pork belly, and even pressé de foie gras with smoked duck. The cheese platter of three, four or five cheeses ($24/$28/$34) is another tastebud tingler (and crowd pleaser!) with premium cheeses from France, Italy, Spain and the UK. We also recommend the pumpkin and bacon flat bread ($18), that’s baked fresh in the Wood-Fired Oven.
4) It musters up some mouth-watering mains
We’ve already told you about Ash & Elm’s Charcoal Grill Kitchen; it beefs up meat offerings with caramelisation-inducing Manuka woodchips specially imported from New Zealand. Mains that undergo this flaming technique include the beef tasting selection ($108) and meat tasting selection ($95) – all meant for sharing, of course. Seafood enthusiasts are also spoilt for choice with seafood linguini ($31) coated in a thick crustacean sauce, and the Tasmanian salmon fillet a la plancha ($46) served with grapefruit hollandaise. And making good use of the Wood-Fired Oven once more is the cheese-crusted Boston lobster thermidor ($78) – another decadent must-try at Ash & Elm.
5) It does dessert right too
“Key to ending the meal on a high note,” says InterContinental Singapore’s Pastry Chef, Ben Goh, his desserts are definitely treats you’d wanna leave space for. Dig into the apple tatin ($14) for baked, buttery, caramelised goodness. Or give the peach melba ($14) a shot if you love yourself some peaches and cream. And remember to play nice when y’all are fighting for slices of Ash & Elm’s chocolate-hazelnut pizza ($24)!
So get acquainted with Ash & Elm while it’s still the talk of the town; you’ll be barking up the right tree, that’s for sure.
Ash & Elm, 80 Middle Road, Lvl 1 InterContinental Singapore, Singapore 188966, p. 6825 1008. Open for a la carte lunch (daily) 12pm-3pm, semi-buffet lunch (Mon-Fri) 12pm-2pm, and a la carte dinner (daily) 6pm-10.30pm.
This article is sponsored by InterContinental Singapore.