Weaving the Old and New at the Neo-Sin Gastronomy Private Dinner by Chef Aaron Lau at ChefWorks

You may know him for his Detroit style pizza at Easy As Pie, Piece of Cake and classic New York bagels at Booya Bagels, but Chef Aaron Lau takes you back to his roots where tradition meets a fresh and bold contemporary interpretation of iconic Singaporean flavors... 

Chef Aaron Lau weaves the old and the new in a deeрly рersonal rendition of the flavors he grew up with back in Singapore with Neo-Sin Gastronomy, a private dinner at Chef Works Philippines on August 24 & 25. The sumptuous seven-course menu is described as an intimate retrospective of Chef Aaron Lau's culinary journey coming full circle with his imaginative reinterpretation of Singaporean cuisine. Read on for a tasty preview of Neo-Sin Gastronomy by Chef Aaron Lau...

For Chef Aaron, his journey began at a young age growing up with the family's food hawker business in Singapore igniting a passion for exploring flavors. His chosen path led to prestigious stints in world-class kitchens including db Bistro Moderne by Daniel Boulud in New York. His experience at the Big Apple also exposed Chef Aaron to New York classics like pizza and bagels. Today, Chef Aaron runs the successful Easy As Pie, Piece of Cake bannered by his signature Detroit style pizza and Booya Bagels with his line of New York bagels (see more on my recent post, Let's Talk Detroit Style Pizza and Bagels with Chef Aaron Lau at EAPPOC Pizza and Booya Bagels from last month).

And it's a journey that comes full circle as Chef Aaron draws inspiration from his Singaporean roots to showcase traditional and comfortingly familiar flavors with his reinterpretation of Singaporean cuisine in a private dinner dubbed Neo-Sin Gastronomy. At the two-night dinner on August 24 & 25 in ChefWorks, Chef Aaron weaves flavorful stories "where old world meets new world" in an elegant and seamless blend with his creative, refreshed and masterful rendition of Singaporean staples like yusheng, laksa, kaya toast and rendang. 

Inside the ChefWorks kitchen, Chefs Aaron and Philip John Golding prep the different ingredients and components for the evening's preview dinner of Neo-Sin Gastronomy.

The intimate private dinner set-up at ChefWorks has been a stage for some of the metro's noted chefs from a series of memorable collaborations as well as the Croissant Lady's tasting menus with her fresh-baked viennoiserie pairings. For two nights in August, the ChefWorks kitchen takes a page from Chef Aaron's continuing culinary journey showcasing his spin on Singaporean cuisine with a lavish seven-course menu.

The deceptively tiny yet complete kitchen at ChefWorks is well-equipped to mount private dinners and tastings...  

...and Chef Aaron along with Chef Philip are ready for the special preview dinner for Neo-Sin Gastronomy.

Meanwhile, Chef Nikki Lau prepared the evening's cocktails...

...starting with the Asian-inspired Gin Sour with mangosteen, lime and tamarind garnished with candied ginger to open up the palate before the feast.

One more soothing sip of the Gin Sour drapes the palate with a refreshing burst of sweet and tart notes as the first course for the Neo-Sin Gastronomy was served...

Chef Aaron begins his take on a nostalgic Singaporean feast with a first course of tasty nibbles, the Bread course with Naan, Youtiao, Pork Bun, Shrimp Toast and Curry Puff. Each one brings familiar flavors revealing an early chapter in Chef Aaron's journey inspired by childhood memories of growing up back in Singapore with simple yet hearty flavors. 

Back at the open kitchen, Chefs Aaron and Nikki add the finishing touches to the second course...

...for their playfully inventive Yusheng, a traditional salad served during Chinese New Year. But Chef Aaron reimagines the festive dish in an elegant bite-sized nibble with its delectable play on contrasting flavors and textures. The traditional salad has evolved through the years with the addition of luxurious ingredients like premium salmon and other succulent seafood, and Chef Aaron's own version captures this promise of prosperity in a lavish and intricate creation. 

The crisp tube of puffed rice becomes a vessel filled with julienned strips of fresh carrots, beets, radish, pea shoots, peanuts, XO crumb, cucumber and briny sweet salmon topped with ikura and finished with Asian dressing. The fresh, clean and bright notes from the different ingredients along with textural contrasts perfectly recreates the flavors of the ceremonial Chinese New Year salad toss dish. The intricate presentation and execution along with its blend of flavors is a sign of even better things yet come at the Neo-Sin Gastronomy private dinner by Chef Aaron. 

The ingredients for the next courses are then prepped...

...as Chef Aaron takes you deeper into his world of nostalgic Singaporean flavors.

Chef Aaron's beautifully plated Laksa celebrates the bountiful ocean harvest with succulent prawns, squid, mussels and Maya-Maya in a rich and thick spiced coconut broth. They say freshness is flavor, and this is one of those dishes with the fresh notes of seafood cutting through the delicate layers of richness. 

The fresh flavors of the medley of seafood brings a layer of briny sweetness to the palate smoothened by the thick spiced coconut broth for that bold yet balanced and comforting finish. The flavors are elegantly refined, even nuanced yet the distinct notes of the Singaporean staple punches through for that solid and nostalgically familiar mouthfeel.

The crackle of crunchy pork announced the next course...

...as Chef Aaron sliced the perfectly crisp slab of pork belly.

The Pork course by Chef Aaron featured a delicately crisp, juicy and crunchy slab of pork confit with green curry tofu, preserved radish, cauliflower purée and Espagnole, one of the mother sauces of classic French cuisine. The star of the dish is the pork, but its supporting stellar cast of flavorful components completes the savory course. The mildly sharp hints of green curry and nutty notes of tofu come together perfectly while the preserved radish tempers the richness of the pork. The cauliflower purée and rich brown sauce gives this dish that elegantly smooth finish.

Another iconic Singaporean classic warms the palate with its refreshing fruity notes with the iconic Singapore Sling by Chef Nikki. The progression of flavors from the seven-course menu builds in what's been a satisfying experience so far...

...but it gets better as Chef Aaron plates the fifth course for the evening.

The buttery aroma of oven-roasted Cornish Hens with its savory filing teases the senses...

...as Chef Nikki garnishes the plates with fresh herbs.

A final drizzle of sauce completes the plating, and the fifth course is served...

The Chicken course with oven-roasted Cornish Hen stuffed with soft ginger rice, mushrooms, bokchoy emulsion and truffle chicken jus is Chef Aaron's modern interpretation of the Singaporean chicken rice dish.

Probably one of the most inventive interpretations of the traditional chicken rice, Chef Aaron perfectly captures the essence of the dish in terms of flavorful richness with the stuffed Cornish hens. But it's the transformation of the dish that makes this version uniquely different yet familiar at the same time. The complex play on textural contrasts and flavors will have you going for another bite while the rich weave of unrestrained flavors masterfully ties everything together. 

The ginger rice is already rich in flavor like the traditional chicken rice dish, but stuffing the rice in the Cornish hens amplifies the richness even more flavored by its juices. The mushrooms, bokchoy emulsion and truffle chicken jus completes Chef Aaron's elegant weave of flavors and textures.

The evening's savory finale, the Beef "Rendang" with USDA Angus Beef, coconut jelly and crisp arancini is Chef Aaron's homage to another traditional Singaporean dish. The bold yet clean beefy punch are the highlight of this dish, complemented by the deep flavors of the rendang sauce concentrated with a complex blend of intense notes. Completing the dish is the rice element, a soft rice ball with its delicately crisp outer layer. The inventive arancini is lavished with its own flavorful spin stuffed with hints of peanut butter for that added burst of flavor and an unexpected twist that just works.

Chef Aaron caps the sumptuous Singaporean feast with the reimagined Kaya Toast, an intricately layered dessert creation with its nutty sweetness from the coconut and indulgent buttery richness. From starters and cocktails to savory mains and dessert, Chef Aaron recreates the flavors of his Singaporean roots from nostalgic childhood memories embellished and refined by a wealth of culinary experience earned in one of New York's top restaurants for a unique private dining experience. 

The Neo-Sin Gastronomy private dinner by Chef Aaron Lau is set for August 24 & 25 at ChefWorks and priced at P 3,500 per person.

Each dish tells a story, and the on-going culinary journey of Chef Aaron Lau continues to be told and written with so many more chapters yet to unfold. You can experience his story with his signature Detroit style pizza at Easy As Pie, Piece of Cake and classic New York bagels at Booya Bagels. And you can also go deeper into Chef Aaron's evolving journey with his inventive rendition of the nostalgic Singaporean flavors from his roots with Neo-Sin Gastronomy on August 24 & 25 at ChefWorks. Book your table and rediscover Singaporean cuisine woven with the old and new by Chef Aaron for your own memorable stories... 

For reservations, contact Nikki at 0977 822 0408 and Joy at 0969 092 7233.

ChefWorks Philippines and Croissant Lady PH are located at Unit 306, 3rd Floor, Pamana Building, 926 A. Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City, 1223 Metro Manila. You can also visit the FB Pages at https://www.facebook.com/ChefWorksPh/ and https://www.facebook.com/croissantladyph/ for more information.

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