This new seasonal five-course chef’s menu ($158++) celebrates the suckling pig, starting with a trio of canapes of salmorejo sandwich, lobster salpicon tart and a surf & turf one-biter of suckling pig and carabinero prawn. The latter has a textural bite of crispy and creamy sensations of the roasted offal of suckling pig with tempura bits paired with binchotan-grilled prawn. Following up to the snacks are the starters of duck foie gras terrine and multi-spherical anchovy, and Gaig’s traditional cannelloni, a signature dish since 1869. The foie gras is a French duck liver paired with L’Escala anchovy served green apple and confit onion purees. Rounding it up is the cannelloni stuffed with beef and pork, served with a rich and creamy truffle sauce that you can mop it up with some bread.

The meal follows up with Chef’s Marti’s squid ink rice and floral silken, perhaps one of the highlights of the evening and pays homage on the Spanish paella. Bomba rice and diced squid are sauteed with sofrito before being cooked in squid ink and a seafood broth. Japanese firefly squid is then added just before the broth has been reduced and absorbed by the rice. Draped over the rice like a blanket is a silken cuttlefish decorated with locally grown flowers from Edible Garden City.

We proceeded with the main course of the meal, the nose-to-tail gastronomy that pays respect to the suckling pig with an array of applications. Fat is rendered with bacon and transformed in a tealight candle which when melted is a dip for bread, loin is oven-baked till skin is crispy and lastly, the tail is deep fried for a contrasting texture of sticky collagen and soft tendon. To cut through the richness, a mango chutney that contains lime juice and vinegar is served to offer the acidity element into the dish. The other parts of the suckling pig such as trotters and bones are reduced with butter to get an accompany jus. There is also a supplementary dish of pig’s head ($25 per half portion) that you can top-up, which has been deboned and you can enjoy the crunchy ears and tender jowl.

A palate cleanser of pomade is given next, which is a sphere made with Xoriguer Mahon Gin and lemon juice, reminiscent of a Pomada cocktail. Finally, the beautifully plated dessert of lactic and guava with a bed of white chocolate sand, sphere of goat’s milk mousse covered in guava glaze and topped with a cotton candy. The meal ends with petit fours.
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✨ Restaurant Gaig
📍 16 Stanley Street, Singapore 068735
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