Former Asu chef Ace Tan opens Asin on Carpenter Street with Asian tasting menu that changes with the seasons

After closing his restaurant Asu at Labrador Villa Road at the end of last year, chef Ace Tan is back with a new concept, this time in partnership with Desmond Heng of Suguru Home Dining and Suguru Sushiya.

Asin (pronounced "Ace-in"), located in Carpenter Street, is set to open its doors on May 6.

Fans of Tan’s cooking will be comforted to know that he isn’t pivoting directionally. At Asin, he continues to hone the culinary philosophy he’s developed over the years with seasonally-changing menus rooted in the cultures of Asia. The menu, priced at S$188++, offers eight courses (with add-on options) built on eating optimally for the body by harnessing seasonal ingredients at their peak.

Tan, whose family ran a Traditional Chinese Medicine shop when he was growing up, has always cultivated an interest in the importance of preventive medicine through food, focusing on a balance of ingredients based on body type and season.

The biggest difference will be that here, Tan plans to spotlight Southeast Asian ingredients and flavours even more heavily than before.

One of the dishes on the opening menu he’s proudest of, for instance, makes a star out of Black Emperor fish from Malaysia. The fish is deboned and a farce is made out of the meat, which is then covered in the fish’s skin and served in a sauce made from its bones. A dash of a reduction of buah kulim or jungle garlic, also from Malaysia, adds depth of flavour.

“Previously, we did a lot in terms of flavour and culture research, but not so much in terms of ingredients,” Tan said. Here, “We are going more in-depth in terms of sourcing.” For example, he aims to bring in wild, native vegetables and fruits from Thailand, as well as things like bee honey and Sarawak peppers from east Malaysia.

The partnership with Heng, who’s known for Suguru’s clever positioning in the affordable luxury market with Japanese produce like uni, ikura and scallops, taps on his global supplier contacts and wealth of industry experience. The two met when Heng dined at Asu and liked Tan’s food. Dishes that feature uni in fun ways, like in a durian dessert, won’t be ruled out, Tan said, with a chuckle.

Additionally, Tan’s focus will be on delving even deeper into the secrets of Asian cooking through experiments such as making his own century eggs, pickles, soya sauce and more.

“After researching the history of soya sauce, we wanted to make the most original version of soya sauce, and then use that to create more versions and variations of it,” he said. There are also a Dekopon kosho and a ginger bug made with finger ginger on the fermentation shelf.

Contributions from his team of young chefs are a must, Tan said. As an essential part of their training, every team member is expected to come up with one dish each week, with a focus on origin, dialect or culture as a starting point. One is learning to make red yeast rice wine, which will be paired with a lamb dish in the Winter menu.

Opening a fine dining restaurant in the current climate might feel risky, but it’s in Tan’s DNA. And, he’s kicking it off with a menu under S$200. “I don’t feel it’s necessary to do S$400 menus to allow creativity to shine,” he said.

At Asu, “many of our guests had never tried fine dining before, but because the price wasn’t too crazy, they were willing to come and try it, and after that, they became curious about the other seasons, so they came back.

“I think that’s the unique thing about Asin, too – we will change the menu every three months.”

Asin is at 38 Carpenter Street.