So what do we make of the news of the fancy Nobu Hotel opening in SM’s City Of Dreams (complete with a Nobu outpost, of course!) and Wolfgang Puck’s CUT Steakhouse (in Singapore it’s SG$100 JUST FOR THE STEAK)? How are they going to do it —what with the two aforementioned restaurateurs who are, of course, some of the biggest food celebs in the world? They should work mainly because of their all-important location. They will be in the midst of sharks of the gambling variety: loads of cash from high rollers will be flowing through the COD—they have to eat sometime, right? Well, anticucho, tiraditos, and rather large ribeyes to the rescue, prices be damned and shoved out the window—especially if they’re winning at the poker tables—certainly not a reflection of how the rest of the metro is willing to part with their hard earned money (although it’s a no-brainer that some people will just follow their stomachs and go for it).
Please don’t think, however, that it is impossible for a known chef to do something successful here. Nothing is impossible IF you can be flexible. American chef Walter Manzke, one of the owners of Wildflour Cafe + Bakery in BGC (also currently of Republique in LA) imports stuff too, sure, but if he finds any local stuff that he crushes on, and there’s enough of it to go around, he’ll surely give it a shot. Mind you, while he may not be as well known as the Orange Croc’d one, he is as top notch and world class as it gets. If he can pull it off, then there is surely a way to get it done.
If someone like Rene Redzepi, the famous deity chef of Noma in Copenhagen, would consider an outpost here, he with his style of foraging and cooking, and his avant garde Scandinavian ways —I’m not quite sure it’ll sit well with most people. At the end of the day, we’re still beef gravy and rice peeps at heart, and Noma might be slightly ahead of the curve.
There is another factor to consider, and that’s concept. Just because we are in the midst of a local food Renaissance of sorts, doesn’t mean you can go open a roasted insect café, no matter how protein laden the little buggers are. Some things still can’t fly here, methinks, especially from a business perspective. For instance, if someone like Rene Redzepi, the famous deity chef of Noma in Copenhagen, would consider an outpost here, he with his style of foraging and cooking, and his avant garde Scandinavian ways—I’m not quite sure it’ll sit well with most people. Sure, those who are curious, those who’ve travelled, those who have cash to burn (of course it isn’t cheap!), and those who call themselves “foodies” will get a streak of the food hornies and go for it, but I would think the buck may just stop there. After all, at the end of the day, we’re still beef gravy and rice peeps at heart, and Noma might be slightly ahead of the curve.