Liora Singapore serves Korean cuisine through the lens of European fine-dining techniques.
The core of the kitchen at Liora Singapore are a trio of chefs who have honed their craft at award-winning restaurants for 30 years.
Liora Singapore is located at Clarke Quay
Casual fine-dining restaurants in Singapore find a new contender in Liora, with its Korean-European plates.
In the Singapore culinary scene, some dining trends are clear as day, such as the revival of local heritage cuisine by promising young chefs. But others simply seem less ambiguous to the uninitiated palate. The latest wave on the radars of epicureans in the Lion City is the rise of what some may term the “casual fine-dining” restaurant. New to the Clarke Quay block is the Korean establishment Liora, whose ethos lands it squarely in the latter category.
Central to the kitchen team at Liora is head chef Kenny Chung, with sous chefs Aiken Low and Jerome Ang. As a collective, the trio holds over 30 years of hands-on experience in the realm of haute dining and luxury hospitality. As a union, they have represented Singapore at an international culinary competition in Monaco and collaborated with award-winning restaurants across Asia Pacific.
With Liora, their latest concept boils down to three ideas. The first is to lead its menu with the fermentation processes integral to Korean dishes. Next is the execution of its audacious plates with European techniques and influences. And lastly, the overarching flavour permeating the restaurant’s offerings is an unmistakable smoky char that’s only possible to derive from a woodfire grill.
For starters, there’s the Yukhwe Tartlet, which showcases the Korean preparation of steak tartare using wagyu petit tender seasoned with a smoked sesame vinaigrette, and topped with lobes of uni to lend a delectable creaminess to each bite. The menu’s Chikin Nugget — a dish sure to raise conversations — comes in 3 pieces and references the humble Korean fried chicken as an elevated snack.
Signatures for small plates at Liora include the King Crab Egg Custard, finished with a melange of crab roe velouté, pickled myoga, and yuzu-infused tobiko, and the doenjang butter-slathered Burnt Onion. As for mains, a favourite is the woodfire-grilled Wagyu Cube Roll MB 4/5, which comes paired with a sharp garlic mustard and perilla-coriander chimichurri to cut through the richness of the beef’s marbling. Those looking for sweet endings will find adaptations of Korean traditional desserts remade the Liora way here. The star is the Tteok, a glutinous rice cake flavoured with roasted soybean powder, charred banana, and a tofu ice cream.
In the restaurant’s own words, its main dining room is designed to be “atmospheric, intimate, and alive”, with mood lighting and warm furnishings setting the scene for a dining experience that at once feels both refined and relaxed. Yet, whether it’s date night or a more leisurely affair, Liora is poised to be on the roster of restaurants for repeated visits when diners here want the luxe experience for less.
Where: Liora, River Valley Road, Clarke Quay, Singapore
When: Daily from 11.30am to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 11pm
Contact: https://lioradining.sg