Mr Ong at Chennai’s Park Hyatt offers an authentic Singaporean culinary experience in the city for the first time

Soft lighting and sporadic wafts of food made it the perfect date location for those who were luckier than I was...
Mr Ong at Park Hyatt Chennai
Mr Ong at Park Hyatt Chennai

The night was young and the reflection of the moon was dancing on shallow waters that ran along the edge of the restaurant. Soft lighting and sporadic wafts of food made it the perfect date location for those who were luckier than I was. I reached Mr. Ong, the city’s first authentic Singaporean restaurant at Park Hyatt Chennai with my colleagues instead. Though indoor seating was available, one could not miss the opportunity to make the most of the outdoor settings — especially before the summer kicks in — that included the bar and an open-view kitchen. Despite being an open space that can seat 35 people, it was intimate and cosy but could, perhaps, use a little soft music in the background.

An elaborate assortment

The menu offered an array of delicacies, flaunting a decent ratio of vegetarian to non-vegetarian choices. As we scrolled through, we tried our beverages — the Strawberry & Mango Bubble Tea was a smidge too watery; the Taro Bubble Tea was a refreshing flavour; Pandan Fashioned, one for the strong whiskey lovers, and the Lemon Grass Mojito that could have thrived with an extra punch of flavours. 

The appetisers were an enviable spread of soups and starters. The Malacca Laksa was an instant showstopper. The creamy, hearty and spice-laced soup was the perfect mid-week recovery balm. The non-vegetarian version is topped off with half of a boiled egg, that adds to the heft of the broth. The soup was accompanied by several toppings, including burnt garlic (which I highly recommend), bird’s eye chillies and fried onions. The potent beginning may have continued for the non-vegetarians with crispy lumpia and juicy satays, but the same could not be said for the vegetarian alternatives. While the smoked taste of the satays was relish-worthy on the palate, one desired for more with the flavour. Chubby and ready to be devoured, the Satay Mushroom and Baby Potatoes though inconsistent in texture had the right excess of piquancy. Satay babycorn with the touch of soy sauce was appreciated by some, but hardly left an impression on others. But despite the mixed reviews, the rest of the menu held the flavour of promise.

Building from scratch

The food is assured to be authentic Singaporean which finds its roots in several other cuisines — Tamil, Malay, Chinese, Indo-Eurasian — and has been curated/prepared with the help of Sarab Kapoor, a culinary consultant and expert living in Singapore. “After the pandemic, everything changed. Due to the travelling restrictions, we took the help of Sarab Kapoor and were very happy and lucky to have somebody on board for the recipes. We would schedule a time over Zoom call, and imitate what she was doing. She would give us the recipe two days in advance and we would start cooking together. The interesting part is that, in the first few days, we found a lot of differences in the ingredients. So, it took some time to get the colour and texture right,” elaborates chef Balaji Natarajan of Park Hyatt Chennai. The owners of the hotel, who have strong roots in Singapore, also helped fine tune the final products. Now, they have a supply of imported ingredients such as Indonesian chillies, sambal paste, and more.

Once the menu was curated, it was time for customer feedback. The general consensus was that the food was too spicy and so the heat was toned down. Which was very evident in the main course that lacked the kick that one would expect. My customised mud crab wok in Singaporean chilli was rich in flavour but seemed too messy for the setting we were in. As for the vegetarian options, the eggplant wok was populated with peppercorns, and the tofu wok’s black pepper sauce could have used some extra drench time. The lotus stem, baby corn and mushroom was the main course winner; slightly sweet and crunchy, thanks to the lotus stem. But when combined with the nasi goreng, our tastebuds fought to distinguish flavours.

Who is Mr Ong?

The plates might have been piling up, and our breath, heavier under all the food, but there is always room for dessert. A Mr Ong ice-cream truck awaited in the corner with a large variety of options that included some that were easy on the palate (mango lemongrass, pandan coconut) and others that were more acquired taste (matcha and salted gula maleka). The burbur chacha, a tapioca jelly with coconut milk soup, was definitely not for everyone.

Leaving with a smile and a painfully heavy gut, I still had one question: Who is Mr Ong? Apparently, Mr Ong is the restaurant’s mascot (inspired by a real story), who has been raised in Singapore and seeks the flavours of home on his visits to Park Hyatt Chennai. He is apparently not the only one. “There are a lot of connections between Chennai and Singapore that is one of the reasons why we wove in a Singapore concept here. Guests often tell us that that they don’t miss home food when they come here for an extended period of time,” the chef informs. So, is Mr Ong impressed with the culmination of his wishes? The jury is still out on that.

Price for two is Rs 1,400. You can order via Zomato.

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