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Upclose and personal with four of Singapore’s top sommeliers.
Britt Ng
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
Although Britt Ng has great passion for food, going into the F&B business was never on the cards, much less become a sommelier. In fact the Malaysian graduated from NUS with a Bachelor’s degreee in Engineering. Today, he is the head sommelier for Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore and boasts numerous awards under his belt, including Malaysia’s Best Sommelier 2014 and Asia’s Best Sommelier in French Wines 2016.
What inspired you to become a sommelier?
I was very intrigued by the experience of a perfect food and wine matching in a restaurant setting. It was a unique skill that I decided to hone and I have never looked back since.
What’s your favourite pairing of food and wine?
I was once asked to create a wine pairing for a durian souffle. It was such a challenge that I still remember it, and the paring has definitely become one of my favourites. I selected a 2008 Tokaji, a dessert wine from Hungary (2008 Disznoko, Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos). The wine has a refreshing acidity that matches superbly with the cream and fluffy texture of the flavours of honey, candied apricots and jackfruit, which complement the strong and unique taste of durian.
What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
The most challenging part is definitely to keep up with the ever-changing world of wine. As I am writing this, some rules and regulations of winemaking may have just changed in some parts of the world, and it is our interest to always be at the forefront of this. The more I learn about wines, the more I realize how much I don’t know.
How long have you used Kadeka products?
I was only recently introduced to Kadeka products about one and a half years ago. I particularly enjoyed the Kadeka Signature series mainly due to the consistency of the temperature, and how fast the fridge reaches my set temperature. Not to mention the build is very solid, sleek and elegant. It is very quiet too.
What’s your favourite wine quote?
“Having a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine”
What are you drinking now?
NV Egly-Ouriet V.P. Vieillissement Prolonge Grand Cru, Extra Brut, Champagne, France.
Novalan Dorasamy
He started at the bottom and worked his way up to captain, then sommelier and finally cellar master at the Raffles Hotel. That was just the beginning for Novalan Dorasamy, founder of Nova Cellar Selection, a Singapore-based wine merchant that curates exclusive wines from wineries around the world.
What inspired you to go into a wine business?
It’s who I should say that inspired me into the wine business. My wife Tanya, my family and a group of friends who encourage and support the cause.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
From the set-go, I wanted the business to be about people first. Respecting and celebrating the people who tend to the vines, winery owners, artists who makes the wines, sommeliers and restarateurs who play an ambassador role to the wines that are on the list of some of the best dining tables, wine enthusiast or guest who just simply enjoy drinking wines.
I enjoy being able to celebrate all these things in meeting the people. seeing the regions, the wineries, understanding their craft, the food, culture, tradition, continuous searching, learning and discovering. Bridging some of the best of wine makings to my guests who drinks them. And eventually seeing friendship, confidence and trust built over time and over wines.
What’s your favourite pairing of food and wine?
To date, it’s roasted quail with red wine reduction and grapes with a five to 8-year-old Burgundy Pinot. It was a dish I has on a trip in a home-styled restaurant. One crucial thing to make it complete- the companion.
Old World or New World?
Both. I believe in wines with a certain sense of place- a connection to the land and the imprint of the hands of the people who made them.
How long have you used Kadeka products?
More than two years.
What do you like best about Kadeka?
It is stylish and elegant in its aesthetics, especially the Signature Series. I like that rimless full-glass finish which I have in my space. Kadeka chillers also have wider in-between shelving space that fits various sizes of bottles- Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy and even magnum bottles. It is quiet and low-vibration, which is vital for these collectibles to continue maturing gracefully. It is energy efficient. Above all, I appreciate the level of customer-care and attention the team from Kadeka provides.
Everyone talks about a last supper. What would be your last bottle?
It doesn’t matter really, as long as I’m having it with my loved ones and close friends. Though a 1978 Romanee-Conti Grand Cru monopole Domaine de la Romanee Conti will be fitting.
Daisuke Kawai
The sommelier-owner of La Terre in Singapore, Daisuke Kawai has won numerous comptitions and accolades, including World Gourmet Summit 2017’s Best Sommelier of the Year. Originally from Japan and based in Singapore for the past eight years.
How did you start in the wine business?
I stated as a waiter and I just keep polishing my skill and knowledge. From there, I became a sommelier.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy travelling. And there are different wine at anywhere in the world.
When it comes to pairing food and wine, what is your key principle?
I consider the weight of the flavour of wine and food.
How long have you used Kadeka products?
I have used Kadeka for three years. My experience with Kadeka has been really good. I like the stylish design, and above all, the stable temperature controls.
What would be your last bottle?
Chateau Poujeaux 1982
Benedict Lee
La Strada Ristorante
Benedict is the restaurant manager and sommelier of La Strada Ristorante, which is part of the Les Amis group. As Benedict proclaims, while his first love is Burgundy, he has developed a soft spot for orange wines and generally “all things oxidative and funky”.
What inspired you to become a sommelier?
When I was a student, I found myself more interested in reading up on the Classed Growths of Bordeaux and the Grand Crus of Burgundy rather than studying for my exams or doing research for the papers that I had to write. The world of wines felt very natural and made so much sense to me. After graduation, I took up my first full-time job as an assistant sommelier and have not looked back since.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy the customer engagement the most. Seeing my regulars return is like seeing an old friends, and even as a wine professional, you learn so much more by listening to your guests, and hearing about the exciting wines that they gave tried recently. Their thoughts on it, and the experiences that the wines have evoked.
When it comes to pairing food and wine, what is your key principle?
My key principle is that the customer’s preference must come first. Talking about how an aged Barolo would pair perfectly with the White Truffles of Alba is an exercise in vain if the customer, for example, does not like tannins or even red wine for that matter. I always believe in working within the parameters of their preference to find the best possible pairing with each dish.
What excites you about the local wine scene?
It is a small, tightly knit community with many talented sommeliers. There’s Mason Ng of Atlas Bar, who has curated an extensive wine list of small production champagnes; there’s Alvin Gho, running a funky natural wine bar with excellent food to go along with it. There’s even a certified Master Sommelier, Mathias Camilleri, UK Sommelier of the Year in 2017, whom started working in Singapore fairly recently. It’s dynamic, it’s growing, and there’s a very strong sense of camaraderie.
How long have you used Kadeka products?
Our restaurant, La Strada, has a major renovation in January. It was then that I decided I would choose Kadeka’s Signature series wine chiller.
What do you like best about Kadeka?
Kadeka’s Signature series has a sleek, borderless black glass design that matches the restaurant’s ambience. Functionally, the broad telescopic shelf is a godsend in terms of storage solutions. The small rubber stubs to keep the bottles in place is also a very small details that makes all the difference.
Everyone talks about a last supper. What would be your last bottle?
The very last bottle I would want to drink is Hubert Lignier, Hospices de Nuits, Nuits St Georges Les Vignerondes 2010. It is one of the wines with perfect fruit transparency, ethereal minerality with an impeccable balance of acidity and tannins. It is a pretty humble beginnings, and that is how my last bottle will be.
Credits: Singapore’s Top Restaurants 2018/2019 (21st edition)
