Food Review: V Dining Restaurant at Scotts Square

V Dining which is located in Scotts Square is a concept restaurant by the Swiss appliances brand, V-ZUG. This is the brand’s first restaurant and the venue is meant to showcase the capabilities of the V-ZUG brand (their products conveniently showcased in the gallery called Zugorama next door).

I was invited to check out V Dining for dinner one evening. The restaurant is helmed by Head Chef Lee Jing Peng, with V-ZUG’s culinary director, Chef Ryan Clift providing inputs on the menu. The 35-seater venue is relatively small and intimate, with floor to ceiling windows offering views of Orchard Road. The kitchen features an open concept, with V-ZUG’s appliances in clear view from the dining area. One can also see the painstaking process at which the dishes are prepared – even the off-menu snack items!

Dinner is a set menu affair with 4-course and 6-course options available. While the menu itself reads like a minimalist offering, it is worth noting that there are off-menu items which are part of the dinner as well. For instance, my 6-course dinner turned out to be more of a 12-course one after factoring in the number of snacks and pre-desserts we had.

Whether one chooses to order the 4-course or 6-course dinner, a selection of 4 snacks are served prior. These change depending on the season. During my dinner, we had the brioche bun with lingonberry jam, a molecular version of chicken rice, beef tartare and veal sweetbread. Of the 4, I quite liked the beef tartare with its well-marinated tender meat as well as the brioche. I found staff members to be highly knowledgeable in explaining the dishes, enthusiastically going into every single detail of the ingredients that go into each course.

After having a round of snacks, we then went on to the proper appetizer. While some may think that having tartare again (albeit a different kind) for a starter is a bit redundant, I totally didn’t mind the hamachi tartare that came with a yuzu sorbet on top for that extra zing.

My favorite dish that evening was the tonkotsu, a nourishing broth that was just great for the rainy weather we were having at the time. What makes this tonkotsu extra special are the noodles used here which are rendered from scallops. This made the noodles extra springy. I loved the overall interplay of textures here with the black fungus, bamboo shoots and leeks that came with the pork bone broth.

A group favorite that evening was the cod, with miso glazed on top and sitting on top of torched bok choy and enoki with the stems plucked out. Upon serving, a spot of dashi broth is then poured into the dish. I love cod in general. I love the melt in your mouth texture of the fish and this course certainly fits that bill, but with an added treat in the form of sweet-salty miso.

For something heavier, the Australian beef shortribs that came next was competent with multiple layers of burdock including an especially crunchy one on top. There’s also salted Italian kale (Cavolo nero) on the side which had a taste that reminded me of sauerkraut.  For all the wagyu craze these days, I found the Australian beef tender enough for my liking. I love the contrast between the juicy flesh and slight crisp of the meat’s outermost layer.

Before the actual desserts, we were served a pre-dessert consisting of coconut lime sorbet sitting on top of a layer of apple crumble – just the right transition to more serious desserts.

For folks who are torn between fruity and creamy desserts, V Dining offers 2 desserts for the 6-course dinner. The first is simply called rice and contains Japanese sensibilities. This dessert is comprised of varying textures – from foamy to creamy and even crispy (through rice crisps) using hojicha and black sesame flavors. Taste-wise, this is more subdued – not as sweet – as the dish that preceded or went after it.

In contrast, the tutti frutti provided for something more refreshing with mango sorbet, glazed cherry/mango and mango foam. I thought this was the last dish, only to find the petite fours served next.

Overall, each course was quite light, save for the beef but the sheer number left me full to the brim by the end of the meal. For V-ZUG’s first restaurant effort, I am quite impressed.

V Dining Singapore
6 Scotts Road
#03-13
Scotts Square
Singapore 229209

Opening Hours:
Tuesdays to Sundays
11:30AM – 2:30PM / 5:30PM – 9:30PM