Every year, the House of Krug partners with talented chefs around the world for a culinary exploration of a single ingredient. The series so far: the potato in 2015; the egg in 2016; the mushroom in 2017; and the fish in 2018. This year, Krug has chosen pepper as the hero of their culinary adventure.

In Singapore, the three Krug Chef Ambassades Kirk Westaway of JAAN by Kirk Westaway, Kenjiro ‘Hatch’ Hashida of Hashida Sushi and Tristin Farmer of Zén were challenged to explore the diversity of the pepper, creative dishes crafted to pair beautifully with a glass of Krug Grande Cuvée 166ème Édition.  The pairings are all available at the three restaurants as part of a special menu – all through July and August.

The Langostine’s Garden by Kirk Westaway is an ode to his English Garden, but with a detour through Mexico (a recent sojourn). There’s an assortment of fresh, simply steamed vegetables, served with mole made from poblano peppers, and topped with a grilled Langoustine from Mozambique. Krug also highly recommended.

Tristin Farmer, Executive Chef of Zén opted for sweeter notes with his creation Yubari Melon Sorbet, Wild Strawberries, Espelette Pepper & Nasturtium. (We tried the dishes out of order, so yeah, dessert came in the middle.) This refreshing and fun dish draws on the smokey yet sweet Espelette pepper from the Basque region. As the dining experience traverses through the three-storey shophouse restaurant (that’s your Zen journey if you haven’t been), guests will arrive on the third floor to this energising dish. Where’s the bubbly? The Krug Grande Cuvée is poured over the sorbet tableside.

Crab and Sea-Eel Dumpling Soup with Timur Pepper by Hashida Sushi chef-owner Kenjiro ‘Hatch’ Hashida is a tribute to Singapore’s peppery Bak Kut Teh (a pork broth). His comforting soup – my fav of the lot – is topped with a gold leaf as a hat tip to the Krug bottle.

Fun Fact: Krug Ambassades are part of a select network of unique ambassadors that reflect the individualistic spirit of the House of Krug. There is a total of 153 Ambassades globally with a total of five based in Singapore; Chefs Kirk Westaway, Kenjiro ‘Hatch’ Hashida and Tristin Farmer along with retailers The Moomba and Crystal Wines.

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