Went for the recommended Nova Scotia Halibut as a large plate for sharing. Featuring a fresh chunk of Halibut fillet, brilliantly presented with thinly sliced green squash, delivering a hint of nuttiness, and artichokes. The accompany dressing was equally tasty, originating from the aromatic punch of red kosho.

My favourite snack had to be the Nori Chips. Layered atop tempura battered and deep fried nori sheets, the salmon tartare with plentiful orange and yuzu tobiko was more than merely enjoyable in flavour, but also the contrast of crispy texture with popping bits of sensation. A splendid snack to pave way for the dinner to come.

Summing up my gluttony adventures of 2022, one of the best meals had to be our Michelin star experience at @vestrynyc, helmed by Chef Shaun Hergatt, famously known for his previous Michelin star ventures at SHO and Juni. Located with The Dominick hotel in SOHO, Vestry is out to impress with its Japanese-influenced American plates, focusing primarily on vegetable and seafood.

Although I am no fan of raw fish, I enjoyed the Big Eye Tuna, a playful culinary art piece of tuna tartare served on house-made potato crisps shaped like fish, tarragon and Kalamata black olives. It was handled so delicately that I enjoyed the creaminess instead of focusing on the raw texture that I am usually afraid of.

I finally ticked Scaled by Ah Hua Kelong off my list this year after much postponement. A house signature, I would confidently say their curry mussels is a no brainer unless you don’t eat mussels. Immersed in a bowl of homemade curry exhibiting aromatic spices flavour from a blend between Chinese and Indian styled curries, the mussels were extremely fresh and probably larger than commonly found. Served with mantous that you would gladly use to mop up every single drop of the curry. Additional portions of mantou can be ordered separately.

While we were all looking forward to a ravishing dessert to complete the celebration, we were disappointed by the ‘Orh Nee’ unfortunately. An interpretation of the traditional dessert and deconstructed, made using taro mousse, coconut gelato and coconut crumble, topped with gold flakes. The pastry came across as overly salty, and there were chopped lychee between the layers. Since lychee is known to have a floral fruity profile, it conflicted with the rooty taro. Sometimes, less is more.

Might come across as slightly pricey for the portion of this Asian inspired risotto, but with the introduction of Hae Bee Hiam, an umami bomb and morsels of lobster tail, we were glad we made the right decision to splurge. Didn’t mind the fact that the seafood flavours overpowered the Arborio rice, and welcomed the kai lan stems for an additional crunch.

Ah, the Iberico pork jowl slices with fats that melt almost instantaneously in mouth. The indulgence that we were all pleased with, as the pork was beautifully executed. As a Brussel sprouts lover, I thought that they were marvellously charred with the honey sherry further enhancing the vegetable’s sweetness. Paired with garlic jus and a creamy earthy butternut pumpkin purée.

Locally farmed mussels served in an Asian broth of Shaoxing wine, lemongrass that gave an aromatic punch and some bird’s eye chili. While I enjoyed the slight spicy after taste of the shaoxing wine and the juicy mussels, the broth came across as watery and would have been better with more richness. The charred homemade sourdough served were immersed in the broth, hence soggy upon consumption. A preferred choice was to have it served by the side.

Available as an appetiser only during dinner, this was indeed one dish that had me blown away. Not just by its presentation, but also the creativity in condiments pairing. Holding a battered frog leg sprinkled with Nori, mix it well with the sous vide egg, artichoke purée and black garlic jus for an explosion of creamy, balsamic flavours. Who would ever imagine frog legs could be executed so well other than the usual frog porridge?

Ending off on a sweet high note was the strawberry, of which, one was plated differently to celebrate our birthdays. The strawberry tartness along with some balsamic espuma complemented delightfully with the lightly herbaceous chamomile jelly cubes, expressing a bright flavour profile topped with edible flowers and koji sable.

Adding to the repertoire, we had the Ibercom Iberico Abanico Pork. Tender with a beautiful pink hue, I was pleased that the pork slices were served on a bed of sake kasu polenta and paired uniquely with green harissa, pork jus of natural flavours, crunchy maitake mushroom, finally topped with shredded endives. An overall balance of sweet and savoury flavours was instrumental in the dish execution without overly meaty. Interestingly, the sweetness from the sake kasu was a first and lovely taste for me.

While I welcomed the fusion twist on the House-poached octopus served on a bed of squid ink risotto, we felt that the salted egg sauce was mild in flavour and perhaps more custardy that I personally could not foresee as a harmonious pairing. The octopus was nicely poached to give a chewy texture.