I

PRESSED THE DOORBELL of the whitewashed

three-story townhouse, and waited. There was light

chatter and the shuffling of footsteps inside. Through

the window, I saw an interior bathed in warm

lighting, and decorated with flickering candles and

framed prints on wooden shelves, and swirls of

potted botanicals on the windowsills. For a moment I

thought I was heading to a lagom Swedish house

party, but when the door opened, a smiling girl dressed

smartly in a navy blue uniform said, “Welcome to Zén!”

With a tasting menu that goes for S$450 per person,

24-seater Zén is the Lion City’s notorious Nordic

newcomer. Its audacious price tag mirrors that of its

Michelin three-starred sibling, Frantzén, in Stockholm,

and restaurants of similar pedigree in northern and

western Europe. Throw in drinks, which come in three

pairing options—and the non-alcoholic set alone runs

S$125—and you could be looking at a meal leaving you

almost a grand lighter after taxes. Per person. The sum

surpasses even Singapore’s Michelin winners such as

Odette and Waku Ghin, and internationally acclaimed

stalwarts such as three-star Nihonryori RyuGin in

Tokyo and Amber in Hong Kong.

But if you’re Bjorn Frantzén, who owns a string of

popular dining establishments in Stockholm (Michelin

Plate Bobergs Matsal, wine bar Gaston, The Flying Elk)

and Hong Kong (The Flying Elk), such derring-do may be

unsurprising—especially when you’re backed by one of

Singapore’s best spotters of culinary talent and trends,

Loh Lik Peng, whose Unlisted Collection spans Michelin-

starred Nouri and Burnt Ends, and the previous occupant

of Zén’s address, two-starred Restaurant André.

Zén was making waves before it opened. I asked the

footballer-turned-chef Frantzén what the deal was. “It

doesn’t matter if it’s five or 500 euros; it should be

maximum value, from the environment to glassware, to

the service staff and quality of the ingredients,” he said.

“Ten euros for a burger can be either expensive or cheap.

What we’re trying to do is make dining here value for

money.” Which begs the question: what is value for S$450?

In many ways, the dining industry has gotten more

democratic in the past generation, with so many people

fancying themselves foodies that the term has lost most

meaning. Once you pass a certain echelon, every chef is

seasonal... artisanal... idiosyncratic. Restaurants need to

be ever inventive to set themselves apart. A high price tag

will do it—but to what extent can you justify with rare

ingredients and rarified service a bill beyond reach of

almost everyone? I was pretty excited to say the least

when Loh invited me and a plus-one to find out.

TOPLINE NOTES ON ZEN: You’ll get up-close-and-

personal with fresh ingredients cooked with passion;

there’s a palpable sense of teamwork in which everyone

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM / AUGUST 2019 81

Blue lobster

with crispy

Koshihikari

rice, yuzu

pepper,

clarified butter

emulsion and

sansho leaf.

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