The Clan Restaurant at POMO has a tumultuous history. It started as Dozo Restaurant at River Valley, serving French-Japanese fine-dining food at an affordable prix fixe menu. After enjoying a few years of success, the culinary team left Dozo and started The Clan at Bukit Pasoh.

Amuse bouche

The food at Dozo was doze so I put off going to The Clan despite rave reviews. Four years later, the original chefs of Dozo have left the Clan, and the restaurant now has an all-new culinary team.

George’s Bay Scallops

A talented 27 year-old Head Chef John Ng has designed and executed a 6-course menu for $78++; this price is very close to the $75 (with taxes) I paid at Dozo 6 years ago. The 2-course set lunch goes for $28++, 3-course for $38++.

Truffle pasta

When the team started The Clan, they gradually lost their way such that sashimi made it into the meal. What Chef Ng does to differentiate himself from his predecessors is to return to what The Clan started with: he presents a course of Modern European cuisine: a selection of amuse bouche, cold appetizers, hot appetizers, soup, main, and dessert.

The amuse bouche changes from day to day. That day, they were egg custard, pulled pork in mini waffle bowl, and watermelon feta—all refreshing and delicious. For cold appetizers, the George’s Bay Scallops are fantastic: hidden under a healthy garden of burnoise vegetables, the sweet scallops pair well with avocado mousse and sesame, giving rise to a potato-like flavor. The truffle pasta, with crayfish and caviar, is luxurious, but may be a tad sour. But the vegetarian salad Jardin is just a medley that doesn’t hold together.

For hot appetizers, the foie gras is smartly combined with fig puree, not often seen elsewhere, but it’s really the charred octopus that shines. It’s modelled after the classic Spanish pulpo á feira of boiled octopus on cachelos (sliced boiled potatoes). In this version, the octopus is beautifully charred, yet still soft and chewy.

The lobster bisque is ok, but the chilled gazpacho is strange. Gazpacho is usually light and refreshing for a hot summer day, but too much work has gone into this version. It’s creamy, and creamy soup isn’t good chilled.

The mains pick up the slack of the soup. Their signature wagyu beef loin is still on the menu, but we eschew it to try the canard (duck, above), sweet with honey fig, with an earthly kale powder. The Dorper lamb (below) is tender, not gamy, and goes well with a mild yellow curry.

The desserts are Chef Ng’s weakest link. Sakura (below) is a chocolate ball housing doris plum ice cream—all of which seem a strange combination. The Acai semi-freddo is better, lighter, fruitier and suitable at the end of a 6-course meal.

On the whole, the meal is delightful, and priced at a good value for such full portions. It’s good, solid fine-dining food that is careful and doesn’t rock the boat.  Chef Ng is a talented young chef, and given a few more years of experience, he may become a rockstar.

The Clan Restaurant
1 Selegie Road PoMo #02-01/08 Singapore 188306
T: +65 6222 2084
11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-11pm
facebook

Food: 7/10
Value/Price: 8/10
Service: 7/10
Decor/Ambience: 7/10
Overall rating: 3.625/5

Written by A. Nathanael Ho.