Chefs At The Top Of Their Game

Chef Peter Rollinson of Flutes Restaurant.Bar, chef Mike Tan of Madame Fan, chef Shigeru Koizumi of ESORA and chef Tristin Farmer of Restaurant Zén, share their thoughts on what defines a top restaurant and how much awards and recognition matter to them

- Charlene Chow & Michelle Yee

PETER ROLLINSON

Executive Chef, Flutes Restaurant.Bar

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, chef Peter Rollinson’s fascination with food began at a young age, which led him to pursue a career in culinary arts. Over the years, chef Rollinson has worked at numerous top restaurants in Melbourne and Singapore including The Halia at Botanic Gardens. A self-professed ‘produce nut’, chef Rollinson’s culinary philosophy has always been to let the natural flavours of ingredients shine, which explains the fresh, simple and delicious tasting dishes at the award-winning modern European restaurant Flutes at the National Museum.

How have your menus at Flutes changed over the past few years?

Since arriving in Singapore in 2008, I’ve made it a point to incorporate more local produce in my dishes. In my opinion, some Singaporean producers have been able to produce outstanding ingredients and I don’t see a reason not to use them since we have easy access to them. I find that the menus at Flutes now feature more locally-influenced dishes, which is important considering our location within the National Museum of Singapore. That said, there is one aspect of the menu at Flutes that hasn’t changed, and that is to highlight fresh, quality produce.

What are some less common ingredients you’re planning to use in your upcoming menus and why are you excited about incorporating them?