NOURI, An adventure in dining

Kitchen staff hard at work. Open kitchen, worked a treat

Fun, wild and whacky are adjectives to describe my dining experience at Ivan’s spanking new place, Nouri.
It felt like an adventure, as we meander across the courses.
Each course felt like a meeting between 2 parties at a cross road; as Chef Ivan married ideas from East and West. 


The articulation between courses certainly helped with the ideology behind it.

 The psychedelic soundtrack in the background certainly drum up the senses, and made the experience informal, fun and wild.

" The word, 'restaurant' comes from the latin word, 'to restore'. Around 400yrs ago, on the outskirts of Paris, there were a lot of little establishments that sold broths which revitalize the weak. These small establishments became known as restaurants themselves." - Russel, Sous Chef

Wagyu and Kimchi "NDUJA"

Rangers valley grass-fed wagyu rump cap, buak keluak “A1” 

Make no mistake though, each dish is meticulously designed to intrigue.
The wines paired with the set menu, is equally fun and whacky. (I am sure a few somms will agree with me).
For example, what would you pair with  wagyu and kimchi. A typical safe choice would probably be a Sangiovese, Grenache or Barbera.
Instead, a Cinsault-Mourvedre blend from Languedoc-Rousillon, France was picked for it’s oxidated flavours to match the Kimchi and body to go with the wagyu.
The pairing was harmonious, and I was certainly take by surprise how it complemented the dish.

Speaking of fun wines, has anyone tried a Bobal grape varietal before? It is a grape varietal that is native to Spain with red fruit flavors at the front and dark ones at the back . A little spice note coupled with elegant velvety tannin, went swimmingly with my grade 7, grass fed Wagyu. A job well done by the sommelier, for suggesting an alternate grape varietal to go with the buak keluak drenched beef!

I should have suspected it from the start though. When a Xarel-lo blend was offered at the start of the meal. The body structure and finesse was useful to cut through the tomatoes. It was certainly an eye opener in pairing for me.

Tomato Cheese salad

If you are in for one wild night, look no further than Nouri as it promises to be more than a Steve Vai inspired crossroad. 











Gerard Zhang,
CSW, WSET