A dinner that's also a play at Michelin-starred Nouri, where chef Ivan Brehm turns actor as you eat

Restaurant Nouri and Checkpoint Theatre have joined forces in Singapore to present a novel fusion of fine dining and theatre, creating an experience that blurs the lines between culinary art and dramatic storytelling. This unique 10-course, three-hour event, titled "A Matter Of Taste," intricately weaves chef Ivan Brehm's personal journey into each dish.

Chef Ivan Brehm, known for his adventurous approach, has explicitly chosen to "play with his food" in this collaboration with Checkpoint Theatre's artistic director, Huzir Sulaiman. The production aims to be a new, boundary-breaking entity, distinct from conventional "dinner theatre." It eschews props, costumes, and audience interaction for a more intimate, narrative-driven experience.

The play chronicles Brehm's life, with each act corresponding to a specific dish and a stage in his development as a chef. Diners engage with segments of the performance, followed by the serving of an individual course accompanied by a specially curated soundtrack, designed to stimulate the senses on multiple levels and create a transportive atmosphere.

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As far as we know, no fine dining restaurant in Singapore has ever collaborated with a theatre company in a manner such as this.

Actor Ramzie Tahar complements Brehm's narration, voicing other characters from Brehm's stories while also assisting in the practical task of food preparation. Diners can, for instance, taste an interpretation of an "orange soup" that Brehm recalls discovering as a child, an experience that first opened his eyes to the potential of food. This dish, originally a dessert, is served as an opening course featuring savory vanilla rice custard, bafun uni, and muscat vinegar.

Other courses in the menu reflect significant periods in Brehm's culinary career. A shepherd's pie and buffalo wings dish encapsulates his time at culinary school in the US, while an agnolotti course represents his experiences working in a restaurant in rural Italy. The "Fly fishing" course, featuring poached rainbow trout with citrus salad and lemon pith emulsion, recalls a specific dish from his past.

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Then I ordered the dessert, and it was just marvellous. I was very young, and it was the first time that I realised that food had that potential.