Chef's tea-centric menu marries Japanese ingredients with prized brews

Chef Akane Eno at Singapore's kappo restaurant Ichigo Ichie is showcasing her lifelong passion for tea with a unique tasting menu. The S$288 menu, available until August, centers entirely around tea, transforming it from a beverage pairing into a star ingredient.

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When I started Ichigo Ichie, I had a small dream of sharing my passion for tea as part of my cuisine. I tried to incorporate tea into my desserts and also served tea as a pairing to my dishes. I’m so happy I finally get to work on a full tea-focused menu that includes tea not just as a pairing, but also as an ingredient.

Guests begin with a cold-brewed Gui Fei Oolong, and tea infuses almost every dish. Japanese sea bass sashimi is delicately flavored with gyokuro tea oil, while unagi is smoked with earthy houjicha, imparting an extraordinary aroma. Eno expressed her happiness at finally realizing her dream of creating a full tea-focused menu.

"Tea is a good friend," Eno shared, reflecting on her journey from a "friendly stranger" to a deep appreciation of tea's complexity. Her fascination began in Japan, where tea is integral to the culture, and deepened through tea ceremony classes and visits to plantations. Travel also provided opportunities for "advanced tea experiences."

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Tea is a good friend. In the beginning, it was like a friendly stranger, but over time, I slowly got to discover its depth.

A pivotal moment came during a trip to Malaysia, where a 1998 vintage Liu Bao tea inspired one of her favorite dishes: bluefin tuna marinated in oolong tea-infused shoyu. The menu's climax features this fermented dark tea paired with abalone in a rice hotpot, complemented by burdock root and kombu chili, finished with a maguro dashi for a satisfying chazuke.

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I always look for advanced tea experiences.