W

hile fusion cooking has lost some of its fizz, with certain chefs now abhorring the  Label, there is much enthusiasm for tinkering with old-world and modern.  Colonial molecular & cuisine is one example.

The beauty of playing with opposites is that you can take what you want from each. Thus is the approach of Acehnese chef Zulkarnain Dahlan, who rejects the '€œfusion'€ label.

'€œIf you want to talk about French cuisine, Italian cuisine, Turkish cuisine '€“ that'€™s up to you,'€ he says. '€œFor me that'€™s all bulls**t. Seriously. Because nowadays there are no such [distinctions in] cuisine.'€

Chef Zul'€™s restaurant Colonial Molecular & Cuisine claims Indonesian, French and Indian infl uences, but most notably, it is about mixing eras and techniques. Consider, for example, the bar'€™s early adoption of the '€œmolecular'€ method, which brings laboratory equipment into the kitchen to shift the chemical properties of food '€“ and throw out the rulebook in the process.

Test tubes and elliptical fl asks are fi xed to lab stands on the marble bar. The bar tenders use these to engineer such peculiarities as the Tequila Sunny-side Up, a cocktail that, by all appearances, belongs on a breakfast plate next to the hash browns. The alcohol is trapped in a membrane created through a process called spherifi cation to shape the '€œyolk'€. The '€œegg white'€ is gelatin that has been heated to liquid form and then cooled into the desired shape.

Colonial describes itself as '€œcasual fi ne dining'€: the food and service seem to account for the fi ne dining part, with the relaxed mien refl ected in the  1930s-gastro-pub-meetsinner-city-slick décor, notably in the use of crocheted lace on the tables instead of linen and cushioned settees instead of straight-backed chairs. This aspect of the décor, stitching together dining halls from different eras, refl ects the philosophy that pervades the cuisine.

We try the sea bass, which turns out to be relatively bland, in concession to the sweetly zesty sauce it swims in: extra virgin olive oil with a blend of white wine and orange juice. The nuttiness of olives pervades every bite. But while this dish is laden with nutrients, it is certainly not Colonial'€™s heartiest.

A better fi sh choice is the Homemade Norwegian Smoked Salmon, for which Chef Zul marinates imported salmon for 48 hours in lemon zest, salt and pepper, before smoking it for another fi ve. The fi sh is sliced thickly and stuffed with cream cheese, and, although slightly oversalted, it offers a rich taste and silky texture. The confetti of diced red onions and the pain de campagne supply a complimentary crunch. The dusting of Parmesan and chopped green onions on the rim of the plate is purely cosmetic, despite assurances that all garnishes are edible.

Most of the appetizers are by-the-book salads '€“ Caesar served with king prawns or smoked chicken; brie and pear; seafood '€“ but a particular standout was the Warm Mushroom Salad. This is a beehive-like arrangement of silken baby spinach leaves, shimeji and shiitake mushrooms moistened with a truffl e essence that tasted not unlike a thin oyster sauce. Its crowning of bawang goreng (fried shallots) suggests a strong oriental leaning, while the crushed walnuts seemed to be there to remind diners that Chef Zul will not settle for one type of cuisine or another, preferring to dabble in each.

The meat dishes boast the expected array of premium cuts such as Tenderloin à la Rossini, Australian Lamb Rack and Baby Pork Ribs, as well as a full-blooded Wagyu '€œBlackmore'€.

'€œIt breaks my heart when people order beef well done,'€ the chef says. '€œBecause all the juices and all the goodness in the beef go to the grill. The grill is the one who is happy. You should go eat nasi padang.'€

The desserts don'€™t seem overly French '€“ mainstays include profi teroles, truffl e crème brûlée and a cheese plate, punctuated by Japanese ice cream and a delicious Deconstructed Pisang Goreng. Even the souffl é is served with an apple sorbet rather than the customary vanilla ice cream, just to be different.

'€œThe second reason is that chocolate souffl é is heavy so if you use vanilla ice cream, the sweetness impresses heaviness. That'€™s why I give you a sorbet,'€ Chef Zul explains. With its brazen attempt to reconcile opposites '€“ vintage and modern, molecular experimentation and classic techniques '€“ Colonial Molecular & Cuisine shows that with apt execution there is no such thing as paradox.

IN A NUTSHELL
Molecular cocktails and classic French cuisine with a Pan-Asian twist served in a '€œcasual fi ne dining'€ ambiance.
Lippo Mall Kemang, Kemang Village
Upper Ground Floor '€“ OD 11
Telp. 021-290-56891