Located in a colonial-style shop house typical of Amoy Street, ZOTT’S TRUE ALPS is a restaurant offering authentic Alpine cuisine. Owner of Zott is Mr. Christian Zott. He is a well-travelled businessman who wanted to share his personal experiences by exposing diners to the history and folklore of Alpine cuisine.

The first object that caught my eyes when I walked into the restaurant is “Hieronymus”, Mr. Zott’s three-year-old ox. This former pet of Mr. Zott’s has been taxidermied and mounted in a custom designed glass cube serving as the restaurant’s centrepiece, logo and mascot.

The Alps are one of the great mountain range systems of Europe stretching cross eight Alpine countries including Austria, Slovenia, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Monaco and Italy. The menu in Zott’s is split into 14 different culinary regions, and each includes different products and produce native to that particular region.

Helming the kitchen at ZOTT’S is Chef Lorenz-Maria Griesser who has worked under highly acclaimed chefs in Europe. During his studies, he had the opportunity to work with Germany’s most well known TV chef Johann Lafer. Then he eventually get a job in Munich with chef Hans Haas at the world-famous restaurant Tantris and worked with several of Germany’s Michelin-starred chefs such as Otto Koch, Nils Henkel and Dieter Muller.

Under Chef Lorenz’s direction, the culinary team create both contemporary and traditional gastronomic translations of Alpine cuisine. Our dinner started with some traditional Bavarian rye and spelt and malt bread which are made in-house daily They are served with chives and radish.

If you look at the apple lookalike dish and think it is related to Snow White who was offered an apple, then you are wrong lah. Ok maybe I was the only one who will think of Snow White. But anyway, these thinly sliced Marinated Swordfish ($28) came with a frozen Topaz apple creation (apple mousse).

Chef believes in the straightforward nature and simplicity of fine dining – with emphasis on two or three tastes on a plate. This is shown in many of his dishes such as Pickled Anchovies ($22) and Fennel Salad ($26) with oranges, olive spheres and goat cheese mousse. The former features a beautiful marriage of sweet melon sorbet with anchovies, and the latter has a balance of flavours from the oranges, olive spheres and goat cheese mousse

Personally, I like the seafood dishes at Zott. We slowly poured the sweet cream apple soup into Sudtiroler Apfelsippe ($26) and savoured the pinkish marinated “Saibling” (char, a lake fish from the Alps) with kaolin potatoes coated with squid ink. Fish was slightly salty but it was indeed a warm and comforting soup.

My favourite for the night is Bouillabaisse Marseillaises ($87, to be shared between 2 – 3 pax) which is provencal fish broth with poached fish and fennel, served with toasted ciabatta and sauce rouille (red scorpion fish was specially imported from the alps). Four different types of fish are used – rascasse, barbe rouge, seabass and swordfish, each of them varying in textures. Even though this is pricey, it is one of the best fish stews I had.

Another fish dish on the menu is Saint Pierre ($56). The John Dory Fish is served with sugar snap peas, lum coals and kumquats. I like how the kumquats provide a refreshing hint with the seafood combination.

At ZOTT, Tellerfleisch (or beef boiled in its own juice) is uniquely separated into three courses ($75). The 1st course consists of a melt-in-your mouth baked oyster blade with parsley dip and tartar sauce while the 2nd course is homemade oxtail raviolo and bone marrow in a hearty broth. The last course is a haunch and prime rib served in a rustic copper pot with a side of carrots, leeks and freshly grated horseradish. Each course is meticulously prepared and plated, showcasing balance and refinement even in simple meats. Personally, these three dishes didn’t impress me much. I would prefer the fish items.

Seasoned with sweet paprika powder, curry and cayenne pepper, Bavarian style Bondage Chicken ($36) is impaled on a metal rod and cooked for 14 hours in its own fat and crisped up in the oven, served with truffle mayonnaise or fruit sour cream. Even though it is a feast to the eyes, it is just any other roast chicken and is rather bland.

Wiener Schnitzel ($48) has really tender veal and crispy exterior. It is served with potato foam and red radish salad.

Don’t forget to leave some tummy space for dessert. ZOTT’S Kaiserschmarrn (As a dessert: $29 / As a main: $45), a shredded and caramelized souffléed pancake, can be presented either sweet or savoury. The traditional sweet Sisi style is served with stewed plums and vanilla ice cream, while ZOTT’S savoury variation is with a non-conventional pairing of pan-fried foie gras and pineapple goose liver ice cream. This is also something I would come back for!

Another option is Griessbrei ($16), a semolina pudding served with pear ice cream, cinnamon sugar and mint basil butter. Besides serving gourmet Alpine cuisine, the restaurant’s second floor is the bar area where you can sip on Alpine inspired cocktails while trying dishes from a specially created bar menu.

Both the restaurant and bar also double as a gallery where artworks from various artists are displayed on the walls. You can enjoy these thought-provoking pieces during their meal and also have the option of purchasing some of the art.

ZOTT’S

Address: 97 Amoy Street
Tel: 6223 0913
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday Lunch 11am – 2.30pm Dinner 6pm – 11.30pm; Saturday Dinner 6pm – 11.30pm. Closed on Sundays

Website

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