Meta Restaurant

Celebrated an occasion earlier this year at Meta. The food certainly did not disappoint - as someone who dined at Meta earlier in its life I found that the food has certainly evolved and matured. Overall, it was satisfying to the palette with a good balance of rich and clean flavours. Service could have been better. Some tables required more attention but I don’t think this means that other tables should be sacrificed. Ultimately it was still a pleasant experience, but definitely this was one clear point to improve on. We had to wait quite awhile before the menu was explained to us as the table beside us had many questions about the wine they were having. Aside from that, I only have compliments for the food. Kudos to the team and I hope Meta continues keeping the high standards.

An enjoyable wholistic experience, the signature dishes live up to their names. It is very different from the other michelin star restaurants as you can feel the intentional focus to amplify the Asian/Korean tasting experience. It is refreshing on the ingredients and presentation and yet keeping up with the expectation of quality and taste. We also particularly like the pace of how the dishes are served. For us, we want to have a nice meal with exceptional service and good quality food, but sometime the 2.5-3.5hours mealtime is a luxury in itself and META can adjust that to our preference, with minimal waiting time between dishes and this is a huge plus for us!

Pleasantly surprised ~ went in with not high expectation ... had korean fine dining in a bunch of places and wasn't that impressed. Came out pretty satisfied. The cooking is refined but not showy, menu's overall seafood-forward. Highlights ❤️ the Jeju abalone with risotto is the real deal — textures don't fight each other, which sounds simple but rarely is. The dessert kind of looks like a 💩 hahahah but cant believe it's my fav. sweet potato ice cream!! Literally the dream, can never get over this after having it in tokyo when i was a kid Not everything landed 💣the cod shirako steamed egg was overcooked, shirako had the texture of firm tofu. 💣And the scaled tilefish didn't quite deliver either, maybe one of those "typical" dishes in omakase, to me, the scale should at least... stand up? seems like a kitchen error that shouldnt happen. wagyu rice to finish, specifically the bamboo shoot and sweet corn underneath, was unexpectedly the best bite of the night. Won't blow your mind, but it's the kind of meal you leave feeling quietly satisfied. At $430/pax without drinks, totally worth 🥰🥰

Interesting menu and generally delicious food. However I have certain expectations of a 2-starred Michelin establishment, and I’m afraid they fell short. Service was impersonal, a few plates were served with drips of sauces on the side/ lopsided plating presentation. Some of the servers who introduced the courses had really strong foreign accents and it was not easy to understand what they were saying. It was still a pleasant experience overall, but I won’t be in a hurry to return. There are just better options in Singapore at this price point ($398 per pax for the food, before taxes)

Here came Seroja and Thevar, both of which are restaurants that I really like. They made me want to try this Huangpu Military Academy. The decoration is very elegant, and the flavors are similar to theirs. It's balanced but doesn't overpower the flavors. The first appetizer was figs with fermented skin. The flavors were well balanced, and the sweet figs complemented the citrus sauce perfectly. The squid sushi with grape was refreshing, but the texture was not too糯. The scallop tartare was very flavorful， but the mustard flavor was a bit too strong. The first piece of bonito fish was paired with cucumber seaweed， which was very refreshing. The ice cream and cold noodle soup had the same flavoring， full of Korean style. The bonito itself didn't show its flavor， but the smoky flavor gave the same depth of texture. This dish helped enhance the taste of the fish. This dish was very typical of Japanese cuisine， with more Korean elements incorporated into it. The Arctic clam steamed egg started to flavor itself and finally began to exert its power. The Arctic clam was fresh， sweet， crispy and springy， and the soup was rich and salty. The first seafood dish was the signature abalone， a very skillful dish. The base sauce was very rich， and the abalone was cooked perfectly. The two complemented each other very well. The grilled fish and Thevar's dish were the same. The skin was very crispy， but I preferred Meta because his fish was more heavily seasoned， with a slightly higher saltiness， which was just what was needed to capture the aroma of the fish. The cold noodles were the highlight， having a very good synergy with Seroja's herbal noodles. The cold noodles were sour and sweet， with a refreshing aroma. The texture was firm， and the bottom was flavored with perilla oil， with a strong Korean flavor. However， the oil was a little too heavy. The wagyu beef was nothing special， a standardized main dish. The first pickled grapes were paired with ice cream and jelly. The ice cream was of柚子茶 flavor， and the grape ice cream was a little astringent， which actually made me like it. The second dish was corn paste + popcorn + corn ice cream + crispy corn. The ice cream was more salty， and I thought it would have the same corn explosion aroma， but it was a bit disappointing. But overall， it was great， with a constant balance of sour and sweet. I really liked the several small desserts at the end. The banana puffs were especially delicious. If they were mass-produced， it would be great.

[Meta (**)] has evolved. Old [Meta] was very good, but new [Meta] has gotten more refined. Is it better than the old [Meta]? Hmmm... Depends, but it is a lot pricier than the old [Meta], which begs to question, is the value proposition better or worse? Frankly, the only real issue in the old place was the acoustics in the dining area. This new place just tries too hard, while scoring some truly remarkable hits, but floundered in others. For a start, I will say, FOH service was excellent. Friendly, helpful and attentive, getting the highest I've ever scored for service in any of my restaurant reviews this far. Only issue is, on occasion, the ladies can be a little too soft when describing the dishes, making it impossible to hear them. Foodwise, the various starters were very competent, with the absolutely delicious Cuttlefish Gimbap, along with the Scallop & Caviar Tart being textural and mouthfeel superstars! That said, while the tuna sandwich was texturally sound, it ate far too fishy. Their Signature Jeju Abalone Juk was incredible! Layers upon layers of textures, depth of flavours and simply perfect technical execution. The skin and scales of the Amadai were crispy but the cuisson of the fish was unfortunately over. The noodles of the Milmyeon was a textural masterpiece, and the sauce was perfectly paired, but the pickled celtuce was oddly misplaced. Sadly, the BBQ Wagyu was a little too tense and overall ate a little, dare I say, boring. The unfortunate happenstance of the dinner was the "not great" dessert courses. Overly bitter champagne jelly that ruined the otherwise palatable palate cleanser, a grainy custard that marred an otherwise great corn dessert with fantastic components, and a lacklustre showing of petite fours with a "juksik donut" that was so tough, I thought I was a dog biting a chew toy. So back to my initial question, is this evolution better or worse? Well, the Michelin guide says better, promoting them from 1* to 2* and if I was an inspector, I would whole-heartedly agree. It has traded some of the liveliness it had in the past, but the ambient noise used to be so loud, it could at times be unbearable. The technical execution is much more refined, also a little more mature but with that, sterility becomes a little more present. Not a question of "for better or worst" in this aspect, but more upon qualities expected for rising to 2 and 3 stars. But as a diner, where we view through a different lens, I think it's scores marginally worse on the value proposition scale. For example, the non-alcoholic pairing is extremely pricey, considering it's a straight juice mix with no fermentation. Yes, the drinks were tasty, but as a diner, it felt like they could have done a little more on this aspect. Objectively, still a great restaurant and dining experience and I still rate them extremely highly.

The opening act at Meta unfolded as a series of jewel-like morsels, each one a study in restraint and refinement. A Fig Salad paired ruby fig with delicate beancurd skin and citrus soy, its sweetness and earthiness brightened by edible petals scattered like a midsummer garden. The Tuna Sandwich, crisp and precise, layered a silken yolk centre with a lush tuna tartare beneath a crown of ikura, each bite rich yet refreshing. The Scallop Tart dazzled with translucent scallop lifted by wasabi and finger lime, while the Prawn Toast, grounded by a kelp base, carried a lightly blanched prawn and a glistening mound of caviar — a decadent interplay of oceanic richness and umami depth. The seafood progression began with the Bonito, revealed in layers — hay-smoked fish with a gentle rustic note, accented with thinly sliced ginger and crowned with a cool cucumber granita. A tangle of cucumber and seaweed added crunch and brine, turning each mouthful into a play of smoke, freshness, and ocean clarity. A surprise clam dish followed, tender and briny, resting over a quivering egg custard that married ocean and earth in hushed tones. The Tilefish completed the course, its skin crisped to a golden lattice and paired with turnip in a broth crowned by vivid carrot foam, bringing earthy warmth to the seafood sequence. The Jeju Abalone stood apart as a true showpiece, its cross-hatched surface charred to a caramelised intensity that gave way to tender flesh beneath. Resting on a bed of kamtae juk and lily bulb, it was layered, soulful, and deeply satisfying — a signature for good reason, and the undisputed highlight of the evening thus far. The BBQ Lamb was served with a lacquered char, tender within and flanked by jangajji pickles and mole, a thoughtful interplay of Korean spice and smoky depth. Yet it was the Corn Rice — fragrant, buttery, and layered with quiet complexity — that stole the show, transforming a humble side into a dish of its own distinction. The Melon was a study in restraint: a delicate makgeolli sorbet resting on coconut snow, concealing beneath it sweet, juicy cubes of melon. Light and refreshing, it balanced lactic tang with natural fruitiness, a palate-cleansing prelude to the closing sweets. The Sweet Corn followed, playful and nostalgic, weaving roasted kernels, caramelised popcorn, and silken corn ice cream into a composition that danced between sweet and savoury, crunch and cream — a humble staple elevated into something truly memorable. The evening drew to a close with an array of Petit Fours, each crafted with finesse. A chewy Juak, a sweet Geotgam, and a playful Banana Cream Puff formed the trio, presented with a handwritten “Happy 16th Anniversary” — an elegant, personal finale to a meal that was as heartfelt as it was refined.

👉🏻Dinner Menu SGD300 (HKD💲1,880) - This 2 Michelin-starred restaurant fuses Korean and French culinary traditions on a plate. I quite enjoyed pretty much the starters and especially the desserts! The mont blanc tasted so nice with miso icecream, pecan and honey glazed chestnut💗 the abalone was perfectly grilled yet the lamp chop is a bit too raw when being served and we asked for re-grilling it for a bit longer😹 - Rating: 7.5/10 Price: 💲1,880pp 〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️ Meta (Singapore) 📍9 Mohamed Sultan Road Singapore