Chef AK Joins us in The Inn.

Warning - Don’t read this if you’re hungry…

On August 14th, we had a friend of ours join us in the kitchen - Chef AK.

AK & Wayne have previously worked together in beloved (and missed) venue XO, but this night showed they’ve evolved as chefs since. And damn, are we grateful for that!

We were truly humbled to see so many people we admire fill our space and enjoy what we’ve worked so hard to create.

It’s a tricky call, but this might be our favourite special menu yet. The Inn’s normal menu takes inspiration from so many different places, it was a delight to focus in on infusing one cuisine, guided by the best.

The night kicked off with a ‘Crunchy morsel’, the perfect salty starter of anchovies and peanuts. If you were on the wine pairing with us, you’ll remember this being perfectly diffused by a crisp glass of French Sancere.

Next, Chinese crullers with Laughing Cow cheese and XO oil. Crispy, airy crullers are paired with creamy Laughing Cow cheese and the rich, umami-packed flavour of XO oil.

Then a traditional serve of Otak Otak- A fragrant, spicy fish cake wrapped in banana leaf- delivered bold flavours of lemongrass, chili, and coconut. (Sorry to all those who tried to eat the banana leaf, you’ll have to let us know if it added to the flavour..)

And we’ve only just made it to the smalls.

Our smalls featured dishes like stracciatella with chilli sambal and roti, which speaks for itself; Udang bakar (King prawns) with tamarind and lime; and char siew pork jowl with pickled cucumber and chilli. This was an absolute standout dish, even with its honest plating, the sheer sight of it makes my tummy rumble.

For the main, The grill was full to the BRIM with this chicken. The room was heating up, and the smell of that tamarind was doing nothing but lifting the vibe and giving guests that second wind, ready to go again. We served Chicken Ayam Percik (Splashing Chicken) with Nasi Kerabu (Blue Rice), acar rampari (Pickled veggie salad), and a vibrant herb salad.

To finish, our dessert was a standout: goreng pisang (fried banana) paired with fig ice cream and kacang tumbak.

It was incredible to see this style of food come out of our kitchen, a true celebration of AK’s talents and what we’ve been striving towards. Thank you to everyone who made this night unforgettable!