Restaurant Review: Salt grill and Sky bar at ION Orchard #55 & #56, Singapore 238801

Salt grill and Sky bar boasts of magnificent views, delicious food and lovely company. Why? Because when you have the first two, you are most likely to be in the company of people whom you enjoy. That's what I love about dining, really. It's often times more than just the food alone, but the person or people you eat it with. Since I can't be in front of you at the dinner table though, I'll have to just describe what's on it at Salt grill at ION Orchard.

Firstly, the location. You've to get to the ION Art Gallery before taking a lift up to the 55th floor in a superspeed lift. Then you'll get to see the restaurant in muted lights and voices perched high up our glittering city. The restaurant had undergone a recent renovation, and looks more contemporary and spacious.

Source: FoodNews PR

This was the view - see it in person for a higher resolution!

The food was prepared by Chef Mathew Leighton who hails from Sydney. He had trained under Luke Mangan (hence the plates with the name Luke). Here's a bit about him:

"Newly-minted as the Executive Chef at Salt grill & Sky bar, 27 year-old Mathew Leighton has been a longstanding part of celebrity chef Luke Mangan’s culinary brigade. The youngest Executive Chef within the group, Mathew’s last stint prior to joining Salt grill & Sky bar was as Executive Chef at Salt tapas & bar in Singapore."

We had some drinks to start with. For me, a Salt cooler (non alcoholic) made with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, lychee, apple and cranberry juice, lemonade. ($14) It was refreshing, light and very summery. Plenty of anti-oxidants and vitamins too!

And then, the meal itself! 

First, the amuse bouche, which is a coconut broth with Sydney spice, reminiscent of green curry, actually! Sydney Spice is actually made with kaffir lime leaves, lemon myrtle, turmeric, ginger, galangal, chilli, garlic and salt. That's a lot of spices for a little cup of soup! Flavorsome and perfect to start the meal.

For starters -- I really enjoyed the sashimi of kingfish, ginger, eschalot & goats feta ($33). It's not easy to do kingfish well, and have it light and fresh without being fishy or stale. The ginger and eschalots really made a difference! 

We then had some baby vegetables, goats curd, ginger bread crumbs, dried black olives ($31). Honestly I will skip this if I ever do go back, because I didn't find it exceptional. It really was just vegetables put together.

You should instead focus all your energies on having this ‘Glass’ Sydney crab omelette ($33) instead. There's some enoki mushroom & herb salad on top of the fluffy and sweet omelette, which is surrounded by miso mustard broth. I think everyone agreed that this was really outstanding. And how very Australian, come to think of it!

Then something which was nice, but paled in comparison with the omelette -- the tea smoked quail ($31) with almond cream, prunes, grains, grilled shallot and sorrel. Quite forgettable. The tea taste was slightly lost, though the quail was done just right. Only if you have a hankering for quail should you order this, I suppose. 

What most people will aim for will be their 300-days grain fed Sirloin from Rangers Valley, New South Wales ($74). Diners will be shown a table of raw beef to admire the marbling of fats (I assume so, because that's what I did).

The steak was cooked medium rare, and came with some Moroccan spice, sauté spinach, eggplant puree, and red wine sauce. This was really good. There are no  words to describe a perfectly good steak, is there? If you are a steak lover, Salt Grill's one of the places to try. Steak's pricey, but worth it. I liked the solid yet tender bite, with beefy juices that runneth over.

Some mustards and etc to go with your steak is provided!

Lastly, to end of the deliciousness, a spot of dessert! We had Luke’s liquorice parfait ($18) that was surprisingly acceptable, seeing how apprehensive I was about liquorice. There was only a hint of it, and the lime jus provided a tangy contrast to the icy parfait.

And for cocktail lovers, don't forget to order some of their sweet creations. These will be perfect during sundown too. We had the oldie but goodie Grasshopper ($18) made with creme de menthe, creme de cacao white and milk and a decadent Chocolatini ($18) made with vodka, white chocolate sauce, green apple syrup and creme de cacao white. What can I say? There are more like liquid desserts, with the alcohol being quite strong but smooth within. These are really worth the price!

I enjoyed myself tremendously at Salt grill and Sky bar, and have also heard many good things about it from couples and friends looking to celebrate special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, promotions) who found the location and food to be just right for the occasion. If you're thinking of bringing someone special out for dinner, consider Salt Grill and Sky Bar for a romantic and gastronomic evening!

Also check out their Lunch Set Menu and Executive Lunch Set Menu. Perfect for corporate diners, the lunch set menus at Salt grill & Sky bar provide a convenient, fuss-free option with 2 or 3 courses available. The menu ranges from $45++ to $80++ per person and is available on weekdays from 11am to 2pm. 

Salt grill and Sky bar
2 Orchard Turn, #55-01 & #56-01 ION Orchard, 238801
+65 65925118
Lunch: 11.00 – 14.00, Afternoon Tea: 14:00-18:00, Dinner: 18.00 – 22.00
Friday- Saturday Dinners: 18.00 – 22.30
Sky bar: 11.00 – 23.30
Brunch (Weekends): 11:00-14:00
Website