From the vast and varied landscape of Argentina, the one thing that has captured the world’s attention would be Argentinian Devesa beef, but their lesser known seafood offerings are equally exquisite and in the hands of Argentinian chef-advisor Soledad Nardelli and FIRE’s Argentinian Cuisine Chef Nicolas Tarelli, they’ve been elevated.
Fire is all about great views, impeccable service and dishes that bring out the natural sumptuousness of fresh, summer ingredients sourced from all over Argentina.
We started with Patagonian Shrimp ‘Cocktail’, (pictured below) a really lovely, harmonious cervicé style starter that really stood up for its freshness and delicately balanced dressing. Sweet Patagonian shrimp with raw sliced asparagus, radish, endive, ikura and aguachile verde - an exquisite symphony of light flavours with just a nice hint of aguachile.
Next, Chilled Summer Tomaticán (pictured below). Traditionally, there would be meat in this soup dish, but Chef Nicolas’ interpretation is very much lighter; vine-ripened San Juan province tomato soup with anchovies from the Argentinian sea as well as black olives from Mendoza, kicked up a notch with Burrata cheese and Ciabatta croutons. A perfect chilled dish for hot summer days.
The following dish was quite unexpected. Summer purple artichokes (pictured below) mixed with fava beans and lightly dusted with powdered nduja and delicate parmesan crackers. I’m quite a fan of artichokes but this is my first time trying purple artichokes and it wasn’t what I was expecting in terms of texture. The purple artichokes were slightly chewy and it overwhelmed the whole dish.
Moving on to Poached Black Cod, (pictured below) paired with Salicornia on Torrontes Pil Pil sauce, this is my second favourite dish next to the Patagonian Shrimp Cocktail. This dish draws its inspiration from Chef Soledad’s memory of a fish caught in the pristine, pure waters of Tierra del Fuego (or Fireland) province, where the protected waters from the channel are certified to be the ‘purest water reaching a city in the world’.
She chose cod to replicate the freshness and purity. Black Cod is poached and served with deep-fried zucchini flower, the contrast of the zucchini flower’s crunchiness with the softness of the cod, made for a perfect marriage. The broth made with the skin and bones of the black cod forged with an Argentinian white wine completed this very simple yet sophisticated dish.
No Argentinian meal is complete without beef. And at Fire, 25 day Dry-Aged Devesa Grain-Fed OP Rib ‘on-the-bone’ (pictured above) lusciously rubbed with chimichurri, and served with a side of grilled vegetables and horseradish dressing, seals the deal. Although not super charred on the outside like how Argenitinians would normally serve it, the rib cut was moist on the inside, fatty on the edges and subtly salted so as not to detract you from the natural flavours. Gently grilled over oak and applewood embers, this dish is a must-try for meat lovers.
We end the meal on a sweet note with Caramelised Summer Peaches and Nectarines, (pictured above) served with Yerba Mate infused sorbet, an Argentinian caffeine alternative. A lovely, hearty, grilled dessert that is filling and complete.
The Summer Menu at Fire showcases the ingredients and recipes from all over Argentina and if this is the first attempt by Chef Soledad and Nicola to highlight the bounty that is available, then I think there’s much to look forward to in the future.
Hurry and go check it out, this promotion is only for September! The 6-Course Summer Tasting Menu is priced at $158++ per person, and is available from July 16th until September 2021.
a. 2 Orchard Turn, #55-01 ION Orchard, Singapore 238801
w. https://www.1-atico.sg/fire
