Cool weather and golden leaves signal autumn and bountiful harvests. Some of the most exciting ingredients make their return at this time: some bursting onto stage – or plates – with so much fanfare that it feels like there should be drums playing; others quietly, elegantly catching your eye and palate with depth and power.
Here we introduce some of our favourite flavours and the restaurants where they can be tasted in all their seasonal glory.
PS: Full press kits can be accessed through the first mention of each brand.
KATSUO
Most people know katsuo, or skipjack tuna, is valued in Japan as the most foundational ingredient of dashi and the indispensable flavour component to a box of octopus – but there’s more to it than that. In Japan, katsuo is acknowledged as coming into season twice; and autumn’s modori-katsuo offers fattier, more tender flesh for a rich buttery and deeply savoury flavour. The fish requires careful handling to preserve its taste and texture.
Freshly fished Modori Katsuo from Fukuoka Fish Market - Image Credit Ocean Providence Facebook
In its Autumn Shiki Omakase (available now until 20 Dec), Fat Cow serves this fatty, umami Katsuo gently smoked for an extra rich flavour, then pairs it with finely shredded myoga (Japanese ginger flower) and a touch of mustard for balance. Best of all, the Autumn Shiki Menu is available for both lunch (10 courses at $88++ per person) and dinner (from 10 courses for $98++ per person).
L-R: Katsuo from the Autumn Shiki Menu by Fat Cow; Chef Shu holding his autumn ingredients in Loca Niru
Contemporary innovative restaurant Loca Niru offers a playful take in its 8-course Autumn Menu ($298++ per person; available until 16 December 2026), presenting smoked Modori Katsuo two ways: delicate sashimi-style with skin lightly torched, and as a rich tartare balanced with green apple and young ginger pickle atop lacto-fermented green tomato and a creamy savoury quenelle of Fourme d’Ambert blue cheese ice cream.
MATSUTAKE
Matsutake, especially hand-foraged Japanese matsutake, is one of the most expensive mushrooms in the world; its price on the same level and sometimes outstripping even truffle itself. Besides its potent, spicy, earthy pine-like fragrance and springy bite, it’s also prized for its extreme scarcity. They’re impossible to cultivate artificially as attested by numerous attempts in Japan and internationally; yet they spoil within a mere 3 to 5 days – losing aroma, texture and flavour quicker than Max Verstappen’s race in the SGP 2026.
Freshly picked matsutake - Image Credit Wabi-Sabi Shop
Renowned as the pioneers of Chūka Szechwan Ryori which seamlessly brings together the intense punchy flavours of Sichuan cuisine with refined Japanese sensibilities, Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro shows that they also know how to delicately handle the most fragile of premium ingredients with its Matsutake in Superior Broth – available to be savoured only through their luxurious Chef’s Table Autumn Menu ($288++ per person). The seven-course experience is served exclusively in the intimate Chef’s Table Room, which accommodates up to 8 guests, until 30 November 2026.
L-R: Matsutake in Superior Broth from Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro, Matsutake in Yunnan Spiced Hanwoo from ASIN
Progressive Asian restaurant ASIN makes a bolder play with their Yunnan Spiced Hanwoo (available as a $55++ supplement to their White Harvest menu) – pairing multiple super flavourful and super premium ingredients together into an unforgettable dish. Freshly shaved matsutake lends its distinctive fragrance and depth to charcoal-grilled, richly marbled Hanwoo ribs seasoned with airflown Yunnan spices and black cardamom while slow-simmered Hanwoo brisket – glazed with a fermented beancurd sauce and finished with a ginger crisp – is served with a rich, deep matsutake-infused sauce.
PUMPKIN
Autumn doesn’t feel complete without pumpkin: the association is so deeply embedded that autumn is often jokingly referred to as “pumpkin season”. It’s precisely because of this ubiquity that pumpkin’s popularity as a culinary ingredient still peaks during autumn even though we can now get all kinds of varietals all year round.
Pumpkins Image Credit bbc.co.uk
And it’s precisely because of this ubiquity that diners appreciate even more deeply when pumpkin is thoughtfully, expertly prepared to bring out its deepest flavours – smooth, earthy, rich.
Contemporary French fine-dining restaurant JAG brings pumpkin to the forefront in their autumn menu – juxtaposing different varietals such as kuri and kabocha through multiple textures. The richness of binchotan-finished Bresse pigeon, served here as a garnish, adds even more texture and a smokey depth reminiscent of autumn bonfires (available now until end December on their autumn Grand Dinner Tasting Menu [$328++ per person] as the 5thcourse).
L-R: Interiors of Restaurant JAG and Altro Zafferano
Contemporary Italian restaurant Altro Zafferano offers a different perspective to the autumnal icon in their starter Fegato d’Anatra, Croccante di Nocciole, Zucca e Balsamico al Lambrusco. It pairs the sweet smooth mildness of pumpkin with the buttery richness of pan-seared foie gras, then adds texture and an edge to the flavours with caramelised hazelnuts and aged balsamic vinegar from Lambrusco.
We may not feel autumn’s arrival in Singapore, but we can certainly taste it!
ADDRESSES
- Altro Zafferano: Ocean Financial Centre, Level 43, Singapore 049315
- ASIN: 38 Carpenter St, #01-01, Singapore 059917
- Fat Cow: Camden Medical Centre, #01-01/02, Singapore 248649
- Loca Niru: House of Tan Yeok Nee, #02-01, Singapore 238466
- Restaurant JAG: 41 Robertson Quay, #02-02 STPI, Singapore 238236
- Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro: Hilton Singapore Orchard, Level 35, Singapore 238867
