Autumn’s bounty brings a celebration of seasonal flavours. 5 chefs share their favourite autumn ingredients and how they use them in their cooking. From the earthy salsify, bitter Tartary buckwheat noodle to fresh ikura and sanma (Pacific saury), as well as the delicate taste of morels, discover what inspires these chefs and how they like to incorporate autumn’s rich flavours into their dishes.
RESIDENT CHEF DENIS LUCCHI, BUONA TERRA 
“My favourite autumn ingredient is the salsify. It has an earthy taste and subtle sweetness that complements hearty autumn dishes. I appreciate its unique bitterness and its versatility in pairing with other flavours. Personally, I like to pair it with coffee because I think it’s an amazing combination. On our menu, you can find salsify featured in our Veal Sweetbread dish with coffee and hazelnuts, prepared in three distinct ways: slow-cooked, as well as a smoked purée and crispy chips.”
HEAD CHEF SHINGO IIJIMA, FAT COW
“Tartary buckwheat noodle is a seasonal ingredient I really enjoy using. I like it due to its bitterness and I think it is interesting to have it paired with other food. The Tartary buckwheat noodle is characterised by its high content of rutin and its slightly bitter taste, and I am passionate about incorporating bitterness into my cooking to express complex flavours. I use it in our Autumn Chef’s Table Omakase Tetsu Menu, where guests can enjoy the harmony of the bitterness of Tartary soba, the sweetness of sea urchin, the umami and saltiness of dried mullet roe, and the flavour of bonito in the soba broth and Wagyu beef (arima-ni).”
CHEF AKANE ENO, ICHIGO ICHIE
“While ikura is available throughout the year, the shin ikura (fresh ikura) you get in autumn has a distinctive texture and flavour that really sets it apart. I love to use shin ikura by serving it simply as part of a sashimi dish or alongside rice. On our menu, it’s featured in the White Trout with Fresh Ikura dish. Its delicate taste and texture shine through when prepared with minimal fuss, allowing the ingredient’s natural qualities to be the star of the dish.”
CHEF OWNER JAVIER LOW, IRU DEN
“My favourite autumn ingredient is sanma (Pacific saury). It was one of the first few fish I learned to process, and I remember the constant struggles and the sense of accomplishment as I gradually mastered it. Sanma reminds me of autumn and the bustling peak period in restaurants. Its strong flavours and beautiful fat content make it perfect for our Sanma Claypot Rice. Sanma is known for having many bones, and it's often served with rice, bones and all. However, we take the time to painstakingly remove the bones, then cure and dry age it for two days. I lightly grill it over charcoal before finishing it off in the claypot, allowing the fat to drip into the rice, adding a rich depth of flavour to the dish.”
CHEF FOUNDER LOUIS HAN, NAE:UM
“I love using morels in the autumn season. Morels are versatile, pretty, and have a unique earthy taste and springy texture! These mushrooms can be prepared in different ways like stir-frying, deep-frying, simmering, and many more. At NAE:UM, morels are featured in our Gwanja Deopbap dish which represents a refined quintessential Korean-Chinese rice course. Korean short-grain rice is cooked with sauteed ginger, garlic, scallions and dashi in a traditional Korean cast iron ‘sot’ pot. Then, the ambrosial rice is topped with pan-seared Hokkaido scallops, grilled morels and asparagus, and an umami-laden mushroom tea gravy is poured over the tableside to be mixed into deliciousness together with the rice, deep-fried garlic, more ginger, shallots, and spring onions. Served alongside are a trio of banchan: green chilli salsa, fermented minari (Korean water parsley), and our signature house-made ‘baek’ (white kimchi) further enriched with a light marination of sesame oil, vinegar and sugar.”
Buona Terra: 29 Scotts Rd, 228224
Fat Cow: 1 Orchard Blvd, #01-01/02 Camden Medical Centre, 248649
Ichigo Ichie: 442 Orchard Rd, #01-16/17 Claymore Connect, 238879
Iru Den: 27 Scotts Rd, 228222
NAE:UM: 161 Telok Ayer St, 068615
