FLNT @1-Atico is all about Nikkei cuisine, a mash-up of Peruvian ingredients prepared with Japanese techniques. Nikkei traditionally refers to Japanese people living out of Japan but it’s increasingly mentioned in relation to dining as Nikkei cuisine.
It was my hubby’s birthday, and we decided on FLNT for dinner. FLNT bills itself as Singapore’s “sole Nikkei-influenced sumiyaki Bar and Grill in town” and it shows.
To go with our sundowner aperitif, we snacked on the Sakura Kakiage ($15) – a mountain of teriyaki-glazed crispy onion and beetroot and shrimp.
I couldn’t help but order the Foie Gras Taco ($12/pc), which is dressed with a rococo-spiced yoghurt. Fair warning though, while the single bite was enjoyable, the portion is teeny.
Next up, Inka warm sushi. We chose the Seared Salmon and the Scraped Fatty Tuna ($16 each). These were power-packed tastiness, with the chef’s creative usage of unusual combinations such as aji amarillo (a chilli pepper, staple ingredient in Peruvian dishes) adding punch to the rice balls.
Grill Goodness at FLNT:
We then had the Grilled Squid ($22) which was served with a niboshi pesto, essentially made of small, dried shrimp. Overall, it was a good dish, and the squid was done just right.
Now, lamb, to me, is always a tricky thing to order. Either they come too skinny or too fatty. Here, at FLNT, a gorgeous, plump, shiny, grilled Lamb Rack ($59) arrived and it were definitely a highlight.
The marinade of the red pepper garlic sauce was so unctuous that the accompany kimizu (egg yolk and rice vinegar) dip was redundant. Altogether, a worthy dish.
At first glance, the only two choices available for dessert appeared rather uninspiring (a parfait and an ice cream) but instead of heading elsewhere, we decided to enjoy the sky-high ambience further, so we ordered one of each.
Turned out to be a good choice as they were not just a parfait and an ice cream.
For the chocolate lover in me, I was delighted with the dark chocolate Santarem parfait ($14) that had bits of nori sea salt rice puffs – I love smooth, creamy desserts so this was super.
Hubby’s Shiso Ice Cream ($15) with macha crush bits was also a lovely, bright way to end our meal.
Something to be said about the view:
After days of heavy thunderstorms, we were lucky that it was clear skies that evening and we got to enjoy a beautiful sunset on my husband’s birthday, all the way from the 55th level of ION Orchard.
Speaking of views, something to note – during the reservation and confirmation process which was all done via text messages, I was informed that to secure a window seat, a Non-Refundable deposit of $220++ per person needed to be paid in full upfront. In this time and day of Covid-19, I guess I wasn’t comfortable with these terms so I didn’t pay to secure a window-side table.
But lucky for us, we did end up with a good table at FLNT, perhaps they did note that we were celebrating a special occasion after all.
FLNT @ 1-Atico:
Address: Level 55, ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801
Contact: +65 6970 2037, reservation@flnt.sg
Website: https://www.1-atico.sg/flnt
Opening Hours:
Lunch:12:00PM – 2:00PM
Dinner: 6:00PM – 10:30PM