A night of culinary bliss at NMACC Arts Cafe

 Inside the luxe, 12-seater private dining room inside the NMACC Arts Cafe, complete with a live kitchen, chef Attila Havas dazzled us with a pre-set four-course sumptuous menu. A prolific, Oslo-born private chef specialising in Japanese fusion and Pan-Asian contemporary cuisine, Attila maintains that cooking to him is his "way of expressing sensations, happiness and creativity."

On a Friday night in March, he helmed the kitchen, with an infectious energy that was palpable throughout. The pre-set, cohesive and alchemically rich menu seemed to be a translation of all of the influences Havas had experienced as a 'private chef,' including as a Sous chef at the world-renowned Nobu, by the legendary Nobu Matsuhisa, among others.

Starting off with avocado-based crisp rice cakes dipped in Citrus Ponzu sauce, I was treated to a feast that amused, delighted and inspired me to explore the corners of my appetite I didn't know I had. And as a great accompaniment, my mojito went beautifully with every single serving.

We started off with a positively zingy, roasted cauliflower avocado Jalapeno Salsa. It was the perfect start with a heady sour and salty mix of sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic and chiles, and was so relishing and punchy, that I piled up the dish on my plate and gobbled it all up in under two minutes. This was followed by baby spinach salad with yuzu, truffle, dry miso, and parmesan cheese finished with diced red pepper, an instant reminder of the 'Nobu' experience. This is food that doesn't just please, it woos as if it's going out of its way to meet you where you are before it leads you somewhere else.

The chef shattered expectations with every chance he got—he took spicy Tuna Tartare and combined it with butter-toasted Shoku bread, which is the Japanese version of soft, milk bread and garnishing it with pickles he turned it into a fantastic appetizer. It arrived innovatively plated, sharpened with citrus and softened with Wasabi Mayo, and I felt compelled to roll in the mouth for some more time so as to let the flavors do the magic.

Havas's playfulness and drive make even the simplest dishes remarkable. Take the Tomato ceviche for example. In simple terms, it really is nothing more than a variety of tomatoes—red, yellow and green— marinated in an acidic dressing. But he makes it so good that you want a second serving already. What became a bit bothersome to me and which I had to eventually give up trying, was to have the ginger-garlic Bok Choy with the fork, without putting in a great deal of effort. However, by the end of it, despite all the effort I was unable to savour its juices without dipping my fingers in it. For mains, Havas offered Tofu glazed in garlic and soy, but my favourite was the Hispi cabbage—seared cabbage with frizzled and crispy outer leaves and smoky flavor, garnished with Miso butter and Parmesan crumbs.

An hour into dining, the ambiance is a mood-lifter; brightened up by the accompanying live music, a mix of both, English and Bollywood of the yesteryears, playing outside in the double-height cafe, as we indulged into a rich conversation in the comfort of our private dining area, a sophisticated, chic room, illuminated at night to a golden glow.

The desserts kept the buoyant energy flowing; we had Matcha, a gorgeous dark green lava lighter than butter cake and more tender than sponge cake paired with almond crumble. Like the rest of the menu, Havas's desserts are smartly conceived, beautifully plated and delightfully sumptuous. The second dessert to arrive was the Miso chocolate cappuccino Vanilla ice cream and coffee foam wherein the good white miso had a mellow, gently sweet and deeply savory flavor with a high, coffee-bean aroma. All of this took us well past midnight, and we left as happy, well-fed guests. Do hop in, to enjoy Havas's warm hospitality as he continues to serve at the NMACC Arts Cafe from March end right through April 13.