Chef Mel Dean
Discover Chef Mel Dean, the Culinary Director at Permata Singapore. His expertise shines through his dedication to Malay and Nusantara cuisine, bringing to life their vibrant flavors and cultural richness. Experience his culinary artistry and elevate your dining experience with enchanting flavors!
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Berita, Mediacorp
"SINGAPURA: Restoran Permata Singapore bakal menyajikan hidangan-hidangan baru berkonsep nusantara progresif apabila ia dibuka semula pada 8 Disember ini.
Ini bermakna, para pelanggan akan dapat menikmati makanan-makanan asli nusantara tetapi dihidangkan dengan penampilan serba unik lagi moden dan artistik. Salah satu daripadanya adalah makanan Singapura yang hanya boleh dijamu di negara ini saja; iaitu tidak lain dan tidak bukan Mee Wak Katok - mi yang dihidangkan dengan hirisan daging ‘Chateaubriand’ (bahagian batang pinang).
Ini adalah konsep yang diperkenalkan oleh Pengarah Kulinari baru Permata Singapore, iaitu Cef Mel Dean, yang tidak asing lagi dalam kalangan masyarakat tempatan.
Beliau, yang turut terkenal dengan trademark 'Kapowww' itu, mencipta dan menyiapkan menu dengan lebih 40 pilihan makanan.
Semuanya makanan yang dekat dengan hati masyakarat nusantara dan dimartabatkan menerusi cara persembahannya yang lain daripada yang lain. Melihat nama setiap hidangan sahaja sudah boleh dibayangkan betapa ‘cantik’ hidangan yang akan disajikan di meja."
Yahoo News!
"Reopening to the public on 8 December this year, Permata Singapore offers classic Nusantara dishes with a progressive, contemporary twist. Situated in the historic Gedung Kuning (meaning ‘yellow mansion’), take in the grandeur of your surroundings while enjoying vibrant, ethnic flavours from dishes like Nasi Ulam Cakerawala, rice balls with spicy and fragrant sambal bajak, salted fish and rice crackers. You can also try Chef Mel Dean’s modern rendition of Nasi Rawon, the Rawon Risotto, or the Percik Lamb Ribs, made with braised New Zealand lamb ribs to recreate the traditional Ayam Percik.
End off your meal on a sweet note with Cek Mek Molek, a sweet potato dessert that you’ll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in Singapore! The sweet potatoes are fried till golden brown, dusted with icing sugar and crushed almonds, and then finally dipped in espresso caramel before being served with ice-cold vanilla ice cream."
HoneyCombers
"Hot on the heels of its opening, Permata has now moved on from its buffet spread to a progressive Nusantara menu. It’s led by culinary director chef Mel Dean, so you can expect the same lip-smacking Indonesian and Malay fare but with a modern approach.
We started our meal with a trio of ulam rice ball, beef salad and the namesake ceviche. The latter is chef’s take on his late native Sarawakian grandmother’s Umai with an addition of blue pea gel and orange ginger gel. Up next, a plate of rawon, which originates from East Java, served a la risotto with stewed beef, ramen egg, coconut floss, strips of tempeh and a healthy dollop of sambal for some heat. Don’t miss out on the botok botok halibut that’s steamed with a medley of Nusantaran spices like curry paste, chilli, lemongrass and grated coconut. Another highlight? The percik lamb ribs braised for four hours. The result: fall-off-the-bone tender meat. Just take note that Permata officially opens its doors to the public on 8 Dec."
The Strait Times
"Permata, the restaurant occupying the iconic Gedung Kuning or Yellow Mansion in Sultan Gate, reopened last month with a new chef and concept.
It no longer serves a buffet. Instead, chef Mel Dean has come up with a menu of what he calls progressive Nusantara cuisine featuring about 40 dishes from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. What that means is recipes based on traditional dishes but presented in new ways and with different ingredients, borrowing ideas liberally from contemporary Western cooking.
An example is the kerabu daging Sri Mersing ($16), a beef salad that is made with grilled chateaubriand and green mango tossed with ginger flower lime dressing. Then there is rawon risotto ($28), which is beef stew infused with buah keluak and served over creamy risotto rice and topped with a ramen egg.
The rusuk percik ($36) or percik lamb rib is delicious, with the New Zealand lamb ribs braised with chilli, shallot, galangal and lemongrass until tender before being chargrilled.
The chef has also brought back a noodle dish sold here in the 1970s called mee wak katok ($26), but upgraded with slices of chateaubriand and a poached egg.
For dessert, try the cek molek molek ($12), which is a sweet potato doughnut from Kelantan. Here, it is dusted with icing sugar, sprinkled with almond flakes and served with vanilla ice cream. There is also espresso caramel on the side as a dip." Wong Ah Yoke