Raise the red Lantern: Hail to Michelin chef Zor Tan

When Joy Wassmer of Solaire asked Zor Tan, a Michelin-starred guest chef from Singapore’s Born resto, to serve a round table of 15 foodies—all gourmands who hunger for good food—it became an early Christmas get-together of 15 Philippine STAR writers. Here, the writers talk about the glorious meal of six courses.

Karla Reyes: Chef Zor Tan, a multi-Michelin-starred chef based in Singapore, showcases his Hokkien heritage and diverse culinary influences by combining his experience in French techniques and Chinese flavors to create his own style of contemporary cuisine. Restaurant Born, chef Zor Tan’s Singapore-based restaurant, signifies his rebirth as a chef, the commencement of his own journey and adventure after being under the tutelage of chef Andre Chiang for 13 years. For the chef, Born also stands for the “Best of right now.” Restaurant Born has been ranked no.25 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2024 and has earned a Michelin star this 2025.

Pam Pastor: Chef Zor Tan’s Born is known for creating thoughtful drinks featuring in-house ferments and special ingredients. His menu at Red Lantern at Solaire—a marriage of Asian flavors and French technique—was complemented by zero-proof beverages, starting with Yuka, a mix of Non 3, pickled ginger, and yamamomo (Chinese bayberry) syrup. “It tastes like champoy!” exclaimed the ladies seated near me. And they’re right, because Chinese bayberry is often used to make champoy. It was our first taste—a sweet, salty, tangy prelude to the artfully arranged kanpachi, ginger, and watermelon radish that kicked off our lunch.

What followed was a lovely selection of non-alcoholic wine alternatives that went well with each dish, all from the aptly named Non, a brand based in Melbourne: the bright and slightly savory Non 3 Toasted Cinnamon & Yuzu; the sweet and salty Non1 Salted Raspberry & Chamomile; and the tart and floral Non5 Lemon Marmalade & Hibiscus. Alcoholic beverages could also be enjoyed with Chef Zor’s food, but I had no need for them—I was already drunk on the great company.

Millie Reyes: My favorite dish was the delicate Kanpachi fish, known as the greater amberjack, found in salt waters and widely used for sashimi. This dish was quite refreshing, served raw, chilled with a watermelon radish and ginger to remove the fishy taste. The complementing non-alcoholic beverage Non 3 made from pickled ginger and Yamamono syrup made from yumberry added a unique and refreshing taste!

Vicky Veloso-Barrera: I thought the opening course, a colorful, understated confluence of freshwater kanpachi, pickled radish shaped into flowers and a frozen pear puree, set the tone for the rest of the meal that became progressively more delicious with every taste.

Lai Reyes: The standout dish of the six-course menu? Chef Zor Tan’s unforgettable Bao/Wagyu/Oyster. Think croquette gone couture: crisp outside, rich Wagyu-oyster filling inside, and topped with a playful pop of caviar. One bite and its brilliance was undeniable—proof that chef Zor Tan’s genius travels well beyond his Michelin-starred home.

Frannie Jacinto: Michelin-recognized chef Zor Tan spoiled us with his signature Bao/Wagyu/Oyster, a beautifully crafted bite that married the silken richness of diced Wagyu with the briny sweetness of fresh oyster. Encased in a perfectly crisp, golden bao and crowned with a generous spoonful of luscious caviar. The dish delivered a luxurious interplay of textures and flavors.

Cheche Moral: From the six-course tasting menu, the standout for me was the reimagined Philippine abalone—a dish Malaysian-born chef Zor Tan considers his own favorite. Inspired by a Sichuan classic, it replaces the monkfish he typically serves at Born, his Singapore restaurant that earned its first Michelin star in 2023. Here, the abalone is char-grilled and beautifully chewy, its ocean sweetness cushioned by the fragrant warmth of fermented capsicum.

Yunnan jade fungus adds a cool, translucent lift, while a silken chicken-fat emulsion threaded with Sichuan peppercorn pulls everything into a quiet, lingering harmony. Tan said that this abalone rendition is especially meaningful to him, transformed from its usual main protein at Born, to give the dish a more expressive, distinctive texture. When asked what he is doing to keep that coveted star, Tan said, “We’re doing what we can do, not only on the same level but on a better level, because you never know when an inspector comes. Everyone has different taste buds—what we do is motivate ourselves to be better, to create something memorable as well.

Lisa Guerrero Nakpil: Clearly, lavishness is out these days and even Zaldy Co looked deservedly shriveled in his non-starter of a tell-all. But if you have a nuanced palate in search of a one-star Michelin menu, then get thee over to chef Zor Tan’s six-course meal. My pick for the most delightful was the Abalone/Chicken Fat/ Jade Fungus. Its name isn’t exactly poetic, but gee, it would make Marie Antoinette change her mind about cake. So let them eat jade fungus, indeed.

Pepper Teehankee: Born has always been on my radar, but I never had the chance to try it in Singapore. It’s totally my type of cuisine—Chef Zor Tan using of French (probably my favorite cuisine) techniques using Chinese ingredients (which I am familiar with growing up with it). His abalone with jade fungus was easily my favorite dish at Red Lantern. I am obsessed with abalone, which he sliced and scored to make it extra tender. He combined it with white jade funqu,s which is low in fat and high in fiber. This fungus (like our “tenga ng daga” or cloud ear) is flavorless but is great for absorbing other flavors—in this case, a rich, thick soup made with flavorful chicken fat. Abalone, jade fungus, and chicken—three ingredients I absolutely love—exceptionally blended in a perfect soup.

Monique Toda: The last time I was in Solaire Resort, I was interviewing Korean superstar Hyun Bin. But this time, the limelight was on Zor Tan. He is not a Korean heartthrob, but a master chef for a 1-Star Michelin Restaurant Born in Singapore. Chef Tan was a guest chef at Red Lantern recently, where he presented a sophisticated lineup of creative dishes for us to try. I really liked many of them, but let me focus on the King Crab with Risotto and Fish Maw. Peeled and shredded crab was mixed with the risotto and its fat. Think “aligue,” and you already know it’s good. Topped and complemented with chewy fish maw and a sprinkling of “chicharon,” the dish was rich in flavor and texture. It was an exemplary course among the other superb dishes. Delicious!

Aa Patawaran: Chef Zor Tan indulged me by replacing the king crab in my risotto with chicken and, instead of abalone, I had fish with crunchy jade fungus and chicken spot. As it turned out, my allergy allowed me to have the latter dish in its original form. “We normally use monkfish at Born, but here at Red Lantern, I wanted the local abalone to be the star of the dish,” said Zor. The monkfish is a favorite at Born, Zor’s ode to his stint in Macau, where the Sichuan specialty “duo jiao yu tou” cast him in its spell. I fell under its spell, too.

Christine Dayrit: Chef Zor Tan blends the finest ingredients with creative touches that bring every dish to life, pairing delicately marbled Wagyu with oysters and mushrooms in a way that feels both luxurious and balanced. Transforming simple dishes into modern haute-cuisine creations, Zor Tan cooks with emotion, precision, and intention. Every plate at his Michelin-starred restaurant Born feels like a soulful chapter of his story, where nostalgia and innovation meet seamlessly.

Igan D’bayan: Chefs are artists at heart, really. Mere mortals like us rarely imagine that a slice of wagyu, mingling with a silky French onion Soubise and a few tender frills of maitake mushroom, could taste this heavenly. Sitting at Red Lantern in Solaire with friends and colleagues from The STAR, that very idea buzzed inside my skull. A few ingredients, when handled by the right hands, can feel like a small revelation; like giving Matisse tubes of primary colors for him to conjure something revelatory. I am exaggerating, of course. But when you’re chewing on finely prepared wagyu, listening to people whom you’ve missed in this direst of timelines peppered with trolls and ogres, you savor the moment. And the meat that comes with it.

Scott Garceau: Nobody talked about the dessert yet. We were served Chef Tan’s signature dish—sweet potato, sea salt ice cream with oolong tea sauce—along with cups of Oolong Chantilly tea. Such a satisfying blend of sweet and salty, the sweet potato purée topped with a sweet potato crisp, reminding us of the earlier umami flavors we had enjoyed. Underneath it all, a toasty river of oolong adds extra layers of mouthfeel. Not the standout of this six-course meal, but a kind of epilogue that brought us back to the smart pairings that came before it.