You've Got A Friend In Me
by CWA (Reuben Oh)
@ 23 Nov 2018
First, it was a factory – now, it is all about friends. The journey in between the choice of restaurant name, to William Seah, is what makes the character of The Wine & Gourmet Friends. It’s a new home brought together by him and a close group of friends: mostly made up by previous employees of the successful Wine & Chef. The interior is simple with no airs about it, save maybe the giant bathalazar (12litre) wine bottle displayed in bacchanalian fashion in its middle. But that, considering William’s history with the beverage, should be a given.
CSW, WSET level 3, French and Australian wine scholar, certified spirits specialist and sake professional – it’s a welcome surprise that the restaurant takes a more personal, humble approach instead of cashing in on William’s many accolades. Appropriately, the restaurant is a tribute to his long, beloved history with alcohol, and proposes a hub of learning for anyone with an open mind. “We don’t just educate the customers, we exchange information,” William says, his characteristic smile running from one cheek to the other, “Here, we grow knowledge, and pass it down.”.
And as education goes, The Wine & Gourmet Friends prices theirs insanely cheap. As I enter their small wine section, my mind goes through all the possible trade-offs – a few bottles of Jacob’s Creek maybe? Another money making scheme pushing towards selling at the highest possible profit margin? With each bottle and price tag I pass, my notions are put down one-by-one, left moping by the glass cellar door. The wines are cheap, cheaper than many; and good. Really, really good.
“We sell at a lower margin,” William explains, “And we source our bottles directlty from the vineyards. Our prices can go as low as $25 a bottle. The most important point of this is that we want to educate our friends.” A large amount of his selection is grown by small boutique wineries, and families – to him, that’s where the real gems are at. “In mass produced wines, a Shiraz might even taste the same as a merlot: there’s no soul. These wines have a story.”
In the kitchen, Chef Wilson Ang serves up comfort food, asian tapas style. To him, that’s taking the food we all love at home and putting his decade of experience cooking in European fine dining restaurants across the country to good use. Think lamb trio, with a spicy dollop of rendang. A slab of foie gras – seared evenly with a buttery, rich inside – perched lavishly on top of lo mai gai cooked to steaming perfection. Lor bak: seafood and pork chunks served up in a greasy, oily savoury roll and cut up to share. It all comes together to serve up a striking complement to great wine and company.
Maybe that’s where William, Wilson, and their group of friends and partners are trying to get at – great company trumps all else. They have set up a joint by friends, for friends, to make more friends; the energy is absolutely palatable, infectious even. “Different groups of people would come in, and because of this environment, people start to talk to each other,” William describes, “They would buy bottles for each other. It is such a beautiful thing – it radiates the philosophy that we want to project.” It’s really hard to argue against any of this. It’s got me thinking: wouldn’t the world be a much better place if we were all to just to sit down – once in a while – with a delicious bottle of wine, hearty bites, and some good, honest company?
