Portland’s formidable charms don’t otherwise compel restaurateurs to bring luxe into our dining world. Instead we have some of the most well-designed but down-to-earth restaurants in the country, the kind that earn James Beard awards and accolades in the national media regularly. They are the kind that highlight our prowess as practitioners of the much vaunted vanities of farm-to-table.
That all changes, however, when you enter the überstylish digs of the Danforth Inn and have reserved to dine at its restaurant, Tempo Dulu. And of all the times I’ve been to this marvelous retreat to relish the haute cuisine of Southeast Asia that’s prepared by executive chef Lawrence Klang, his team pulled out all the stops for the special Singapore Sling dinner that occurred last Friday and Saturday nights.
Clockwise: guest convene in the main salon; advertising honcho, Brenda Garrand; diners at the bar; the gracious gallery and part of the trio in charge (r.to l.) Alfie Mossadeg, Raymond Brunyanszki and Trevin Hutchins
In response, Portlanders (mostly pre-millennials) put on their best after-six frocks to convene in the most seriously soigné dining room in our go-getting city. This time Klang shared his impeccable kitchen with visiting chef Alfie Mossadega from Singapore. He’s a top chef of the region and one of the culinary gurus with whom Klang mentored to immerse himself into the complexities of Southeast Asian cooking before opening Tempo Dulu. What came off last weekend was not just another dinner of fine dishes but, rather, a total environment of luxurious and glorious dining that doesn’t happen too often elsewhere in the city.
The dinner was to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Singapore Sling, the drink that was created at the behest of the Raffles Hotel in Singapore circa 1915. Tempo Dulu’s incredibly talented mixologist Trevin Hutchins prepared the cocktail to perfection. It’s a very sweet drink not unlike a fizzy punch. His exacting formula was 1 ½ ounces Damrak Gin, ½ ounce Cherry Heering, ¼ ounce Benedictine, ¼ ounce Cointreau, ½ ounce lime juice, 2 ounces pineapple juice, dash Angostura and a splash of house-made grenadine.
The beautifully adorned dining rooms at Tempo Dulu
You really can’t begin to describe dining at Tempo Dulu without including Hutchins’ momentous cocktails that pair with the wonderful food served here. He, along with sommelier Micah Wells who hails from the Danforth’s sister hotel, The Camden Harbour Inn, and its acclaimed restaurant, Natalie’s, conspire to fill a lineup of talent that is superb. It’s all commandeered and conceived by hoteliers Oscar Verest and Raymond Brunyanszki whose European sense of self and style are so exacting.
In my July 1 review of the restaurant shortly after it opened, I said, in part, “It’s a combination of the exotic blending of cuisine—Indonesian—taking place in an abundantly gorgeous setting that make the distinctive shoals of fine dining so singularly superb here. The principal rooms where cocktails are served shimmer like gold dust so worldly it could host aspiring escorts on the arms of dowagers in diamonds.”
The dinner at $96 a head plus wine or cocktail pairing’s surcharges was an extravagant gala of food and wine that chef Mossadega pulled off flawlessly.
Trio of beef, chicken and fish sate
Of the five courses, some were fairly spicy hot, but this was heat well worth wriggling your nose over. The purities of sumptuousness were in fine fettle as we progressed from a first course of a mix of beef, chicken and fish sate in a spicy peanut sauce and the Balinese relish, sambal Matah.
The glorious tempura of soft shell crabs followed, with Asian salad served with Singapore chili crab sauce and the most buttery garlic crouton.
Tempura of soft-shell crabs
An intermediate course featured an equisite wanton-style soup of shrimp dumplings floating in a shimmering chicken consommé.
Shrimp dumplings in chicken consomme
And finally a delicate crowning of steamed chicken thighs with sesame pilaf rice served with Asian condiments was the concluding course.
Steamed chicken thighs
The dessert was a light and refreshing black glutinous rice pudding served with green tea ice cream, the tastes and textures beautifully mated.
Black glutinous rice pudding with green tea ice cream
However fine this dinner was I pondered how well the restaurant’s regular menu compared to this special dinner. Klang has achieved comparable star status as a master of Indonesian cooking and I, for one, am grateful that he’s in our midst so we can enjoy it whenever we want.
Tempo Dulu at the Danforth Inn, 163 Danforth St., Portland, ME 207-879-8755 www.tempodulu.restaurant
Rating: Singapore Sling Dinner 5 Stars; Regular Menu at Tempo Dulu: 5 stars
Ambiance: totally cool and elegant
Tables: extremely spacious and comfortable seating
Service: impeccable
Parking: onsite and off-street
Bar: Full bar
$$$: Very expensive; several menus–prix fixe 3 course, $67; Indonesian Rijsttafel, $87 and Lobster tasting, $98. On average, about $125 to $250 per person depending on menu and extras
