Residing in Goodwood Park Hotel idles a one Michelin starred powerhouse Alma by Juan Amador. The three Michelin starred chef Juan Amador opened Alma back in June 2015. Currently helmed by Executive Chef Haikal Johari, Alma offers a 3 course lunch menu, and a 6 to 8 course degustation dinner menu at different price points.

Homemade Bread

Your meal begins on a fantastic note with home made potato bread with crushed coffee beans that is lush and dense, topped with roasted oatmeal crumble, sitting beautifully on a bed of heated coffee beans to keep the bread warm, served in a specially made wooden box for Alma by Juan Amador. A selection of bite size snacks follows of which a crowd favourite is certainly the frozen cantaloupe dusted with lime leaf powder perched on cleaned branches and a sturdy wood log.

Snacks

Along with his trove of skills and past experiences at other Michelin starred restaurants, Chef Haikal adds a touch of Asian flavors to the menu. Even though Alma, which is Spanish for “soul”, is a Spanish restaurant, there is a hint of eastern influences within the cuisine. The dishes showcases a play between hot and cold as well as sweet and sour, all balanced extremely well and pleasing for all palates.

Just next to the entrance of the hotel, Alma features an outdoor bar area, while the main dining room is indoors. The place gives off a warm vibe due to the yellowish hue from the lightings, as well as the bright orange seats. Coupled with luxurious white table cloth, the ambiance is that of fine dining, yet it is welcoming, and one will not feel overly pressured in the establishment. Gorgeous paintings around the restaurant depicts various wild pigeons based on a book Birds Of America.

Starting off the gastronomic experience with the Green Asparagus with lemon and vin jaune, the first impression comes as the colors green and off white appears strongly on the plate. The elegant Sicilan green asparagus lays beautifully with green asparagus puree, complete with veal sweetbread. The delightful taste of the dish comes as no surprise as Chef Haikal combines the various components perfectly, featuring the best seasonal produce available at any one point of time. This appetizer can definitely fulfill its destiny of leaving guests wanting more.

The main event of the course comes in the form of the rib-cage and loin of the beast, quite literally. Pork done in two ways seared loin and barbecue ribs glazed with Korean chilli paste plated like how Picasso would approve if he had seen it. Imported from Kagoshima, a prefecture in Japan known for its tender pork full of flavours. Accompanying the protagonist comes dates consume, pickled onions and garlic puree.

Finishing the journey with a zing, refreshing and light Manjari 64% dessert completed the course. Milk meringue, pear, chocolate mousse, pickled parsley and passion fruit sauce. The play with textures is the perfect way to bid goodbye to yet another culinary adventure.

At Alma, there is a wide and exclusive wine list available for guests. Within the list indicates “WA” points,which are points representing ratings from Wine Advocate that will help guests in selecting their pairing alongside their meals. Nevertheless, Chef Haikal continually brings out the best of Spanish European dishes with an Asian touch. Constantly changing the degustation menu every now and then and never failing to leave a delightful surprise for his guests at the end of the course.