Be Bold, Be Daring - Supperclub is a unique dining concept that needs to be experienced rather than described. At this club / bar / restaurant, freedom is the key word. And if you're a fan of supperclub, the Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur branches are NOT related in anyway to the mothership that hails from The Netherlands. This is the real deal.

More than just dining at a swish, cavernous club... diners can expect to be assaulted in every sensory way. The swish establishment provides oversized beds where one can lie down or sink into the giant white cushions provided for back support. The concept here is to provide a five-course dinner interspersed with music, theatrical performances or artistic skits. After the sumptuous repast, local and international DJs will churn out their tunes to get the crowd going. Supperclub Singapore comprises of Salle Neige - the club's signature dining room housing two floors of beds in the purest white to welcome revellers and diners; while Le Bar Rouge boasts crimson interiors and ruby-tainted windows, featuring an island bar at its core where delish cocktails are dished out to clubbers as they sip and view the city life below; La Chambre Privee is a mysterious and sexy, private dining room flaunting deep, royal purple interiors and four gargantuan mobile beds that can be moved away to reveal a dance floor; and lastly, Le Fumoir is supperclub's smoking room where the interior has been designed to look like you're in a pack of cigarettes, and it integrates three enormous ash trays on display.

But the task to offer a cuisine that is unconventional but tasty fell into the hands of Ulpho van der Zalm - the executive chef at globally acclaimed restaurant supperclub Singapore. Ulpho graduated from the prestigious Hotel and Management school Haaglanden in The Hague, Netherlands and was immediately offered a position at Michelin-star restaurant Seinpost, in the Dutch coastal city of Scheveningen, where he honed his skills for cuisine that centered on seafood.

Ulpho's career really took off when he was transferred to one of the first fusion restaurants in The Hague, It Rains Fishes, where he worked closely with Chinese chef James Ho. It was then that Ulpho's love for Asian cuisine torched his passion. He incorporated Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian elements into his cuisine, and when the opportunity to work in supperclub Singapore arrived, Ulpho could not refuse it.

Best Restaurants Guide Singapore catches up with Ulpho to understand what keeps him inspired to create innovative dishes. After all, the menu at supperclub changes every week. 

Age: 32

Country of origin: The Netherlands

Number of years of experience: 15 years

Biggest chef challenge: Starting a new concept, in a new country, with a new team; definitely the biggest challenge I had in my career so far.

Favourite cuisine and why: Asian cuisine because it is a new culinary voyage for me to discover. This voyage allows me to discover new techniques and ingredients, where I learn and discover how to create new dishes and new combinations of textures and flavours. 

Favourite destination and why: It has to be Peru because it has everything: culture, nature, excellent food, inspiring spices and flavours and beautiful people.

Favourite ingredient and why: Fish is a product that you can use in so many different ways. There are for example 13 cooking techniques, and all of them can be used with fish. Meat though, is more limited in cooking styles.

Most understated ingredient in the kitchen: Parsnip because of its outspoken taste and it's cheap! I also like to use it as the base of a dish instead of the finishing. It is great with fish or meat, too. 

Favourite style of cooking and why: Modern cooking techniques are interesting in terms of its innovation and refinement. This cooking technique and its industry rides on trends that are progressive and challenging. 

How do you find Singapore so far?

I love it! It is a challenge, and that is exactly what I was looking for. People are nice and the environment gives me inspiration to create new dishes.

What is your favourite Singapore dish?

That's hard to pin point as Singapore offers a wide array of cuisines from a multitude of cultures. As I have only been in Singapore for a couple of months, I have yet to try every classic Singapore dish. But what I love to eat is everything that has shrimps in it. Give me a dish with shrimps and I'm sated!

Share with us the cuisine at supperclub, what is it like and how do you create it for locals (are you mindful of local culture?)

Supperclub aims to serve a dinner experience unknown to the Singapore market, using products from North Africa, South America and Southern Europe. It's a mixture of different cuisines that incorporates as much local produce as possible. You could say in a nutshell that it is international cuisine with an Asian twist. 

Does the weather affect the cuisine you serve and if so, why?

Yes, it affects the taste. The hotter it gets, the sweeter the food needs to be for diners. This is because people tend to eat less salt here. So it affects the cuisine as well.

What Asian ingredients do you use in your kitchen?

I use every conceivable local fruit, spices, vegetable or ingredient.

Share with us how you would spend a typical weekend in Singapore.

I think I work too hard at supperclub, and if I'm not working, I love to try other restaurants and venues here.

What have you tried that is weird and wonderful in Singapore?

Honestly, hawker centres offer some of the most fascinating dishes I have tried and the food can be so exquisite, superb and unexpected!

What do you not like about Singapore culture?

As real Dutch, I am used to being direct and straightforward. People here are not like that and that is something I have to get used to.

How do you think Singapore can improve service standards in restaurants?

I think we need a mentality change to improve the service standards, both from staff and guests. Staff need to be proactive and show initiative to improve themselves and for the restaurant. On the other hand, guests need to give their honest opinion about their experience, rather than sweeping it under the carpet. In this way we can improve the service standards in restaurants.

Supperclub

Odeon Towers

331 North Bridge Road

Tel: +65 6334 4080

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