Change is the only constant. Andrew Walsh knows it’s the only way to survive in the stormy F&B industry. Throughout his career, the culinary veteran has worked alongside famous chefs at many Michelin-starred restaurants. He also led Esquina to acclaim as Singapore’s top modern Spanish tapas spot.
Not one to rest on his laurels, he launched Cure, his Nua Irish restaurant in 2015. Since then, he has established four additional restaurants under Cure Concepts, including Butcher Boy, an Asian-inspired bar and grill, and Bao Boy, an East-meets-West diner and bar serving bao burgers.
Taking his vision beyond Singapore’s shores, Walsh launched Ember Beach Club, a partnership with One&Only Desaru, Malaysia, in 2020. Soon after, in March the same year, he introduced his concept, Catfish. The contemporary fish grill and raw bar serves seafood-centric dishes highlighting excellent Asian ingredients.
Walsh’s latest project is the reinvention of Club Street. It offers grilled staples and pasta dishes to complement its extensive wine list. In this interview, he talks about the challenges he faced during the industry’s downturn, how he’s pivoting, and his next steps.
Besides being a chef-owner, you are also a culinary director for luxury lifestyle properties. How do you juggle your time with all your responsibilities and what does a typical day look like?
I surround myself with great staff, especially my core team. They work hard for me, and I work hard for them, so it’s a balanced equation. I like to get up before 7am with a strong cup of coffee and catch up on some emails. After that, I run, have another coffee, and meditate. Then I begin my day with team meetings, tasting new dishes, and the lunch service. I head to Cure for the dinner service and visit the other venues afterwards. Then it’s home, sleep, and repeat.
How did your childhood in Breaffy near County Mayo, Ireland, influence your culinary sensibilities?
Growing up in the Irish countryside was amazing. The life was simple but you worked hard for it. There was no feeling of entitlement. I worked the land as a kid, from turning turf to baling hay and other farm jobs. It gave me a great appreciation for the land and nature and the gifts they bring us.
Why did you decide to reinvent Club Street to 87 Club Street Pasta & Grill? What was the process of transformation like and what sort of dining experiences can visitors expect?
We opened just after the final lockdown. In that period, we over-contrived the style of the venue and over-thought it as a wine bar. The dining scene and economy have changed since then. We are firmly back to our roots in a great neighbourhood, serving affordable comfort pasta and grill dishes prepared with care, using ingredients we care about. Oh, and a superb wine and beverage programme.
What’s your favourite dish on the new menu at 87 Club Street?
The Paccheri Alla Vodka. I love pasta and sharing food and this ticks both boxes. Vikern Chua, our head chef, is fantastic and he specialises in pasta.
What are your favourite ingredients?
Good Irish butter, especially Kerrygold. Whether spread over a simple scone or bagel in the morning, or used to baste a delicate piece of fish in a pan with some lemon juice and thyme, it’s amazing.
So far, what has been the biggest challenge in your career?
The rising costs of running a restaurant, including rent, water, electricity, and labour. While the pandemic is long gone, it hasn’t been easy for the F&B industry because of the slow economy, GST increases, and inflation. Furthermore, I would argue that there are not enough skilled people interested to work in the hospitality field.
What’s next for you?
I am fully focused on our exciting new menu at 87 Club Street Pasta Bar and Grill. Our general manager Myra Buccat, who helped me open Esquina 12 years ago, will be welcoming guests with amazing hospitality and great wine recommendations.
As for Cure, we celebrated our ninth anniversary last month. Nine chefs who worked with me at Cure in the past and present have returned to showcase a dish we’ve worked on together on the menu.
The alumni included Lewis Barker from Sommer, Kevin Wong from Seroja, Melvin Chou from Terra, Ryan Newman from Le Bon Funk, Maksym Chukanov from Qin, Stefan Liau from Hevel, and Aiken Low, who’s currently at Cure, along with my head chef Gary Wong.
We have a few other projects in the works, but you’ll have to wait and see.
