Chef Jason Tan is well known in the industry for his love of plateware, a love affair that has lasted 15 years and counting. It is his passionate hobby, one that has seen him amass a personal collection of over 500 mostly unique pieces, which he often brings to the restaurants he works at (as was the case at the one-Michelin-star Corner House). At Euphoria, which he co-founded with business partner and fiancee Arissa Wang, the couple are known as Mr and Mrs Onion, a nod to Jason’s love for the onion. His signature dishes are based on his gastro-botanica philosophy, the essence of carefully sourced vegetables, meat and seafood.

“Of course, many chefs can find beautiful plateware off the rack, and work with them really well,” muses Jason. “But I enjoy the creative process of customising pieces that are one-off. Arissa and I dined extensively around the world (pre-pandemic), and you do notice when you get the same pieces. This made us even more determined to customise ours.”

Plateware trends have shifted from the stark white formal chinaware of the past to more natural textures and stoneware, he observes. It is clear that white plates are not his style, so Jason has cheekily adopted some for Euphoria – but not the typical ones, of course. His carefully chosen modern versions play with both matte and shiny textures, and often boast botanical shapes – like that of leaves or, of course, onions.

“Ultimately, plateware should be part of the experience to make you feel welcomed and comfortable in a restaurant,” Jason declares. If you’ve ever cut into your food a little too hard and made an embarrassing clatter on a hard plate in the hushed atmosphere of a fine dining restaurant, you will know what he means. That’s why he picks plates with the right texture, so that you can eat comfortably off them. “Euphoria isn’t just for foodies. We have guests who save up for a special occasion, perhaps visiting once a year, and we want everyone to have an exceptional dining experience from start to end.”