Jean-Georges

(10 November 2010) For Dad's fifties-something last year, we were both in New York settling me into school. So it became a perfect occasion to kickstart our virgin Michelin experience (:

We did lunch at Jean-Georges, the 3 michelin-starred restaurant where my pastry idol Johnny Iuzinni (author of Dessert Foreplay, head judge of Top Chef Desserts) thrives. Excitement pumped in me, it felt like Charlie walking into Wonka's chocolate factory for the first time...

the elegant dining room

Butter & Salt

Bread roll

Every segment from seating, to menu introduction, to order-taking, to ensuring bread on the table.... was properly fulfilled off the checklist. I won't use the word impeccable for service (it lacked genuine affability), but it certainly didn't stain the meal. It can't. 


The Prix Fixe Lunch menu offers 2-courses for US$36 (supplements apply), with dessert at an additional US$8. 

Amuse Bouche

We started off with some mind-blowing Amuse Bouche. Proceeding from mild to not: a shot of cream of celeriac, marinated hamachi sashimi strips, and a unexpectedly good goat cheese and black truffle fritter. 

Foie Gras Brulee 
Dried sour cherries l Candied Pistachios l White Port Gelee

Scallops

Caramelized cauliflower l Caper-raisin emulsion

Roasted Cod

 Glazed carrots l Clementine condiment l Dill

Slow-baked Salmon

 Black truffle crumbs l Silky & crispy pasnip

Dad did Foie-Salmon, while I seafood-ed my courses with Scallop-Cod combination. Out of our 4 dishes, his slow-baked salmon entree outshone.

We all know salmon is delicious. But you'll know a level of elevated salmon deliciousness once you take a morsel of this. Salmon perfection. Crackling skin. Truffle-crusted goodness. More truffle fragrance. I stole a bite...another... and another... then exclaimed, "Damn i should have ordered this!" 

Late Harvest

Warm sweet potato cake l Cranberry honey compote l Roasted pumpkin icecream l Crystallized sage l Salted pumpkin seeds

Apple

Spiced cake l Granny smith sorbet l Chartreuse compressed fennel l Crispy salted fronds l Dates l Hazelnut

I have to salute Chef Iuzinni for his brilliant idea-cells, to take plated desserts to such sophistication. His style shouts a modern, original, asian-y character... but taste-wise they swerved below my mighty high anticipation. Don't get me wrong. They were really good (i loved the roasted pumpkin icecream with crystallized sage), they were novel, but they lacked a touch of magic. Perhaps the dinner versions are the real deals.

Petit Fours
Raspberry macarons l Vanilla bean marshmallows l Pralines

fluffy, bean-speckled marshmallows... i like.

We'd imagined ourselves being impressed, and we were. From a fine executive lunch we could say JG is indeed a deserving michelin-rated restaurant. Their stars are safely padded.

Jean-Georges
1 Central Park West
New York, NY 10023
(212)299-3900
Jean-Georges website

The French Kitchen

After Saint Pierre, instincts led me to visit TFK for their 3-course lunch deal ($36++) next.

One block apart, Emmanuel Stroobant's two french assets is differentiated by a stark factor: Hospitality. The feeling of being welcomed from the chef himself- it's one clear pivotal edge over their pretentious neighbor. I’ll raise both hands for an affable chef!

bread & condiments

Also appealing is Chef Jean-Charles Dubois' approach to food. He gives classic french titles his personal Dubois-tweak, then execute them with attested care. Traditional essences are retained even after his novel strokes, & you can always trust to get a thoughtful surprise or two.

Our lunch's raisin & brown bread slices didn't just arrive with plain-jane butter... Instead we had piped French butter with a ramekin of pink salmon rilettes. Fishy as it may be, those fragrant olive toppings were a huge lifting factor.

Amuse Bouche: Egg cream

The amuse bouche was one of those unpretentious-seeming thing that *BOOM* explodes unexpected pleasure in the mouth. I spooned out puffy eggy mousse, already piquantly seasoned yet further perked by olives & a parmesan crisp. Homemade brioche by the side. oh i think i sniffed some truffle oil too!

Never belittle what can emerge from cutie eggshells.

Bisque de Homard

Moments later he proved that signatures ain't signatures for nothing.

I have to say TFK serves up the best, if not one of the best Lobster Bisque i've had. The splendid garden of pastel orange housed a pair of meaty tiger prawn tempuras and brilliantly correlating leek custard pudding. Every drop of the steamy hot soup was visually & gastronomically accomplished! *slurpsss.

Cabillaud

Elaine can never see the word Cod & not order it.

Cabillaud is prepared classic french; primarily salt-seasoned. The flaky oleaginous piece was endowed with salted brown crust, alongside dashes of artichoke puree and skillfully hand-cut potato crisps. A huge pity the scant splat of bouillabaise emulsion was insufficient to moisten the fish, making it badly dry.

Mental note: Loving all cods but Miso Cod definitely tops the satisfaction-o-meter.

Kurobuta Pork Loin

Dad met his lucky day when the server introduced an alternative Kurobuta Pork Loin as Day's special. I knew he's bound to have it. On his plate laid a beautifully browned loin paired with brown sauce and truffle mash, once again overly salt-adorned.

Dark Chocolate Creme Brulee

Here's the signature Dark Chocolate Creme Brulee dessert. Pairing icecream with creme brulee sounds like a rare recruitment but when the vanilla icecream melts into the fluidy dark chocolate custard, whatsoever weirdness is wiped out by the black-&-white blend.

Who would defy a marriage of premium chocolate & quality vanilla?

Sabayon au Champagne

Champagne Sabayon with forest berry icecream was another worthy mention... An egg custard dashed with champagne, embedding bite-sized pear marmalade & berry chunks. It may be slightly off-putting for yolk-shunners, but the addition of fruits and berrylicious icecream are 2 reasons to scoop up.

Chef Jean-Charles Dubois is made of sugar, spice & everything nice..

May cupid be with TFK always.

The French Kitchen

7 Magazine Road

#01-03 Central Mall

Singapore 059572

6438 1823

Saint Pierre

Tracking Saint Pierre's lunch series is as challenging as following scenes from Fast & Furious. Their lunch menu changes so frequently (weekly?) that it is almost impossible to encore any favourite dishes.

What makes the chase worthwhile, is the disposition of Chef Paul Froggart's brain-childs. He's a natural when it comes to food-play, meddling with shapes, colours & textures to create interesting compilations. He makes dishes fun and entertaining. To bonus that, i caught glimpses of Emmanuel Stroobant and Paul Froggart in person... ooh charmings!

Bakes clearly weren't their forte. Both the sun-dried tomato roll and baguette stirred no commotion, merely carbs to kill waiting time.

Anything cooked detaches from that fate.

The kitchen shows how an uncomplicated Mushroom Cappuccino amuse can convey reassuring flavors and be a foamy joy to bottoms up... Cheers to my funghi-ccino.

Appetizers took another step up. There's no doubt to how Saint Pierre's Confit of Ocean Trout can become elaine-pleasing material. A semi-translucent, delicate babe was aptly jazzed with herbed breadcrumbs. And everything else from the greenish quenelles, citrus compote to zesty sauce did complementary favors to it.

Swallowed every flake in im-loving-it conviction.

And even as the lunch menu blows around, 3 permanent residents stay for good. One of them is the signature Pan-fried Foie Gras which the restaurant totally prides on. They ought to.

I brightened up after a bite of creamy liver cellulite sealed under perfectly crisped crust. The skin is so well seared, it feels like a wrapper in the works. Froggart's touch is shown through tiny granny smith apple globulars, in both raw & caramelised forms to provide a play of textures. Who cares about the $8 top-up when foie gras is done so skilfully delicious!

all my fave fishes deserves 2 shots hehe

My mind was long set on having mainstay #2: White Miso Black Cod. But perhaps because i'm more etched towards the heavily miso-ed japanese cod, i thought their cod tasted kinda... weak. The miso flavor was almost indiscernible and i would have preferred stronger seasonings to justify it as a miso cod.

The other fish dish on the menu was a Flash-fried Tuna Steak, slightly asian-inclined paired with sauteed bak choy. Flash-frying gives it its unmistakable outer brown jacket and maintains the fish's rawish centre. Dad likes his tuna done this way.

Grandma Stroobant's Gateau au Chocolat with yoghurt espuma a.k.a mainstay #3, was another joy to speak of. It is a moist, densely knitted square that proved chocolately just right... you won't need extra fudge or chocolate toppings, nor complain of cocoa cloyingness from it. It's delish the way it is.

Berries stunned me with an out-of-the-ordinary appearance. First i popped soft sweeties of torched baby meringue kisses like swallowing the clouds in the sky, then went on to the baked papa meringue kisses & mama meringue sticks... surprisingly without signs of meringue overdose. Now that's the hallmark of good meringue.

There's a whole bunch of places offering competively-priced set lunches nowadays, but only the ones rendering true value & quality warrants revisit. It needs to possess a combination of exciting the eyes, tastebuds & emotions; be senses-evoking and perpetuate unpredictability. Saint Pierre clearly fits as one of them.

Update: SP has recently upped its lunch prices, from $38++ previously to $48++ for 3 courses now. Whoa a whole $10 hike!

Saint Pierre

3 Magazine Road

#01-01 Central Mall

6438 0887

Les Artistes Bistrot

French cuisine is scaling my charts. Even without Italian's itch-hooking charms, I take jollies in dismantling those precise elements and witnessing how they click into masterpieces. The French have perfectionism in their blood, hard not to idolize.

One of dad's latest gesture was to date me for lunch at arty modern Les Artistes Bistrot, which sat mere metres away from its parent Nicholas Le Restaurant. A 3-course set lunch at $34++ offered upstanding seafood & meat options accounting for value.

Was this an amuse bouche? Well if it was.... then i certainly would have expected more complexity. Little Sesame & Parmesan puffs are too cute and tacky for credit.

Their bread belonged to the rustic bracket; slightly caramel-hued slices hinting of rye and sourdough origins.

Menu read Lobster Bisque & blue prawn ravioli. One ungarnished, bubble-crowned mug first arrived... conquered by dad before i could even say l-o-b-s-t-e-r-b-i-s-q-u-e.

"So how was the ravioli?"

"huh?"

"the blue prawn raviolis... nice?"

"huh? there's nothing inside."

Great. Dad swallowed an entire bowl of Lobster Bisque without raviolis, and had to start all over again when a replacement arrived lol. Thankfully (or not) their soup was considerably watered down, more like lobster broth than a cream-stiffened bisque. No crustacean chunks unearthed from it either.

Lesson learnt: Always check for raviolis your soup before you zoom.

My appetizer was a Marinated Tasmanian Ocean Trout "Gravelax', lemon, kaffir lime and coriander, crispy crouton. Frankly speaking none of those bling blings came through. The trout was civilly natured- smooth and sparing on sodium, with three dill cream lashes forming the solitary flavor.

The Cod Fish 'Cote D'Azur style' on the other hand, was discernibly tasty. A well-seasoned medallion seared on both sides to form darling golden surfaces, placed over milky saffron froth. It worked great with the fish.

Should any of your prime choices be unavailable, the kitchen would offer alternative suggestions. Dad took on the Seared Beef Tenderloin with simple jus & fresh rosemary to make up for his coveted Kurobuta Pork Cheeks.

Our sides came in mini cast-iron pots, logically useful for heat conservation. One was fine tagliolini tossed with bacon and seductive butter action. The other a baffling ratatouille doused in strong indian spices.... completely unanticipated of french execution.

If not for Apple Tarte's hideous mono-color palette, she's one glitter babe. They cropped the apple into half & no more than that to prevent withering, then paired it with cinnamon cream and a saccharine pool.

I'm usually in favor of ending the meal with citrus acidity so i picked the Lemon Sorbet, sesame langue de chats. Man they went a little sugar overboard. The 2 lemony balls needed better sugar:acid balance.

I had two virtuous dishes of oily fish yay. Lunch on the whole wasn't disgruntling but didn't rock any mania. Do hope the kitchen is more mindful after that accidental ravioli carelessness...

Les Artistes Bistrot

13 Keong Saik Road

6224 1505

Au Jardin Les Amis

Indeed Au Jardin (french for "in the garden") is impeccable.

I was unreservedly fond of my dinner at the Les Amis establishment. Contemporary gastronomic french cuisine overseen by debonair waitstaffs, amidst the pristine settings of Botanic Gardens. Au Jardin triumphs with its unique location and promising conduct.

Dinner here is a straightforward affair. The menu only grants a 6-course Degustation or a 4-course Table d'Hote (which we did), fully ample of lavish ingredients. Chef Galvin Lim's style is characterized by light sauces and delicate flavours which functions remarkably well.

Fancy crackling on Seaweed Crisps dusted in specks of black. Moderately seasoned, lightly tickling without the nastiness of salt rocks. These beguiled me more than 53's vinegar chips.

Of Walnut roll, Foccacia and Baguette offered, i declared love for...Walnut! A dainty quenelle of thin conforming crust, breaking into chockfull of wholegrain innards. Foccacia performed with clever onion inclusions.

Prawn & Basil Papillote, apple jelly, salmon roe, citrus foam

I love it when Amuse Bouches display meticulous thought. Here's the systematic approach: one. Bite into the golden-brown roll enveloping fresh prawn & basil leaf, no excess grease squirmed. two. Sense extraordinarily light foam vanishing from your tongue within moments, leaving an intriguing mist of citrus. three. Jumble up the salmon roe & fibrous granny smith jelly. Witness the waltz.

This amuse bouche amused.

Alaskan King Crab carpaccio, french caviar, white miso, pepper kinome, oxalis

A beautiful carpaccio of Alaskan King crab stoned beneath graceful caviar clods and edible petals. Olive oil summed up bulk of its seasoning, though i felt an extra squeeze of lemon would better nick the fishiness.

Maine lobster, orange vanilla, herbs salad

Nothing beats the perfect marriage of luscious Maine Lobster flesh ornated in orange vanilla sauce for me. The translucent sauce was studded with real vanilla beans... citrusy inviting, splendid and very delightful. This collates two of my magnificent faves into one brilliant picture. 100% love.

roasted duck liver, candied crushed almonds, nudja chilli

Apart from the instrumental fats of Roasted Foie Gras, my partner was in especial awe of the nudja chilli touches in the sauce. Tiny bits of candied crushed almonds enhanced texture.

abalone sous vide, algae brown butter

Despite feeble tackles on leathery abalone's chewing demands, i seeked algae brown butter sauce for solace.

Grilled Japanese Wagyu Striploin, sweet corn, pearl onion, australian winter truffle

He claimed he had better than this mollifying portion of grilled japanese Wagyu Striploin, sweetcorn and onions. But who would refuse generous shavings of aussie Winter Truffles?

officially unwrapping my en papillote...

Flounder fillet, alaskan king crab, mushrooms, leeks, Iberian ham, "En Papillote"

Here's my flounder fish parcel, topped with alaskan crab claw & iberian ham. Cooking "en papillote" (in parchment paper) retains the fish oils and juices, nicely steeping the fish moist and blotted. The crab was clearly underseasoned but juliennes of fine iberian ham made up for it.

Had it been a snowywhite cod sitting in that packet, i'll be doubly pleased.

A platter of Les Mignardises dribbled in before desserts. Madeleines with humps, caneles, chocolate and caramel nut lollis. Almost as enticing as a kid's playground.

Apple tartin 'New Version'

Oh how gorgeously browned, caramelized apple slices sitting atop frangipane pastry, served with vanilla icecream & aloe vera cubes. We won't deny.

Red Plum chilled soup, vanilla icecream

Then a chilled Red Plum Soup primed bliss. A fruit soup isn't most reflective of my dessert preference but i'm thankful i took the plunge. Every spoonful of this pink pool was appetizing and revitalizing. Once the puffed vanilla icecream steadily melts in... you get a creamy depth oh-so-divine.

I never scraped up a soup so clean.

Leaving the colonial retreat was like a sad, sad farewell. I enjoyed the entire Au Jardin experience, with lotsa adoration.

Au Jardin Les Amis

1 Cluny Road

EJH Corner House

Singapore Botanic Garden Visitors Centre

6466 8812