Firstly, it was an experience that I will never forget. From start to finish. All 4.5 hours of it.
Let me start by giving you a bit of background about the restaurant itself before I get into the food. I have a few favourite restaurants and bars around the Bukit Pasoh area and André has been on my "must visit" list for quite a while now. The building is a three-storey heritage shop house which was built around 1930. The experience is very intimate as the restaurant only seats 30 people every day. The third floor, where we enjoyed our dinner, only has five tables of two. Quaint.
André is a showcase of amazing talent from Chef André Chiang.
"Born in Taiwan, André Chiang started his culinary career at the age of 15, moved to the south of France to be trained under Jacques and Lauren t Pourcel at Le Jardin de Sans-Montpellier, where he started his culinary journey. Nine years later, he became head chef of the 3 stars Michelin restaurant. André also worked under Frnace's most respected chefs such as Pascal Barbot, Pierre Gagnaire, Joë Robuchon and Michel Troigros. At the age of 30, André decided to travel back to Asia and rediscover his Asian roots, bringing his natural-born-talent, profound French techniques and Mediterranean influences to Singapore, and immediately became one of the most influential chefs in Asia. Multi-lingual André is also a sculptor and ceramicist and his creations are part of the décor and service at Restaurant André."
Apart from the food, one of the highlights of the evening was the standard of service. The waiting staff are extremely well presented and attentive. They know the menu inside out, are extremely passionate for the food and really do take the experience of the restaurant to another level. Chef André should be very proud of his staff! They certainly have been trained well!
The menu revolves around the restaurant's overall philosophy "Octaphilosophy". A creative process that brings to life eight important words. Unique, Pure, Texture, Memory, Salt, South, Artisan, and Terroir. Each dish that you are served is brought to life through these words. A complete expression of Chiangs creativity.
We opted to pair our menu. All of the wines served are chemical-free and the fun part of the pairing means that the sommelier doesn't tell you what the wine is until after you have sampled and finished the course. One thing that I was really taken by was the presentation of the wine menu. In the form of a "journal".
The menu starts with a number of delicious snacks...
Black cherry capsule with sea coral and balsamic
Wild mushroom paste tart with baby names mushrooms dusted with coriander
Sweet green peas, sea urchin and tarragon
Burnt cauliflower masala
Charcoal dough fritter served on a bed of real charcoal with dipping sauce of piquillo and anaebi (sweet shrimp)
Burnt aubergine, burnt miso and burnt butter chips
Sea garden on a rock. Not everything was edible. Only the abalone and abalone liver on a kombu crisp and prawn head tempura
This was all before we even started the main menu. A fantastic combination of snacks that set the scene for what is about to come. Everything is beautifully presented and our tastebuds are ready for more!
TEXTURE
Soft, crusty, hard, porous, slimy, dense, elastic... layers of texture composed as a symphony, with the complexity of rhythm, loudness, silence... A delicious sensory experience.
Smoked swordfish, cucumber, millefuielle and chrysanthemum jelly
PURE
Beauty is in anything and everything. Truth is in simplicity. Allow an ingredient to unfold and evolve to its full potential without being altered. To release its honest flavour, aroma and texture. Let everything be untouched.
Crab ravioli, pear ice and leek water
ARTISAN
Practitioners of the art of cultivation deserve to be celebrated. Artisans carry history on their shoulders by passionately dedicating their lives to the craft of taking a simple ingredient and turning it into gold.
A festival of vegetables with striped mackerel with fermented broth as a finishing touch
SOUTH
Inhale the perfume of sun-drenched olive trees and ripe tomatoes. The air vibrates from joie de vivre. This is South of France, the region that generously invites the adventurous colourful spirit, we call life.
Scallop lasagne, aubergine and watercress foam
SALT
Sal-vation, sal-ary, sal-ad. Salt is not only the key to life, it also preserve, has been used as currency, keeps away daemons and makes food taste delicious. Salt is sea, civilised and essential.
Squid pasta and potato purée in kelp jus with barley and puffed grains
MEMORY
You are your memory. Memories are your best reference and your best friend. A memory can be revitilised and updated for as long as you live. Use your memories to enhance your practice of hedonism.
Chef Andrés memory. Foie gras jelly with black truffle coulis
Chef André created this dish 19 years ago, and it is a constant on the menu
TERROIR
The characteristics of a specific time and place, tradition and culture, geography and climate - incarnated into the ever-present origin
Saga beef baked in a soil bed of coffee beans and cache nibs
UNIQUE
Explore an ingredient with curiosity. Forget about habitual rules. Dare to challenge the imagination.
Before visiting I had always been told that André was Singapore's best restaurant. After our experience there is absolutely no way that I can disagree! The photos don't really do the experience justice. You'd really have to try it for yourself. I really is deserving of it's two Michelin stars.
It won't be a cheap dinner. $350++ (not including the wine pairing) which consists off 9 pre-starters, 8 main courses, several pre-desserts and additional petite-fours.
There are more images on Instagram. Please follow karen_exploredreamdiscover to see more.
Restaurant André
41 Bukit Passoh Road, Singapore 089855
reserve@restaurantandre.com
To learn more about Restaurant André visit the website http://restaurantandre.com
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