RESTAURANT ANDRÉ...

Whilst eating at french Restaurant André I ran through in my mind how I could possibly bring to life in this blog how outstanding the restaurant is. It's going to be a hard task! 

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

NEW YEAR...

Well to say I enjoyed 2016 would be an exaggeration. It wasn't the best year for me. There were some epic low lights. The dread "D" words. Divorce. Dengue. Death. The latter two I have already captured in previous posts. The first I'm not going to dwell on.

There were some very lovely highlights though. In February, not only did Glassick Brands become jkr (a very big career highlight for me!) but I was lucky enough to have a visit from my brother who really perked me up. We took ourselves off to Bali for some much needed rest and relaxation. In March/April I was lucky enough to visit my whole family in Wales, and witness our friends Katie and Chris getting married. Later in April I enjoyed another fantastic trip to Bali with the Lawrence clan, and whether or not it was a Bali mossie that gave me dengue (we'll never know!) it was still a very memorable trip!

During my recovery months I had great company in Danielle, who was a fantastic support for me after my parents left. Hopefully she enjoyed her time in Asia. We managed to pull off a family holiday to Dubai in September, which despite being extremely hot, was also extremely enjoyable. Not many people get to travel with work, especially to be taken away on holiday, so I was really pleased that our annual company trip in November took us to Phuket. Again, a very memorable trip. And I'm pleased to say the year has ended on a massive high. I have just spent the most amazing two weeks in the UK surrounded by the most wonderful people. I started my trip with a visit to my uncle John Williams. Not many people know that I loved with John and his partner Darren when I first graduated. I was welcomed back into their home and even though I had done the whole Christmas tree and trimmings in Singapore, it really didn't start to feel like Christmas until I was curled up on the sofa in front of the wood burning fire watching Strictly Come Dancing and eating home made lasagna. What a start to the Christmas festivities. 

I took a trip into London, meeting up with a collection of friends from all chapters of life. A really nice mix of university friends, work colleagues and of course a few of the Singapore lot! It was a great chance for me to meet Amanda's new boyfriend Matt and to catch up with Simon from university over a delicious roast lunch at The Wilmington. I highly recommend it! Just look at the size of that Yorkshire pudding! 

The Wilmington is located in Clerkenwell, London. For more information visit the website here http://www.wilmingtonclerkenwell.com

After a great start to the trip I was on the road and heading for Wales. Being at home with mum, dad and Chris is priceless. I literally love home time. We had a great Christmas day. Mum and I cooked up a feast whilst Chris and Dad enjoyed the beer and wine. We all had "elf" t-shirts and jumpers! Total cheese-fest but exactly what I needed to perk up the end of the year. 

If there is one thing that I wish I could have brought with me to Singapore (apart from my family of course) it would have been this group of girls...

I miss them immensely! They are the greatest bunch of girl friends anyone could wish for and they mean the world to me. Although there are a few missing from this scenario, we had a great catchup over coffee and literally talked the day away. Beth is now a mum of three, and I finally got to meet baby Imogen. I wanted to steal her! 

I knew I didn't really fancy staying in at home on New Years Eve and wanted to do something special to thank mum, dad and Chris for their never ending love and support, so I booked a cottage in the countryside for New Year. I've had some pretty special new years over the years, in various locations throughout Asia. But this year was one I will never forget. Our cottage in Cattistock was just perfect! Our first night was spent with our feet up in front of the fire. The weather as we arrived at the cottage was really foggy and mysterious.

"Cattistock is a village and civil parish in west Dorset, England, sited in the upper reaches of the Frome Valley, 8 miles (13 km) northwest of the county town Dorchester. The Dorset poet William Barnes called it "elbow-streeted Cattstock", a comment on the less-than-linear village street. In the 2011 census the parish had a population of 509."

Church Cottage was booked through Mulberry Cottages. I think I randomly stumbled upon them whilst trying to locate a cottage in Dorset. I have always wanted to visit the Jurassic Coastline where Broadchurch was filmed! I highly recommend them if you are planning a retreat in the UK. The service was outstanding and the portfolio of properties is extremely vast. You can see more from them at their website https://www.mulberrycottages.com

New Years Eve morning, we took a drive to Weymouth to visit the Lawrence clan. Martin and Cline spent New Year in Australia, so we passed on some hugs from them both. It was a glorious day and we spent some time walking along the sea front, the quay and of course around the shops! Another piece of the British coastline ticked off! 

New Years Eve evening we were in for a treat! As a break from cooking for mum, I had arranged for Brown Goose Caterers to join us at the cottage and cook our NYE meal for us. One word. Outstanding. 

To read more about Brown Goose or to contact Rob (Chef) and his wife Polly visit their website here http://www.brown-goose.co.uk

TO BEGIN Cream of Wild Mushroom

TO START 

Smoked West Country Venison, Cranberry Chutney and Roquette Salad

MAIN

Sirloin of Dorset Beef, Sauté Potatoes, Confit Shallots and Red Wine Jus served with Roasted Heritage Beetroot and Carrot, Braised Red Cabbage, Sauté Broccoli and Green Beans

IN BETWEEN

Raspberry and Tarragon Sorbet with Limoncello Jelly

DESSERT

Yoghurt and Vanilla Panna Cotta with Poached Blueberries and Orange Salad

CHEESE COURSE

Dorset Blue Vinny, Somerset Brie, West Country Cheddar with Port Jelly and Grape Chutney

TO FINISH

Tea/Coffee and Petit Fours

Look at these guys. The best parents and best brother I could ever imagine! I'm determined to have a better year this year. The end of 2016 has set me up for a positive start and I hope this continues! I have so many things already in the diary. They mostly revolve around friends getting married. March will see me visit the UK again for Betsy and James' wedding in Taplow. I'm very honoured to be bridesmaid. The second wedding of the year will be in South Africa. Sarah and Aaron will tie the knot in Franschhoek, near Cape Town. And the third will be Martin and Cline's wedding in New York. Other trips include a birthday weekend away to Sydney to visit Stephanie, who I am sad to say will leave Singapore in April. And based on this Christmas, I will 100% be heading back to Wales for Christmas 2017!! Fun times ahead! 

BRACI...

This is my seventh year in Singapore, and Jill, who I lived with for the first two years, and I are still very good friends. Jill is now married! We take the time for dinner, as much as we can, once a month and try new places. 

Our most recent discovery was Braci on Boat Quay. I small piece of Italian heaven hidden away. What a gem! Brace translates to "ember" - and a lot of the food on the menu is cooked by charcoal.

Despite it being an average Monday evening, we decided to go for the five course Epicurean surprise menu! It was a great way to sample all of the chefs top dishes! 

The restaurant has a nice ambience. It's relatively small and only sits 16 people. It has an open kitchen so you can really experience the kitchen first hand. Our table could only have been 3 foot away from the action!

There is a great rooftop bar with views over the river and the Old Parliament House. Fantastic cocktails with fantastic friends!

To read more about Braci visit the website http://www.braci.sg

ARTEMIS...

Stephanie and I really enjoying new places, and we recently went for dinner at Artemis. Artemis is on the 40th floor of the new CapitaGreen building in the heart of the CBD. The view is incredible! And the food is just as good! Chef Fernando Arevalo, who trained under Mario Batali and at a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York really shows off what he is capable of here!

The restaurant itself is elegantly design and the bar is home to a 100 year-old olive tree that serves as a centrepiece! I'll definitely be back.

Our dishes included:

MEY SELECTION GRESS-FED BLACK ANGUS TENDERLOIN

Dry-Aged, Potato Purée, Caramelised Pearl Onions, Red Wine Jus

CHARGRILLED SPANSIH OCTOPUS

Confit Cheery Tomato, Preserved Lemon, Pickled Padron Peppers

FOUR MUSHROOM PIE

Cremini, King Oyster, Button & Shiitake Mushroom, Taleggio & Brie

ARTEMIS CRUSHED POTATO WEDGES

with N'duja Crème Fraiche

Too read more about Artemis visit the website http://artemisgrill.com.sg

OCEAN RESTAURANT BY CAT CORA...

I'm really lucky to have recently been to dinner at Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora, at Resorts World Sentosa. The restaurant itself is located inside the S.E.A Aquarium where you literally sit next to the glass panel of the tank and discover more than 100,000 marine animals. It is an amazing sensorial experience. It is also a very memorable dining experience. It certainly is enthralling as you sit enjoying your dinner in front of the panoramic tank. 

The restaurant serves Mediterranean-Californian fusion with a distinct Asian twist. The seafood is sustainably-sourced and echoes the Aquariums belief in conservation. They really do care for our oceans and marine life. To learn more about the conservation you can visit the website here http://www.rwsentosa.com/language/en-US/Homepage/Attractions/Conservation

We started the meal off with some small nibbles and bread, before getting stuck into the main courses...

The first of which, Harmony of Sea Life, is so beautifully presented. The shell contains a combination of different seafood and roe. Which of course means a combination of tastes. Herby, minty and refreshing all in one. 

The Sous Vide Scottish Salmon was divine! Each piece was so well presented! This raw salmon was cured in salt and sugar and drizzled with cauliflower milk. There was a subtle hint of horseradish to finish it off. 

I know not many people are fans of this dish, but this Crispy Brick Duck Foie Gras did not disappoint. The topping consisted of ginger candy, cocoa nibs and puffed buckwheat. So delicious! 

The next course Lobster milk, consisted of a lobster wanton swimming in a delicious soup with coriander and mentaiko.

New Zealand Sustainable Fresh Cod Fish with mash...yummy! It does feel rather funny eating so many fish whilst sat in front of so many fish swimming around. Although, I can't complain, this dish was one of my favourites. 

By this point I was starting to get quite full. However, they did save one of the best dishes to last. The Braised-Seared Beef Short Rib and Charred Grilled Wagyu Primecuts were so succulent. I wasn't quite sure how I would be able to fit anymore food in. Until they brought us our dessert...

Finsihing with Chocolate Ends, a greek yoghurt and mango base, with a cocoa nib tuile and topped with tarragon gelato. Such a contrast of flavours, but they worked so well together! By this point, I was well and truly stuffed! 

You don't have to love marine life to love this experience. Everyone who knows me, knows that I'm not the best when it comes to the water and exploring the ocean. But this can be enjoyed by anyone! The glass panels are mesmerising. It's great fun to try and guess what all the animals are... and there are so many to keep you occupied throughout your dinner.

SO SAD TO SAY GOODBYE...

...to our amazing, courageous friend Sarah who passed away in July. Sarah had put up the most outstanding fight against the horrific disease that is cancer. Cancer … I hate you. I hate how you have effected so many people around me over the years.

Because Sarah had so many friends scattered all over the glove, she documented her journey in this extremely well written blog:

https://sarahsjourney.wordpress.com

 

Her husband Dan, is currently raising money for Cancer Council NSW. He is doing an outstanding job, by challenging himself to run 1000km this year, with nearly $16,000 raised to date. To sponsor him follow this link:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/1000km2016challenge

Sarah and Dan were two of the first people I met when I first moved to Singapore. They became the foundations of my Singapore story and I will always remember how friendly and welcoming she was. Sarah was a very dear friend to everyone whilst her and Dan were living in Asia, and she continued to be so, even though she was I Australia and I hadn’t seen her for a while.

Dan's words in the final chapter could not be more true:

"Sarah never regretted anything, she lived her life to the full, always doing what made her, and others happy. She was dedicated to her friends and family, and not a single person could have asked for more from her."

Sarah had an incredibly loving heart. Her support and love for me towards the start of this year (despite everything she was going through) will stick with me forever. I will never forget her and we will continue to remember her and every single laugh, smile and memory she gave us.

To raise money, I orgainsed a Bake Off in work, which was a great success. I was so happy that every donated and we raised over $400, which I personally doubled in order to be able to give the Radford Bunting family $850 towards Sarah’s fund. 

We celebrated Sarah’s life with a stunning memorial in Sydney, held at one of Sarah’s favourite places, Balmoral Beach. I can’t quite get my head around how someone so young with so much of their life to live has been snatched away like this. But what I do know is that Sarah will never every be forgotten.

NAMNAM AND COMNAM...

“NamNam Noodle Bar was founded by Director and Owner Chef Nam through his love for cooking and exceptional culinary skills. Born in Vietnam, Nam fled to Denmark with his family in 1979 when Vietnam fell to the communists. Though he had only spent 7 years of his childhood in Saigon, his parents took every effort to ensure that he kept to his Vietnamese traditions and culture. Instilled with Vietnamese pride, Nam embarked on a culinary expedition around the world. He has worked in various award-winning restaurants and hotels – such as the one Michelin star Le Canard Oslo and the prestigious Sukhothai Bangkok, where he took the reins as Executive Chef. Despite his travels and exposure to various cuisines, Nam returned to his roots and finally opened NamNam Noodle Bar on 15 October 2012. The casual quick-service noodle bar took 5 years of careful planning before making its maiden debut in the bustling Raffles City Shopping Centre. NamNam is now one of the most popular Vietnamese restaurants in Singapore, serving up a variety of noodles, including Vietnam’s famous pho, as well as savoury baguettes known as banh mi. Based on old-world recipes with a modern twist, NamNam’s food transports diners to the vibrant streets of Vietnam.”

Now that we have moved offices there is so much variety of food about! My two new favourite places are NamNam and ComNam in Raffles City basement. ComNam is the younger sibling of NamNam. It offers a myriad of dishes from Northern, Central and Southern Vietnam, served with a modern twist.

The photos speak volumes! Such delicious food! This is definitely one to take Mum and Dad to next time the visit!

THE DREADED DENGUE...

Wow. What a year this has been. In May I was struck down with the dreaded Dengue. I had managed to get away with nearly 6 years in Singapore without catching it, but now I’ve had it, I know for sure that I don’t ever want it again!

I’ve had a lot of people ask me what Dengue Fever is. Well, my personal experience wasn’t exactly textbook. I fell ill on a Friday night after spending a day feeling really well at a photoshoot. After finishing work, I realised I had a really bad headache, which I put down to the studio lights and tiredness as I was also suffering with Bronchitis at the time. I had an early night and took myself off to bed to rest. Throughout the night the fever kicked in and by the early hours of the morning, the bone breaking symptoms had developed. I found it hard to even put my feet on the ground or flush the toilet. I was weak and my headache had worsened.

As I lay in bed worried about what it could possibly be, I remembered Betsy telling me about her Dengue experience a few years back and realised that I was feeling the same as what she had described. I managed to wait until 7am to phone her to ask what I should do. I knew what she was about to say. Head straight to the hospital.

I’m really lucky to have such great friends in Singapore, as I had no clue how bad things would get, and without them I would have really struggled. Betsy and James met me at the hospital where I was questioned by the triage nurse. He told me Dengue takes three days to incubate and I would have to return in three days’ time for a blood test. Thankfully, Betsy wasn’t having any of it, and demanded they test me there and then. So they did! On returning to Betsy and James’ flat that afternoon I received a call from the hospital to say I had tested positive for dengue and that all I could do was to drink plenty of fluids, take Paracetemol for the pain and rest.

So I did. As best I could when your body is extremely uncomfortable and any which way you lie or sit, you are in constant pain. The headache persisted as did the fever. I was well looked after. But couldn’t eat anything. I had zero appetite, and realized that I actually hadn’t eaten since Friday lunchtime. My body was getting really tired and I had very little energy.

Monday morning came, and not to worry Betsy and James I sent them off to work. But little did they know, I had worsened through the night and was actually struggling to stand up straight or walk to the bathroom. My vision was blurry and my balance was terrible. So, I text Sarah and asked her if she would collect me and help me back to hospital. I really didn’t want to burden Betsy and James any more than I already had.

When I arrived at hospital I could barely stand up. I collapsed into a wheelchair, and was rushed into triage, this time taken straight through to the doctor who admitted me and put me straight onto a drip to try and rehydrate me. Despite drinking what felt like liters of fluid over the previous three days, my body just wasn’t hydrated enough. A few hours later, attached to a drip and monitor I was all settled in my own (very nice) private room.

A few hours later, I discovered that my parents were on a plane heading to look after me. I had told them I was ok, and being the independent person that I am, I didn’t want to worry them. But as soon as I knew they were on their way I felt so relieved that I would have them by my side. I have no words to describe how grateful I am to them for doing this.

Throughout my stay, I was being monitored closely to check my platelet count. A normal count is 150,000, and mine was dropping every few hours. The lowest it got was 47,000 which explains why I felt so horrific. If is had dropped below 40,000 they would have had to consider blood transfusion. Of course, I had managed to catch a very severe strain of Dengue! Those bloody mossies!

Because my platelets were so low, I was advised not to brush my teeth. Yuck! 7 days without brushing my teeth. Rancid! And unfortunately, as my blood thinned so much I started to bleed (which was possibly the scariest part for me!). I was so incredibly weak and struggled to get out of bed to use the bathroom. I spent the next week in hospital with constant monitoring of my platelets. Every few hours, even through the night when I was trying to get sleep they were jabbing me with the needle to take blood.

I still hadn’t eaten. A whole 7 days without any food whatsoever. I don’t know why this is, but every time I smelt food, it made me nauseas and on several occasions I started to vomit uncontrollably, despite there being absolutely nothing in my stomach! Even after I got discharged I still couldn’t eat. It was only after 13 days that my mum was able to get me to eat an apple. The road to recovery was about to begin and I was so glad that I had my folks there to help me. 

I managed to get home to bed, and stayed there for the best part of three weeks. Each day I would try and spend some time on the sofa, but the sickness and the lack of energy soon put me back to bed. Some days I was sleeping 13 hours straight.

All this time, my mum and dad never left my side. Constantly making sure I was comfy, that I had enough to drink and ensuring that I took all the medication that the hospital had provided me with. They stayed with me for the best part of three weeks. It was a tough road to recovery as I was very unsteady on my feet, and couldn’t walk very far. Even getting from the bed to the sofa was an effort. I’m not quite sure how I would have coped without them.

In between all of this I celebrated my birthday. Well, kind of. On the day I managed to get out of the flat to an Afternoon Tea with Kat and Jason but I pretty much wrote this year’s birthday off. Will have to celebrate extra hard next year!

When I finally returned to work, the days seemed super long. Each day around 4pm I’d start to feel extremely tired. But mentally I was all there, physically I was completely drained! No exercise, no yoga, no running, no nothing! 10kg lighter and desperate to get back to the gym or a relaxing yoga class!

It’s now seven months since I first fell sick and I am feeling so much better in myself. There are still some days when I get exhausted around 3pm in the afternoon. I nap a lot on the weekends and spend these recharging my batteries ready for the next week. It was a big wake up call for me. To look after myself more. To take the time to rest and relax and to make sure I put myself first. I also use a lot more mosquito repellent then before!

Thank you to all my wonderful Singapore friends who supported me through the ordeal. I'm very lucky to have you all!