André

This was perhaps the most awaited restaurant in Singapore, and the first few months after its opening have been so booked up that it was hard to get a table if not very long in advance. It has now been sufficient time to make a booking without too much hassle, and I finally got to try the food, although just for lunch. The 5 course lunch menu is priced $128++ per person, which makes it more accessible than the dinner offering if you just want to have a taste of the food.

The setting is minimalistic and sober, just like the presentation of André's dishes. We were accompanied to our table, located on the upper floor. The lower floor seemed to be closed for lunchtime. The dining room is spacious, divided into two areas, one of which overlooks the courtyard and the olive tree that stands out in the middle of it.

The menu was printed onto semi-opaque sheets, which were placed on the table like mini table cloths. We were served an amouse bouche of crispies flavoured with onion and porcini mushrooms. It felt like having a "French onion soup" crystallized onto these crispy textures. An interesting start.

The starter was a "decomposed salad" of tomatoes and smoked salmon. Everything on the plate was of good quality, although this dish failed to impress me. It was a refreshing starter, but it lacked of that extra something to make sense of it all. Perhaps that something was meant to be the basil flower sorbet, but I didn't quite get it.

Next was a sharp and clean kaffir lime consommé with a pan seared scallop, cured fish and mini baby leek ravioli. Everything was really mignon in this dish, visually exciting, but despite the homeopathic portions you could clearly taste all the different components and they all worked really well in combination.

Next, the foie gras mousse with black truffle. It seemed like every dish that we were served was more exciting, in a crescendo of flavour. I am not a huge foie gras fan, not that I don't like it, but because it tends to become a bit monotonous. Whenever a menu wants to look expensive, it seems that it must include pan fried foie gras paired with some fruit or jam. But this dish was really something different. The pairing of two delicacies such as foie gras and truffle, striking the right balance between the two aromas, lightening up the richness of the foie gras in a custard-like texture. This little bowl was packed with seductive flavour.

I was at that point eager to get onto the main course, as the meal kept getting more interesting at every subsequent dish. And I must say that the short ribs didn't fail to exceed my expectations. The sous-vide short rib was incredibly tender, juicy, rich of thin layers of fat, and incredibly flavoursome. Eating that just makes me wonder "why doesn't mine taste like this?". But the polenta bianca with wild mushrooms was not any less impressive. It was rich and packed with mushroom aromas, a bit runny, unlike classic polenta. I found this really inspiring, and I think I will soon open a pack of polenta bianca which I have been keeping in storage for the last 3 months or so. This is a dish I would come back for, and I would be happy to have it exactly the same.

I was always impressed by André's desserts when he used to work at Jaan. Thje indication on the menu that we would end up with a concert of chocolate got me excited. I couldn't reconcile what was on the plate with the description on the menu: "Tarte au chocolat" with milk pudding and ice cream "Milk marmalade". However, this was exactly the kind of dessert I was hoping for! The chocolate ball was only tepid outside, but once squashed, it oozed out a beautifully warm chocolate ganache. I enjoyed biting into that squishy textured shell while warm, rich chocolate kept oozing out! I loved the pairing of ice cream with crunchy cocoa nibble-like sand. I am never impressed by light sponges, which are so popular in modern desserts, but I did like the caramel jelly that came on top of it.

André didn't fail to meet expectations, and although meals at his restaurant don't come cheap, you are guaranteed one of the best dining experiences you can possibly have in Singapore. Every detail is taken care of with real passion, from the very moment you approach the restaurant: visual, comfort, service, and of course, food.

André
Website: http://restaurantandre.com

FiftyThree - Lunch #2

I have already reviewed this restaurant a few months ago, but I decided to go back to have another taste their great bread and barley butter.

I once again decided to have the 3 set course lunch priced $53 (what a coincidence!). The items on the menu were more or less unchanged as last time I visited it, and I was glad that the bread was exactly the same, since this is what I went for! We had a double portion of the milk and charcoal bread. Filling, but well worth it!

Presentation is always great at FiftyThree. This appetizer was beautifully presented in syntony with their "nature theme". I liked the walnut cream and the crab meat, although I left most of the apple slices since I preferred the crab simply on its own.

The beef was absolutely great, tender and juicy, and the sauce was poured onto it right at the table.

We had the lamb again since we liked it last time: a rare lamb rump cut into juicy slices, arranged below thin and crispy slices of radish.

We also repeated the dessert, since it was one of the two reasons for coming back. Pretty high-calories, but well worth it.

This second visit at FiftyThree demonstrated that they have been so far very consistent with their food. The menu seems to remain unchanged, but on the other hand, if this is the food you come for, at least you are guaranteed to find what you like, and that you won't be disappointed due to lack of consistency.

Fiftythree
53 Armenian Street
Tel: 6334 5535
Website: http://www.blogger.com/www.fiftythree.com.sg

Tippling Club - Lunch

This is my 3rd visit at Tippling club (see my other post), and second one at lunchtime, and I was never disappointed with this place. The spacious and bright counter draws the attention of the diners right onto where the action is, where the desserts and cocktails are prepared, and beautiful dishes are skillfully plated.

The amuse bouche is a beetroot mousse topped with a yogurt crunch. I love everything about this dish, from the way it is presented, to the foaminess of the delicate beetroot mousse and the contrast in texture and flavour with the sour crunchy bits of yogurt.

By the time you remove the foil cover and you unveil this beauty, you will already be salivating.

The scallops in almond gazpacho were also superb. Generous, meaty and juicy scallops were pan fried to perfection and served with sliced grape and a gazpacho of almonds. I thought the combination of that foamy, light gazpacho with the scallops was a brilliant idea.

I was less impressed by the main dish, which was a pan fried king fish on a bed of spinach cream, paired with a kombu crunchy cake and seaweed. The dish was pleasant enough, although I didn't find that the composition came all together in the palate. An interesting experiment, although it wouldn't be my first choice.

And with the desserts, the Tippling Club always surprised me. The frozen mandarin foam with dried mandarin was truly exceptional! The orange foam was frozen in nitrogen and had the same texture as a crispy meringue, except it was lighter. The frozen mandarins had an intense flavour and dissolved in the mouth. I would really love to know how they achieved that texture. Overall a very light, flavoursome dessert.


I reviewed the snowball before, but being this my favourite dessert, I don't mind doing it again. This is where frozen, creamy, sparkling, sour, all explode into your mouth. I really have no words to describe this dessert, since every time I have it I devour it within seconds. It is what I would define a true molecular gastronomic masterpiece. Essentially, this dessert is a combination of frozen coconut and sudachi and yuzu curd.

The dessert was complemented by a Parisian fog. This cocktail was Champagne based, and then topped with an Absinthe fog which gave it a subtle aniseed smell and flavour. I must say that Tippling Club serves the best, most innovative cocktails in town. It is a place to go and taste cocktails though, not to get drunk, considering how highly they are priced!

This fixed 3-course lunch menu is priced $55++ per person. I am glad that someone decided to do something different and push the boundaries a little more than most of the other fine dining restaurants in Singapore, and I wish that such sense of initiative will be acknowledged and rewarded by the local diners.

Tippling Club
8D Dempsey Road
Tel: +65 6475 2217
URL: http://www.tipplingclub.com/

FiftyThree - Lunch

A beautiful, elegant and sophisticated restaurant carved within the second floor of a shop house located at the appendix of Fort Canning. The deco is sleek and modern, with natural colors and materials. Unfinished wood, stone and fabrics create a sober and bright atmosphere that marries well with what's on the menu.

The lunch menu includes two options: a 5 course lunch priced S$85 and a 3 course priced S$53. The S$85 menu requires to be ordered by the whole table.

To start with, we were served some tapioca crisps with a carrot and hazelnut sauce. This was beautifully presented and the chips were crispy and light.

The presentation of the bread was impressive. A gunny sack filled with two potato and two charcoal loafs of bread. The texture of both types of bread was enhanced by a light butter topped with roasted barley. I extremely enjoyed the fragrant flavour of the barley with their specially made bread.

The "Scallop and Hairy Bittercress Chicken 'Oysters' and Buckwheat" was outstanding. A huge, meaty scallop was surrounded by oyster looking pieces of chicken, that tasted as bouncy as oysters.

I unexpectedly enjoyed the "Japanese Tomatoes Watermelon and Horseradish". It sounds so simple and unexciting, but besides the freshness and full flavour of these peeled cherry tomatoes, what really made this dish work for me was the frozen cloud of horseradish. That icy tang combined with the vegetables just added a new dimension to an otherwise plain dish.

My next choice was the "Welsh Lamb Rump, Root Vegetables". A rare lamb rump was cut into juicy slices, arranged below thin and crispy slices of radish. Overall the main dish worked well and I would have this again.

The "Red Gunard and Hazelnut Beluga Lentils and Smoked Eel" was nice, although I couldn't find any hint of smoked eel. Tasty lentils well accompanied the firm and juicy texture of the fish.

I absolutely loved this dessert, but then again it's quite easy to make me happy when it comes to chocolate! "The Amedei - Chuao Banana and Malt" was a chocolate ganache garnished with a charcoal-like crumble, air-popped barley and some caramelized banana.

The "Amaou Strawberries and Pistachio
Tahitian Vanilla" was a classic combination of fresh strawberries with cinnamon flavoured crumble and a delicious thick pistachio sauce. This was a fresh and light dessert for those who prefer the fruity option. I would personally choose the chocolate dessert next time.

At the end of the meal, we were served a beautiful stone topped with two soft apple jellies. As the waitress explained, these elastic flat candies slowly dissolve on your tongue releasing an intense apple flavour. I personally couldn't resist chewing onto them since jellies generally don't last very long in my mouth anyway.

I would highly recommend this place for a relaxing fine lunch in an airy, spacious and sober environment. The service was attentive, efficient and friendly.
Dining at Fifty Three is like a "spa" experience of gourmet.

Fiftythree
53 Armenian Street
Tel: 6334 5535
Website: http://www.blogger.com/www.fiftythree.com.sg