Hotspots EAT

EAT

For a taste of France with a twist, KERRY LOW recommends a feast that’s based on the flavours of seasonal vegetables and indigenous herbs that hail from Savoie’s mountainous region.

Reine De Pres, trumpet zucchini, turbot

Michelin-starred Restaurant JAG takes its guests on a culinary expedition through the French Alps, unveiling a wave of intriguing scents emanating from Savoie dry herbs, flower petals, and the best of seasonal vegetables.

Chef Jeremy Gillon explains, “We are privileged to have the opportunity to showcase to our diners that an opulent degustation dining experience can have vegetables as the star of the show – and they are always surprised. Since our launch two and half years ago, we feel more confident than ever about empowering our diners with our latest series of seasonal, and at times forgotten vegetables and wildforaged herbs driving the dining journey.”

We were at Restaurant JAG to experience their bold and exciting degustation menu: La Balade du Végétal ($298++) – The Vegetable Road – a 16-dish expedition through the Savoie mountainous region. These creations of seasonal vegetables and wild-foraged herbs ranged from raw to cooked, textured, and/or concocted into elixirs and teas. There’s a wine pairing (248++) option to accompany the meal, and an extensive wine list.

The menu is true omakase, unique, and created around the diners’ dietary preferences – no two menus are the same – and the offerings are a repertoire of different course stages: amuse-bouche, canapes, starters, mains, desserts, and cheese. Chef Jeremy’s philosophy puts vegetables as the main protagonist in each

Chef Jeremy’s seasonal ingredients

Royal Yellow Corn, sage, 8GemsCaviar, Chitose White Corn

Parsley, aubergine, quail

We are privileged to showcase to our diners that an opulent degustation dining experience can have vegetables as the star of the show

CHEF JEREMY GILLON

Tarragon, octopus, heirloom tomato

of his creations and a protein element joins some of his dishes. However, one dish component that is never absent is wild Savoie-foraged herbs.

Our menu starts with a combination of celtuce (a Chinese version of lettuce), mint and apple tea. The tea was served in a small vial to be downed in one; the elixir left a wonderful aftertaste that matched the celtuce. Despite the simplicity of the ingredients, the fusion of flavours and techniques created a complex and sophisticated starter; it set the tone for what was to come.

Next up was a dish of shallots, serpolet and Bayonne ham followed by fennel, berce, and scallop – an outstanding weave of flavours. A mix of cannellini beans and basil closed the first part of the menu. We then started our next series of courses with tomato, vin rouge, and octopus – the sweetness of the octopus blended exquisitely with the dry wine and wild herbs. We moved on to bell peppers, verveine, and crab; the punch of the peppers was softened by the verveine and the delicate crab. To change pace, we were served mixed carrot tea with Thyme Citron – an uncomplicated list of ingredients which created a wide variety of flavours.

The following courses started with bok choy, acchilee, and eel – the soft smokiness of the eel had a nice lift from the bok choy and acchilee. This preceded chicken paired with romanesco broccoli and aubergine and an intriguing fish dish of zucchini and Reine de Pres – the delicate mix of the zucchini and the fish was accentuated by the perfumed scent of the dry herb. Breaking away from proteins, we had a subtle creation of sorrel, apple and frene – the sorrel and apple combo was a nice contrast to the prior two dishes. Our last dish was the aubergine, pigeon and carvis. The roasted pigeon packed a meaty and rich flavour without being gamey; the acidity of aubergine and delicate accent of the carvis was a true masterpiece.

Of course, no meal is complete without dessert. The first was a simple combination of strawberries presented in three different ways with the sweet-sour flavours heightened by the melisse (a minty balm). Our second dessert was a vegetable-based blend of beetroot, sariette (a cousin of Rosemary) and chocolate – the understated sweetness of the roasted beetroot was a nice touch mixed with the richness of the chocolate.

After a rest, we finished our meal with a cheese plate; an impressive menagerie of a worldwide range of textures and tastes and the perfect end to our culinary adventure.

VERDICT: Restaurant JAG’s degustation menu pays homage to the diversity and traditions of French cuisine. Chef Jeremy’s mastery is found in his tribute to basic natural ingredients, to seasonal vegetables, and to the earthiness of wild foraged herbs. Dinner at Restaurant JAG is a memorable experience deserving of a very special occasion.

There’s an abbreviated lunch version ($175++) available with wine pairing ($148++). Restaurant JAG lives up to its one Michelin star status and reputation as one of Singapore’s most high-end restaurants.

EAT

We went to Butcher’s Block to discover whether their Tour de Force menu really lives up to its title, and were treated to exciting signatures and off-themenu specials.

Helmed by new Chef de Cuisine, Jordan Keao, vibrant Butcher’s Block at Raffles Hotel is a stylishly adorned restaurant; take in the sight of specially curated produce showcased in The Vault before watching the chefs transform quality ingredients on custom-built ovens and grills in an open kitchen setting. Chef Jordan imprints his own Hawaiian heritage and passion by adding a distinct touch of fire into his culinary creations. To accompany the experience, The Library features a meticulously prepared list of over 200 premium natural wines.

We were there to experience the Butcher’s Block’s concept, the Tour de Force menu. Our culinary adventure started with the succulent Wagyu Tartare ($17) served on light and crispy beef tendon chicharron and topped with caviar – the table raved about this. The Smoked Unagi ($15) served on a nori rice cracker was a tasty bite enjoyed by everyone, enhancing this was Smoked Hamachi Tartare ($13), which contrasted perfectly with the nori rice cracker it was served on. We paired these with a fullbodied Spanish Verdejo, Belondrade y Lurton 2018 ($148).

Our selection of signature dishes continued with Barley Risotto ($32), creamy and soft barley with Chanterelle mushrooms cooked to evoke the smell of forest wood. Alongside was the Wagyu Sukiyaki ($32) presented with a delicately prepared smoked egg yolk creating a silky dressing to cover the tender Wagyu slices.

The decadent King Crab ($84 per leg) came served with a wonderful “burnt” Bernaise sauce – the elegant layers of flavours earned accolades around the table.

We finished with one of the signature beef cuts, Wylarah Striploin Wagyu ($75 per 100g). Each bite was an assault on all senses: the smokiness of the wood, the textures and flavours created between the seared crust, the fats, and the meat. The Burnt Carrot ($17) was the perfect companion to the beef; thickly cut carrots “burnt” on a grill bringing out their natural sweetness and then topped with a delicious miso vinaigrette – a smashing dish.

We paired the mains with a 2019 Petalos de Bierzo by Descendientes de J. Palacios ($128). The wine’s richness of the berries, and deep oak and tobacco notes made for a sensational match.

After a brief recess, our desserts arrived. The Baked Mochi ($12) is served with a delicious citrus Anglaise sauce – the description is too simple for the many layers in this beautifully presented dessert. The Burnt Citrus Sorbet ($11) was an original; the smokiness in the sorbet surprised the table and made it the ultimate spoonlicking experience.

VERDICT: Butcher’s Block is without doubt an upscale venue that serves sophisticated and luxurious cuisine. This new iteration showcases Chef Jordan’s cultivated worldclass credentials. His cuisine is infused with the flavours of different woods and spices, and whether it is chargrilled or wood-oven prepared, each gastronomical creation is a true original.

Smoked Unagi & Smoked Hamachi Tartare