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by thywhaleliciousfay

Dinner @ Saveur Art

December 14, 2014 in French by thywhaleliciousfay

And Saveur Art is the latest addition by the group behind Saveur and Concetto. However, what sets Saveur Art apart is that it targets to provide premium French dining but (still) at affordable prices.

Reservation was made via their online reservation system. And reservation was definitely required as they were packed on a weekend evening. Going in line with their intention to target the upmarket, the decor was (more) lavish with a statement (LED) chandelier, art paintings and plush seats

And from the menu (pages 1, 2), we ordered:-


1) Amuse bouche, Complimentary (above) – As with fine dining, we were given marinated anchovies and pepper puree on squid ink cracker, and seaweed sabayon with potato broth. And I definitely enjoyed the latter. Very nice.

2) 4 course menu, $52 comprised of:-

  

(A) Egg confit & truffle (+ $18, freshly shaved truffle) (above) – Truffled potato mousseline, roasted macadamia nuts, brown butter. We went with the additional shaved truffle and had the option of choosing between black and white. And it was a nice (and unexpected) move when the staff shaved the balls of truffle at our table. My friends shared that most restaurants would weigh the truffles, but there was no such scale at Saveur Art. So I say, be nice to the staff and they may just give extra truffle. Keke. And this dish is also available on the a-la carte menu for $12.

(B) Slow-cooked cod in olive (above) – Fried baby squids, legume bohemian, artichokes, paprika foam.

(C) Roasted French pigeon (above) – Fregola sarda, beetroot, pickled morel mushrooms, liver vinaigrette. I did not like this. The taste of the meat was somehow very strong.

(D) Chocolate & pistachio (above) – Guanaja fondant, tanariva mousse, ivory espuma, araguani chips, pistachio ice cream. Also available on the a-la carte menu at $13.

3) Grilled foie gras, $18 (above) – Pickled pink radishes, kohlrabi, radish broth. I did not enjoy this. It could be I’m pretty rigid in how I like my foie gras done (it having to be nicely caramelised on the exterior) that I did not like Saveur Art’s choice of serving it in a broth which caused the big piece of duck liver to be soggy.

4) Saveur Art’s pasta, $13 (above) – Mozambique langoustine, cold angel hair pasta, olive oil emulsion.

5) Poached maine lobster, $49 (above) – Whole butter-poached lobster, lobster ravioli, spiced lentils de puy, lobster jus.

6) Slow-cooked cod in olive, $24 (above) – Fried baby squids, legume bohemian, artichokes, paprika foam.

7) Mangalica pork two ways, $22 (above) – Pork belly, pork cheek pithivier, celeriac puree, sauce perigueux. This wasn’t as good as I hoped it to be. The ratio of meat to fats for the pork was 1 to 3! Too fatty. And enclosed within the pie (pithivier) was minced vegetable and some pieces of pork. Of the various components on the plate, it was the celeriac puree that shone instead.

8) Duck leg confit, $19 (above) – Barley risotto, green grapes, beetroots, foie gras infused moscato jus. Meat was fork tender. A must try, although I preferred the dish without the barley risotto which I felt was out of place.

9) Vanilla parfait, $13 (above) – Strawberries, rhubarbs, lavender meringue. Thoroughly enjoyed this, although fresh strawberries should be used instead of canned. A must try.

10) Tropical, $13 (above) – Passion fruit sorbet, mango curd, roasted penja pineapples, coconut sable & cream.

Saveur Art had managed to somewhat provide a fine dining experience for French cuisine at affordable prices. Somewhat because instead of a strict fine dining environment, it was more of a formal casual joint as they were not strict with the dress code. Some patrons were dressed casually in shorts and slippers.

Food wise, I would say it’s a matter of ordering the correct dishes although some of the dishes could have fared better if budget allowed for better ingredients. An example would be the choice of using barley risotto in the duck confit dish. Not that it’s a ‘cheap’ ingredient, but did the chef settle for barley risotto in order to keep within the affordable price range? Which unfortunately in their effort to keep prices low, the choice of barley risotto did not compliment the duck.

However, take away the expectation of premium French dining, Saveur Art is a good place to come for affordable French dining in a luxurious setting.

SAVEUR ART
2 Orchard Turn, Ion Orchard, #04-11, Singapore
6634 1141, Website, Facebook
Overall: 7
Opening hours:-
Food/Beverage: 7
Mon – Sun : 12:00 – 21:30
Ambience: 7
Value: 7
Service: 7

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by thywhaleliciousfay

Lunch @ JAAN

October 10, 2014 in French by thywhaleliciousfay

Having seen the nicely taken photographs of the food at JAAN on instagram, I was really excited about checking them out. I was particularly interested in their egg dish which used dry ice for the dish presentation. I am a sucker for such. Keke.

However, the 55′ rosemary smoked organic egg is only available in the 7-course menu for dinner. Priced at $238, we decided to go for lunch instead which had the same egg dish but in their more affordable 3-courses ($68) and 5-courses ($118).

Reservation is strongly recommended. When I called, I was told the next available slot for lunch was 3 weeks later. Although when I called a second time to reschedule the lunch appointment, I was able to change it easily to a week later.

And to be honest, I have not been coming to City Hall area. Took me a while to find my way to Swissotel Singapore from City Hall MRT station. Ha. To get to JAAN, one must come from Swissotel main lobby. There’s a lift dedicated for patrons heading to Equinox Complex.

And once we stepped out of the lift, the receptionist for the restaurants at Level 70 checked our booking before leading us to JAAN. As requested in our reservation, we were allocated window table! Yeah. But ladies, please remember to put on sunscreen. (^^lll) Ha.

And from the menu (pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), we ordered:-

1) Degustation lunch (5 courses), $118 comprised of:-


(A) Amuse bouche (above) – Rye crackers to go with the Chef Julien Royer’s take of hummus. Made with lentil, auvergne and chestnut paste. And I especially liked the fluffy black sesame sponge and cracker topped with cheese. So good!

(B) Amuse bouche (above) – Oh yes, amuse bouche continued! What I did not manage to capture in picture was the initial presentation where flask containing the mushroom tea and wooden cups of cepes sabayon were placed on a piece of oak. After a detailed explanation, the staff then poured the mushroom tea into the wooden cups. It was a little magical as we watched the contents foamed. And this was so good. It was just so tasty.


(C) Beetroot ‘collection’ (above) – Burratta artigiana, honeycomb, radish. Unfortunately, this was one dish we could not truly appreciate. Not a beetroot fan.


(D) 55′ rosemary smoked organic egg (above) – Ratte potato, chorizo iberico, buckwheat. And the dish that I came for! Eggs made a dramatic entrance with the dry ice effects. Ha. Egg cooked at 64 degrees for 55 minutes to achieve a gooey yolk of vibrant orange. And I admit I got a little distracted (by taking photographs) as the staff explained the content within the glass bowl. And once the explanation was over, the staff poured the egg into our bowl of chorizo iberico, smoked ratte (potato) and toasted buckwheat. And this was so good. Lift up the glass bowl to release the scent of rosemary that’s placed underneath.

(E) Hand dived scallop (above) – Crayfish, cauliflower, miso caramel.

(F) Grilled mangalica pork (above) – Baby girolles, violet artichokes, sherry vinegar.


(G) Black truffled brie de meaux (+ $20, supplement) (above) – Hazelnuts, truffle ice cream. I decided to go for the cheese and was surprised when the staff seemed to have given us a very generous portion for 1 that easily fed my girlfriend and I. Brie cheese with sandwiched filing of hazelnut and black truffle, toasted poilane (sourdough) and black truffle ice cream.


(H) Palate cleanser (above) – Kyoho grape on a bed of grape granite and sago pearls.

(I) ‘Choconuts tart’ (above) – Tastes & textures. This was so good! Chef Julien Royer even went to the extent of introducing elements of different temperatures! Staff scooped warm chocolate cream onto the cold tart.

(J) Cafe express (above) – Mignardises. Comprised of lollipop which was rosemary-scented ice cream coated with chocolate, coconut marshmallow and canele.

(K) Coffee / tea – I opted for latte.

My girlfriend and I left JAAN feeling very full, but very satisfied and happy! Having tried a few lunch courses at similar fine-dining restaurants, we were surprised at the generous offering of amuse bouche at JAAN.

Food was not only beautiful on plates, but tasted really good too. Great job, head chef Julien Royer! I liked the dramatic entrance of (some of) the dishes with the use of dry ice. Keke. Service was impeccable. Staff were professional with a personal touch. I highly recommend one should dine at JAAN at least once. But set aside at least 2 hours for a comfortably paced meal.

And depending on where one is seated for window table, the view varies between Suntec City and Marina Bay Sands. Of which both are equally great.

JAAN
2 Stamford Road, Swissotel The Stamford, Equinox Complex, Level 70, Singapore
6837 3322, Website, Facebook
Overall: 9
Opening hours:-
Food/Beverage: 8
Mon – Sat : 12:00 – 14:30 (Lunch)
Ambience: 9
Mon – Sat : 19:00 – 22:00 (Dinner)
Value: 9
* Closed on Sun
Service: 9

UPDATE 1: Restaurant was awarded 1 Michelin star by Michelin Guide Singapore 2016.
UPDATE 2: Restaurant was awarded 1 Michelin star by Michelin Guide Singapore 2017.
UPDATE 3: Restaurant was awarded 1 Michelin star by Michelin Guide Singapore 2018.

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by thywhaleliciousfay

Lunch @ Le Comptoir

September 21, 2014 in French by thywhaleliciousfay

Wanting a somewhat change from the usual staples offered for brunch, my girlfriends and I were off to Le Comptoir which is opened by the people behind O Batignolles for French crepes.

We arrived on a Saturday at 12noon to an almost empty eatery. But I will still recommend to make reservation if one is coming in big group or if one wants to sit at the table with the swing bench. Although I wouldn’t recommend the latter. I personally prefer a stable seat when I’m eating. =)

But what we were not prepared for was that Le Comptoir is not air-conditioned. So after walking under the scorching sun for a good 5 to 8 minutes from Raffles Place MRT station, coming to an equally humid eatery was not a good piece of news for the group of us who were sweating.

And from the menu (pages 1, 2, 3, 4), we ordered:-

1) Hot buttery sensation, $19 (above) – Chicken, butter, onion, garlic, turmeric, curry & coriander leaves. From their monthly specials, this was like an Indian-inspired flavoured dish. Some of us thought it was not too bad, while the rest did not enjoy it because they were expecting something else. The dish could do with a more appropriate naming.

2) Menage a 5, $16 (above) – Emmental cheese, ham, egg, mushroom, tomato. My favorite of the 3 flavours we chose for savory. I really liked how all the ingredients came together, especially with the cheese. Yum!

3) Nordic inspiration, $16 (above) – Marinated salmon, baby spinach, dill chantilly, lemon juice. The most impressive looking crepe but the most disappointing in terms of taste. The crepe was too thin. And with sauce only put in the centre, the crepe was thin and dry.


4) Mushroom stuffed chicken, $24 (above) – From 6 options of sides to choose from, we went with our 2 choices of crispy potato wedges and bacon and leek fondue. The dish name was very misleading as we were not given an entire chicken. The mushrooms were also not stuffed within the chicken, but placed at one side. We were also surprised to find black fungus used. A chinese ingredient in a french dish.

5) Coco chanel, $11 (above) – Pear, chocolate, chantilly, almonds. Wheat flour is used for the sweet crepes and we unanimously agreed we preferred this batter. Nicely cooked with a chewy texture. Wished there was more chocolate sauce though. And we cleaned out this dish although we had earlier claimed we were too full from mains. Keke.

6) Cidre brut tradition, domaine fournier, $25 (above) – Dry apple cider.

Crepe wise, Le Comptoir probably served average tasting crepes. We had better elsewhere. And we noted how inconsistent the buckwheat flour crepes were for our savory flavours, in terms of its thickness. Do also read the ingredients used for each dish carefully since the dishes names are not indicative.

Service was somewhat lacking. In the sense of, they did provide the minimum of what’s required. Like the waiting staff being there for us when we needed to place our orders, request for additional cutlery or get the bill. But I guess it’s the standard of service which could be improved. The male staff who took our order had a really laid back attitude. A total mismatch to our energy level cause we were eager to order.

I also felt it was weird that although we ordered the $25 cider upon his recommendation, the male staff went “Is this the bottle you want” upon presenting the bottle to us. It would have been more appropriate if he went “This is the cidre brut tradition. The $25 cider.”

So yup, service could be improved in terms of professionalism. But could that be asking too much of an eatery that’s doubled up as creperie and bar?

LE COMPTOIR
79 Circular Road, Singapore
6534 7645, Facebook
Overall: 6
Opening hours:-
Food/Beverage: 6
Mon – Tues : 11:00 – 00:00
Ambience: 6
Wed – Sat : 11:00 – 02:00
Value: 7
Sun : 10:00 – 22:00
Service: 6

UPDATE: Restaurant is now known as Ô Comptoir.

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