PUBLISHED August 13th, 2013 02:13 am | UPDATED February 2nd, 2016 06:45 am
Men, if you’re looking to seal the deal with that ring, look no further than Au Jardin. The name meaning ‘in the garden’, is literally fine dining, set right in the heart of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Housed in a restored 1920s colonial Chateau and surrounded by lush tranquil nature, the restaurant oozes of a quiet elegance. Sunlight streams through the clear windows, which allow you to enjoy the greenery whilst you dine. At dusk, the fading sunset is like a lightshow of fading orange and pinks, until the building stands enveloped in a warm glow in the darkness. The setting can’t get any more romantic than that.
Au Jardin has established its reputation since 1998 as one of top French restaurants in Singapore for its top-notch food and extensive wine list. In addition to the a la carte menu, there are two 3-course lunch menus ($45 and $65) and two 4-course dinner menus ($110 and $150) that reflect the Chef’s inspirational takes on seasonal highlights. Service here is tiptop, yet warm and unpretentious, an attribute that the Les Amis group prides itself on.
For our first course, we had an exquisitely-plated Scallop Ceviche. Fresh raw scallops spread out like a pretty canvas, with the artist creating a garden with a melody of sea vegetables, pink pepper corn, finger lime pearl and dollops of beautiful Baeri Royal caviar. The sea vegetables were more for conceptual creativity and aesthetics rather than taste, but the real melody was created between the vinaigrette, scallop and caviar. Slivers of thinly sliced scallop were delightfully fresh, well dressed and with the Italian high-grade caviar just briny enough to salt the dish without tasting fishy. As an afterthought, the scallop was more like sashimi than ceviche. The acid used in ceviche is usually very strong, strong enough to cause the protein to denature and ‘cook’. The lemon vinaigrette used here was too mild. That being said, it was a light and refreshing start to the meal.
The second course of Roasted Veal Sweet Bread with 62°C Egg Confit – Neither sweet nor bread, the veal sweet bread used here is the thymus gland of the calf. Roasted, it has the texture of popcorn chicken, creamy on the inside with a vague taste of foie gras. Burst the egg confit and swirling the rich yolk into truffle reduction creates a thick luscious sauce that eaten with the sweet bread, truffles and potato crisps; it was sin on a plate. In fact, it was almost too rich; a stark contrast to the delicate first course. The sweet bread also became soggy in the sauce, making it slightly unpalatable towards the end.
For the main course, you get a choice of either Confit of Ocean Trout or Oven-Roasted Magret Duck Breast. If you have a small appetite or been overwhelmed by the heavy second course – ladies, I’d suggest going for the fish. The ocean trout is sous-vided to extreme delicacy, texture and taste evidence of fresh ingredients and good technique. A word of caution preemption – fans of the more flavorful salmon may be slightly disappointed with the subtler flavours of the trout. The Chef takes care to not allow the sauces to overpower, with the use of sweet onion puree and a light crustacean stock-based mustard sauce. It was nice, but I wished for something that would better mask the trout’s characteristic freshwater taste. Perhaps a side of ratatouille instead of the slightly out of place asparagus gratin would have done the trick.
The duck was a more substantial dish – men pick this one. The duck breast is well-executed, perfectly cooked to a ruby red and cleverly presented in thin tender slices. Duck breast is usually served whole in France, which usually results in the meat drying out and being extremely tough to chew when diners clumsily slice it into thick chunks. The meat has just the right amount of gaminess to give it flavor and, good news for those that don’t like fatty duck breast; most of the fat is rendered out during cooking without sacrificing succulence. The yam gnocchi was the surprise – savory yet slightly sweet, it left me wishing there were more than just two of those yummy nuggets. The plating was lovely with the use of purple, orange, green and yellow vegetables; save for the haphazardly dribbled orange jus.
The Frozen Espresso Bombe, I thought, was another strangely misnamed dish. More of a deconstructed ice cream cake than a bombe; the dessert was a whimsical delight nevertheless. Coffee shot bubbles that look like ikura adorn the decadent scoop of espresso that sits atop a chocolate crispy base. Passion fruit curd and micro greens brighten the dish and gives a garden-y look (notice the trend?). A spoonful of all the components will leave you swooning – the creamy ice cream with a level of espresso comfortable enough for a non coffee drinker, then the tart and fruity passion fruit, then the rich crispy chocolate base that… what?… starts crackling in your mouth. Ooh pop rocks! What a fun way to end the meal. And hey, you could even hide the ring in there. With that many good things on a plate, she won’t be able to refuse.
While Au Jardin seems like the perfect proposal spot, it is also a popular weekend dining option for families that spend the day out at the Botanic Gardens. Price tags here are hefty, but for that special occasion (to pop the question), I’d say it’s worth the splurge.
Ps: Take note to enter through the Nassim Gate entrance if you are driving. The restaurant will then be a short 5-minute walk from the carpark. Any longer than that – you’re lost.
Written by M.
On this occasion, the meal was compliments of Au Jardin