PUBLISHED October 24th, 2013 12:56 am | UPDATED April 14th, 2016 05:43 pm
The Les Amis Group has been extremely busy expanding their legion with Nam Nam Noodle Bar (casual Vietnamese) opening its 3rd outlet, Peperoni Pizzeria its 5th and its latest addition PACK’D (grab-and-go sandwich/salad bar) at Suntec City. With the flurry of new openings concentrated on the casual dining scene, one may be tempted to wonder if they have forgotten about their flagship – high-end French restaurant Les Amis – especially after former Chef de Cuisine Armin Leitgeb and Chef Patissier Daniel Texter left in May last year, leaving the kitchen resident chef-less since.
However, it is quite the contrary. Proof that Les Amis is still their pride and joy, it has not been left out. After the long silence, the Group is proud to announce the appointment of a new Chef de Cuisine – Sebastien Lepinoy and Pastry Chef – Cheryl Koh. Taught under the great Joël Robuchon, Chef Sebastien has had a prestigious culinary career in Europe. His last appointment was Head Chef at Les Amis’ Cepage in Hong Kong, which closed in June this year. Singaporean Pastry Chef Cheryl’s is no less exciting. Having trained at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, Dubai, Italy and Macau, she first worked with Chef Sebastien when he personally appointed her Pastry Chef at Cepage, and has now returned to Singapore to partner him once again.
Chef Cheryl will start off your meal with a lavish bread and butter spread. The choice of 5 kinds of butter to go with the 5 types of bread in the basket takes the usual ‘salted or unsalted?’ question to a whole new level. But these are only distractions to the gastronomic creations that are to come. The new menu is created by Chef Sebastien and embeds Japanese elements into his style of classic French cooking techniques.
To start, he presents an immaculately plated Cold Angel Hair Pasta with Chives and Seaweed, topped with a generous mound of French caviar and a gold flake for that classy touch. You might be tempted to think it’s too pretty to eat but a taste would immediately kill that thought. Perfectly al dente pasta coated with kombu oil dressing that intensely perfumes the dish, so intoxicatingly addictive, singing in harmony with the luxurious black pearls. Excellent.
Teppanyaki Seared Japanese Scallops with Teriyaki Sauce will be memorable due to its sheer size. This was by far the largest scallop I have ever seen! And Chef Sebastien thankfully does it justice; tender-lovingly pan searing it to a lovely brown exterior and yet perfectly slightly raw middle. I could detect a hint of ginger from the stock it was sitting in; an instance of Chef’s incorporation of subtle Asian flavors. It comes with a dipping bowl of sesame teriyaki sauce which, while giving diners choice, I thought more could be done to greater infuse the teriyaki flavors.
The Crispy Cornouaille Langoustine I did not take to. Prawn delicately wrapped and deep-fried in a crisp wanton-like skin that tasted like keropok (fish crackers), it smelt slightly too oily for my personal liking. The side of ‘Folichonne’ Salad (French for ‘Crazy’ Salad) comes as an interesting Japanese rendition of the classic Caesar, garnished with seaweed, ikan bilis and sesame dressing. But it was nothing to shout about, and slightly overdressed.
Fortunately, the Wild Scottish Salmon with Aromatic Verjus redeems. I inhale salmon for sustenance, and as such, had high expectations. Admittedly aesthetics weren’t the best – the exterior looks dry, which is usually testament to an overcooked fish. But breaking past the surface, my worries were unfounded – the flesh was delightfully soft and supple, so lightly cooked as only really fresh fish can carry. Creatively complemented by the piquant verjus, a highly acidic juice made by pressing unripe grapes, its vinegar-like tang gave it an interesting dimension.
The meal ends with Chef Cheryl showing off her artistic flair with her signature dessert Le Mikan, which is a candied whole mikan, stuffed with panna cotta and sorbet, on a light earl grey jelly. It’s like a deconstructed popsicle, the earl grey jelly base providing a nice balance to offset the sweetness. The intriguing part was trying to figure out how she manages to remove the peel, poach it and stuff it and reseal it; whole and in one piece!
Chef Cheryl also likes to work with seasonal fruits, as seen in her Mirabelle Plum Soufflé with Plum Yogurt Sorbet. The soufflé is fluffy as air, with just a tinge of egginess and sweetened by the plum compote. The sorbet also tasted very light and healthy, and gives a nice cold contrast to the warm soufflé.
Les Amis celebrates its 20th birthday next year, which, in the cutthroat competitive dining scene here, is a major feat deserving of notice. But will the new chefs and their culinary creations sit well with Les Amis followers? One thing for sure is that there will be more of them. In pocket pinching times as these, the restaurant has reduced its prices to present themselves as ‘more affordable fine-dining’. With lunch sets starting from $45++ and dinner at $150++, dining here will now be within reach for more. With versatility and dynamic resilience, coupled with the impeccable service Les Amis is renowned for, I’d think it seems set for many more years to come.
Written by M.
On this occasion the meal compliments was of Les Amis.