My last visit to this Michelin 1-star restaurant was back in 2019. Returning today, while the address still shows that it is on Elgin Street, it has moved to a completely different location. A bit difficult to find, it is on top of a short flight of steps in between Fukuro and Ho Lee Fook.
I have booked the Kitchen Counter on the day, trying to experience and see first-hand how the beautifully rendered dishes are prepared up-close. The counter can accommodate 4 guests, with comfortable highchairs, inside the kitchen.
Chef Jacob Zuidervliet and his team greets us, and soon starts to prepare for the special Chef’s Counter Menu ($1,988 each). While also go for the 6-glass wine pairing ($988), I start with a glass of Pommery ‘Apanage’ Brut Blanc de Blancs NV ($498) as aperitif.
The Amuse Bouche is Trout Roe Stroopwafel with Salmon Mousse. The stroopwafel is a Dutch cookie made from two layers of sweet baked dough held by syrup filling. The chef creatively re-formed it to look like a taco shell and stuffed with smoked salmon mousse mixed with dashi sauce, with plenty of poppy trout roes on top. The crunchy stroopwafel and the soft mousse offer a good contrast in texture, with the umami and savoury flavours appetizing. Fun and great in taste.
The first wine pairing is Domaine Zind Humbrecht Rotenberg Pinot Gris 2021. From one of my favourite producers who dedicated himself to biodynamics, the grapes came from a plot of limestone soil having very rich iron contents, giving a distinctive red brick colour. The wine has nice citrus fruits to start, evolving with honey and bee wax, as well as some white fruits too.
The first course is Norwegian King Crab with Radish and Shaoxing. The delicate and sweet crab meat was wrapped in radish scales that has been thinly sliced to be translucent, looking like a large circular dumpling. In the middle cavity there are some caviar, and edible flowers and other leaves creating a truly appealing and pretty presentation. On the side the chef has prepared a sauce made from Chinese Shaoxing wine, providing a bit of acidity to freshen up the palate. Beautiful and nice.
The second wine pairing is Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Remus Montlouis-sur-Loire 2021. A Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley, the wine has a quince note supplemented with aromas of ginger and pear, with fuller body to balance the heavier palate of the foie gras coming next, as well as a slight sweetness on the aftertaste as well.
The second course is Tarte du Foie Gras with Plum and Macadamia Nut. A signature of the restaurant, the slice of tarte shows the different layers, with the sliced plum pieces neatly arranged on the top, with a sweet plum jelly inserted in the middle, and a very rich and indulgent foie gras pate layer, added with chopped macadamia nuts, on the thin tarte base. Every bite is pure joy and satisfaction, with all the flavours harmonized. Excellent and no wonder a signature.
The third wine pairing is Maxime Magnon La Begou 2020. A white wine from the star producer in Corbieres, in the Languedoc region, which is made from Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc. On the nose there is nice salty minerality, with also good oaky aromas. The palate has a more heavy and rounded body and is my favourite wine in the evening.
The third course is Ris de Veau with Asparagus and Sauce Aigre-Douce. A special dish from Chef Jacob, the veal sweetbread is beautifully seared, with a succulent texture. On the side are the French young asparagus, very tender, together with a stuffed morel mushroom. Adding the honey soy sauce, the whole dish is amazing in taste, highly flavourful. While some people might not like sweetbread, if cooked well it is one of the best delicacies in the world. A must-try in my opinion. Excellent.
The fourth wine pairing is Patrick Piuze La Butte “O” 2021. The Chablis has good minerality, sharp and crisp, with a nice green apple and citrus appeal, lots of flower blossoms and some toasted nuts. An elegant wine.
The fourth course is Brill Farci with Violet Artichoke and Fava Bean. The chef has prepared a homemade sausage by adding some pea shoots to the meat, and then rolled it up in the monkfish fillet before pan-frying beautifully, with a nice, caramelized surface. With more vegetables underneath, a foaming butter sauce made with smoked eel is poured on top, giving a hint of smokiness to the fish. The sausage has a slight spiciness which was appetizing. Great in taste.
The fifth wine pairing is Domaine Courbis L’ Aube Syrah Collines Rhodaniennes 2020. The varietal from Rhone Valley had a rich blackcurrant and black cherry aromas, a bit smoky, with good spiciness and minerality. Perfect with the duck as it is smoked too.
The fifth course is Smoked Pekin Duck with Sugarcane and Sakura. A lot of time has been spent to dry, marinate, and prepare the duck, taking a total of three weeks. It is then roasted, followed by a further smoking process in casserole filled with sugarcane to infuse with the flavours. While carving the duck breast out for the main course, the chef also used the pulled duck meat to prepare a butternut squash tart, fully utilizing the tasty Pekin duck. Very good.
After the tart we move on to the duck breast. The skin is crispy just like a Pekin duck, but the meat is amazingly tender and juicy, pairing well with the rich sauce made from the duck jus. On the side there are cherries and some artichokes, with Sakura flowers as decoration, the perfect combination with a touch of Spring. A great example of how Chinese and Western cuisine and cooking techniques are integrated to best effects, and a highlight of the whole meal. Excellent.
The sixth wine pairing is Chateau Doisy-Verdines 2015. The sweet wine from Sauternes has nice apricot and honey characters, while on the palate has sufficient acidity to balance impeccably, not feeling cloying despite its sweetness. Good match with the desserts.
The sixth course is Rhum Baba with Mango. The rhum baba is a small cake that is soaked in syrup and rum, with whipping cream on top, and some pearls with mango juice as fillings on the side, plus some lime zests on top to give fragrance and a refreshing note. Both appealing on presentation and tasty. A lighter dessert to start off, very good.
The seventh course is Banana Charlotte, having a nice presentation with a ribbon wrapping the cake like a gift. Cutting in half to share among us, the outer layer is ladyfinger biscuits, with white chocolate banana mousse inside, and topped with a cream and white chocolate garnish. Not too sweet, the cake has good fluffy texture to enjoy with delight, without feeling heavy or over-bearing. Very good.
Together with a cup of coffee, the meal finishes with the Petits Fours, including Pate de Fruit, Lychee Tartelette, and Quenelle au Chocolat. The first one is a traditional French confectionary, a fruit paste that has been set in a mould, with good sweetness and nice fruity taste. The small tart, on the other hand, looks very similar to the local egg tart with interesting lychee flavours.
The last piece uses the technique of spooning the quenelle, often features in haute cuisine, of a creamy chocolate. Very rich in cocoa flavours and smooth. All the petits fours are delicious and provides a great finale for wrapping up a wonderful meal. Very good.
Service is good, and it is a great experience seeing all the actions going on in the kitchen. Total bill on the night $6,244 and there is also a small box of Kouign-amann, sweet Breton cake made with laminated dough, provided to us as a gift. Overall, a fantastic dinner.
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