Dining at Restaurant Andre is no mere exercise in mastication, as Taiwan-born, French-trained Chef Andre Chiang’s attention to detail transcends beyond that of mere taste. From the quietly elegant exterior of the restaurant – located in a restored shophouse tucked in a corner of Bukit Pasoh Road – to the quirky wine-list featuring boutique wines from organic vineyards in France, nothing is left to chance. Muted lighting, wood paneled floors and understated décor make for intimate dining in this diminutive 30-seater restaurant. Most importantly, the prix fixe dinner menu, which features Mediterranean influences, French techniques and a witty Asian twist, is a complex and always entertaining experience. One might even call it art.
The menu showcases Chef Chiang’s intriguing (albeit a tad oblique) “Octaphilosophy” cuisine, which is based on eight primary characteristics: Unique, Texture, Memory, Pure, Terroir, Salt, South and Artisan. The eight dishes purport to sweep the diner along on a journey that illuminates the interrelationships between ingredients as well as the connections between food and memory. At the risk of sounding ‘trollish’, I’d venture to say that understanding this philosophy isn’t essential to enjoying the gastronomic gems served at Andre.
And now, on with the highlights! (To go through every dish would spoil the surprise for any future diners, hence I shall desist.) First up, an amuse-bouche which did exactly that: amuse.
Patatas bravas, dried porcini mushrooms and ebi head tempura were arranged neatly on a layer of garlic chocolate soil. Yes. It was crumbly and chocalatey and garlicky and I couldn’t get enough. The earthy tastes of the potatoes and mushrooms, the rough textures of the prawn head, and the visual stimulus of the edible soil reminded me irrevocably of a garden. A delicious, sweet and salty garden.
The first dish was Pure, a chilled zucchini gazpacho served with smoked mussels, sweet prawn, caviar and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. No cooking or seasoning was used, allowing the flavours of the ingredients to shine through.
And shine through they did. It was like consuming a cold fall day by the Atlantic Ocean. We found out later that the gazpacho derived its saltiness from the seawater leaked by the mussels. (A pedant would insist that seasoning has thus been added, but we benevolently decided to ignore this little blip.)
Another winner was South, a throwback to Chef Chiang’s days working in the South of France where freshness, fruits, and fruits of the sea were the buzzwords. A light persimmon salad, enhanced with grapefruit sorbet and dried mackerel jerky, was served alongside an unctuous uni and seafood risotto. Again, the unexpected juxtapositions of opposites – hot and cold, sweet and salty, acidic and hearty – was provocative yet comforting. Not unlike a sexy grandmother.
Then, the famed Memory course: Foie Gras Chawanmushi with Black Truffle Coulis. A jaw-dropper, this one. The foie gras-infused egg custard (genius!) complemented the hearty scent of the truffle perfectly.
Finally, as I am more a cheese- than chocolate-for-dessert person, and as cheese has been sorely underrepresented in the Singaporean culinary sphere, I shall draw due attention to the Jackson Pollock-esque canvas of French dairy delights. And like a Pollock painting, no blob is accidental. Note that the green smear is a tangy mint sauce, while that accidental-looking yellow globule is actually premium Greek honey.
Chocolate lovers and cocoa addicts, never fear. A comprehensive chocolate course ends off the meal on a sinfully sweet note.
With a hefty price tag of $300++ for each dinner menu, dinner at Andre isn’t – and shouldn’t – be an everyday affair. It is, after all, one of the top 100 restaurants in the world, according to the San Pellegrino rankings. Save up some money, choose a special occasion, and enjoy the full experience at one of the most imaginative, iconoclastic restaurants in Singapore. The fact that Chef Chiang is rather easy on the eyes doesn’t hurt, either.
Restaurant Andre is located at 41 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089855. For reservations and enquiries, contact +65 6534 8880 or reserve@restaurantandre.com. For more, visit www.restaurantandre.com.
Samantha Lee. Food writer. When not working for an integrated media and lifestyle communications firm (and trying to explain it to people), Sam is most likely traveling, thinking about traveling, eating, and thinking about eating. She also writes, because she likes to. A hopeless cynic and occasional misanthrope, she finds solace in drumming (Japanese style), horses, and cute furry white things like baby seals and Malteses, of which she has one. She doesn’t Tweet… yet.
