Monday, January 18, 2016

Jaan (Singapore) 01/2016

This restaurant on the 70th floor of the SwissHotel sets out to provide diners with an exquisite experience in a magnificent setting. The charm offensive begins before you get to the entrance of the venue.

Views of the city as you approach the restaurant entrance.
A display of Krug

The majority of the 11 spacious and uncluttered tables,
are around the windows overlooking a fantastic view of Singapore.  An odd feature of the decor is two chandeliers extending the length of the room. 
 
Tables are large and there is good space around them. Waiters are very well presented. There is no doubt it is going to be expensive. They have a cancellation policy to deter patrons from failing to arrive or cancelling late. They also have a dress code. Gentlemen must not have short sleeves or open shoes and ladies are expected to dress smartly.

Food is modern French using molecular techniques and the freshest of produce. It is served with a little theatre too..
We were offered several small delights before our ten course 'surprise' meal began.  First came a series of Chef's offerings.
Rather than trying to describe each dish on the menu I will name them and largely comment at the end. You could never guess what they were.

Olive sable, aged Cheddar
Waghu beef tartar wrapped in kolrhabi and 'fish and chips'
Foie gras and truffle macaroon - outstanding.


Charlotte potato, truffle bouillion. Another truly outstanding dish.
Fine butter and salt came with a variety of breads.

The menu, which they gave us before we left, promised langoustine cannelloni with Oscietra caviar but we were actually served a very pretty plate of mullet.
Farmers Harvest was a collection of vegetables including Heirloom tomato, and tiny fresh lightly cooked vegetables including a Chinese artichoke, distinguished by its Michelin man shape but very little taste.  An exceptionally pretty dish full of textural and taste variation.
Followed by another dish, purple artichoke, chorizo iberica, buckwheat, which accompanied the soft organic hen's egg which had been cooked sous vide.




After the smoke settled this was slid int a bowl with a garlic foam, and artichoke chips resting on smoking straw.



A bit of fun
Confit Rainbow trout, organic chicken, lemon, quinoa.
Way to go yet.
Line caught Kinmedai, carrot collection, sesame.
Confit Wagyu beef, coarse polenta, corn
Sous vide for 36 hours at 53 degrees. The short rib meat was as tender as could be but had lost the texture that makes meat soo delicious.
A cheese selection a small range of soft and semi soft goats cheeses were excellent.

A fennel sorbet palette cleanser
Ivory caramel chocolate

A blood orange sorbet.
And a final offering of petit fours.
Service was impeccable and the chef visited our table and discussed several subjects that interested us including how he designs new dishes and the place of umami. 
This was a beautifully presented meal which, somehow failed to be completely satisfying. Dishes were often too bland and did not make a special impression. Whilst the elements of an excellent meal were all there, despite the bit of theatre, they were largely unexciting. With a total of one glass of champagne and two glasses of wine the bill of a touch over $900 was also excessive, to say the least of it.
Score:Perhaps, taking everything into consideration 17/20

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Elliot and Sandra,
I enjoyed your writing about eating in Israel and Singapore as I have enjoyed all your writing. I hope that life goes well for you and that you will keep on blogging. I do not go out much any more and I have great vicarious pleasure from your work
Good wishes.
David Pittock

Elliot and Sandra said...

Thanks David
That's very kind of you to express those sentiments
Elliot and Sandra