Fancy

I appreciate that Chef Jason chose to end the meal with an homage to his Singaporean roots, with none other than the beloved kaya toast. And what an elegant and thoughtfully composed interpretation—smooth kaya parfait sandwiched between crunchy muscovado sablé, amped up with more intense flavours from the coconut-y kaya coulis, pandan snow, gula melaka espuma, balanced with a refreshing pineapple sorbet to keep the saccharine scale in check. A memorable, well-excecuted finisher.

A splendid finale to the meal – Crusty caneles and sweet, compressed pineapple on a buttery tart base.

Twice for emphasis.

The sweet, clean-tasting fish, which is really a WWF-friendly term for Chilean seabass, is one of my top hits on the fish charts. Here it's seared to perfection, like sliced butter, but guilt-free. Brilliantly paired with peppery harissa foam, sweet butternut squash emulsion, ikura roe, and charred cauliflower. Best dish here imo. #burpple #cornerhouse

We're off to a good start with this pretty ensemble of trombetta zucchini, mentaiko, pickled fennel, yuzu, tobiko, and the creamiest raw scallops, lightly cured to highlight its marine sweetness. Giving the whole idea of 'garden dining' extra meaning 😌

A work of art every bit as delectable as it is visually arresting, here the aromatic Roussillon white peach is showcased in different variations.

Resembling an iridescent pearl, the crispy sugar sphere houses a lush peach sorbet and sits elegantly on a bed of more peaches, both poached and cubed, with a hint of lemongrass.

A cup of chilled fresh verbena and lemon tea accompanies the dessert, meant as a refreshing cleanser before the petit fours platter and coffee/tea are doled out. This marks the tail of my memorable experience with Les Amis. I know I'll be back for more.

Presented in a silver cloche, this dish is set to impress right from the start. The Anjou pigeon is prepared using the traditional French method "Au Sang", which causes concentration of blood in the flesh, the raison d'être of its rosy-pink succulence. Together with wobbly foie gras, the tender pigeon breast is wrapped with lardo and Savoy cabbage into a neat little package, like a deliciously complex and indulgent Japanese futomaki.

This artfully presented dish sees an emerald-green ball of steamed baby spinach enveloping sweet French blue lobster flesh & mousse, deliciously complemented by fish bone sauce specked with lobster powder and the briny bursts of ikura. Remarkably executed and well worth the additional $10.

Post-script: Need that houndstooth plate.

Poached in flavourful stock, the succulent chunks of crab lay snugly in a tube of crispy phyllo pastry with a mix of dill, chervil, and green apple, finished with caviar from Brittany and a circle of smoked salmon cubes. The result is a vibrant composition of textures and flavours that come together in the most pleasing accordance.

"You come to Les Amis to be spoilt," was the Restaurant Manager, Ruziq's reply when I gushed about how they spoil me with so much food. These were just canapés and amuse bouche, even before the actual feast started.

Definitely one of 2016's most memorable meals, and imo, totally deserving of its 2 Michelin stars. Indeed, the cuisine conceptualised by Chef Sebastian Lepinoy is exquisite, but kudos to the team for their outstanding level of service. True to its name, one does feel like a Friend when at Les Amis; Ruziq and his stellar team has both attention-to-detail and warm hospitality in spades.

Crack open the raspberry ice and find a treasure trove containing a multitude of fruity surprises (fizzy red grapes!). Perched atop is a pretty quenelle of pure, unadulterated honey ice cream.

Savoury ice cream, anyone? Loved the intense earthiness of the dehydrated porcini; popping rocks added a fun element as well. Served with milk skin and buttermilk curd, both were pretty mild tasting to complement the strong flavours of the ice cream.

{Salt Baked Poulet de Bresse}

As the friendly server cut through the salt baked charcoal loaf, a lotus leaf parcel was revealed and there it was, the chicken breast that's in a league of its own. Savoury chicken reduction was very delicious and permeated the succulent flesh, complemented by its umami seaweed covering. Paired with grilled leek flower, Tasmanian truffle & emulsion and "noodles" made entirely of egg yolk. Interesting tastes & textures, but the chicken was still the undisputed star of the show.