#LesAmis #3MichelinStars #3michelinstars⭐️⭐️⭐️ #MichelinStarRestaurant #MichelinSingapore #FineDining
#LesAmis #3MichelinStars #3michelinstars⭐️⭐️⭐️ #MichelinStarRestaurant #MichelinSingapore #FineDining
#LesAmis #3MichelinStars #3michelinstars⭐️⭐️⭐️ #MichelinStarRestaurant #MichelinSingapore #FineDining
Mont blanc, éclair, canelé, chocolate
(Part of the La Carte Hiver Déjeuner 4-course $280)
Terrine of Foie gras in a balanced harmony of black truffle
(Part of the La Carte Hiver Déjeuner 4-course $280)
Velouté of mushrooms topped with cappuccino of mushroom and julienned black truffle, accompanied by truffle pain au lait
(Part of the La Carte Hiver Déjeuner 4-course $280)
(Hosted) At first glance, all seems to be the same at the ever elegant Three MICHELIN-Starred @lesamisrestaurant. But look a little closer and you will notice that the wallpaper has been replaced by fresh white marble powdered walls that are beguilingly cool to the touch and that you feel comfortably cool anywhere you are seated thanks to a new air-conditioning system. Lighting has also been re-designed to enhance the look and feel of the space. And in the Private Dining Room overlooking the kitchen, there is a custom-built, state-of-the-art cellar to hold their retail stock which includes French cheese, caviar from @kavisri_paris caviar (Les Amis is one of their biggest customers in the world) and the restaurant’s own line of housemade ice-creams.
Naturally, Executive Chef Sebastien Lepinoy has given their menu a revamp too. My host, Merissa Goh who heads Marketing and P.R. for the restaurant, and I had the “Le Menu Été Classique” ($375++ per pax) for lunch. With recommended pairings by Sommelier Fabien and the always top-notch service by Manoj Sharmahm and the team, it was nothing short of exceptional. Here is how it went:
1. Canapés and amuse bouche - Smoothly paced out were three stellar variations of the seasonal “Le Jardin de Rabeleis” tomato starting with a bavarois with bell pepper on an airy-light cheese puff pastry. The second, a favourite of mine and Merissa’s, had the tomato confit in extra virgin olive oil and seasoned in basil and thyme. The final variation was a chilled veloute that layered tomato soup seasoned with peppercorn and EVVO and cucumber in jelly and diced form. It came with a cute anchovy and basil croissant.
2. Bread and Butter - The legendary bread trolley of Les Amis does not quite fit in the Private Dining Room so a tray was brought in. I adored all the breads but the Sea Salt Brioche stole the biggest chunk of my heart. It’s so buttery it didn’t need any of the creamy and clean-tasting @beillevaire unpasteurised butter but that’s fine - more to spread on the other breads 😋😋.
3. Caviar - Resident Caviar Master Patrick Esteves had me hyperventilating with his trio of kaviari_paris caviar. Seems my visit couldn’t be more timely as the new Italian Sevruga caviar of which Les Amis has the lion’s share globally, had just arrived too. Patrick scooped generous helpings of each on mother-of-pearl spoons for us to savour in this sequence: the Oscietre (most briny), the Kristal (creamy and nutty) and the Sevruga (these tiny pearls which were the most complex and intense in flavour, comes from sturgeon fish found only in the waters of Italy).
4. “L’œuf poché en robe verte au caviar, navets glacés” - The other reason for the caviar sampling exercise was so I could choose one (I went for the Sevruga) to add to Chef Sebastien’s stunning new dish. A spin on an old classic that culinary students had to learn to perfect, it featured an immaculate poached egg with a “fountain of watercress” and crunchy turnip beneath.
5. French Sea Bass - Prepared in the Japanese-style of Ikejime to ensure its flesh is at its peak of tenderness and flavour, the fish was covered in paper-thin slices of mushrooms and served in Marinière sauce, surrounded by succulent mussels from the Mont-Saint-Michel Bay.
6. Wagyu Tenderloin - I found this utterly fabulous as the buttery tender beef was given brightness and crunch through a layer of aromats (think capers, mixed bell peppers, shallots and crispy onion rings). Enhancing the dish even more were a natural beef jus, the sweetest French carrots and salad of mixed herbs.
7. Cheese - After Resident Cheese Master Manoj presented the best of the season’s selection, we trusted him to curate a plate for us. And as always, it was perfect especially when accompanied by @chef_sebastien_lepinoy’s olive oil, some freshly baked bread (I love the new round fig rolls!) and the “off dry wine” Fabien chose.
8. Ice-cream - The flavours served in the restaurant are different from those you can buy to take home. So I had the Yogurt, the Pineapple & Rum (this had a strong alcoholic kick) and the Mixed Herbs with Lemon (very bold, it had quite a face-puckering effect on me - amazing palate cleanser though).
9. Dessert - A new creation, the almond-sprinkled Almond Soufflé with Cherries Jubilee (cherries in kirsch liqueur) and almond ice-cream was spectacular. I’d say it’s the best soufflé I’ve had there.
10. Petit Fours - Our 4-hour lunch came to a reluctant close in the loveliest way with in-season apricot tarts, canelés and housemade milk and dark chocolates.
Thank you so much Merissa for the invitation and for gracing me with your company.
Hadn’t really went all out with my meals recently — but when a friend has mentioned that he has made a reservation to celebrate an occasion in advance of two months and refuses to disclose the destination, guess one would just have to show up and let the surprise unravel anyway. And that’s how I found myself being in front of the doors of a 3 Michelin Star restaurant located by the street at Shaw Centre, waiting to enter as the clock strikes 12 noon for the signage to flip from “closed” to “open” (thanks for choosing this place, anyway).
There are quite a number of menus to choose from, but we found ourselves going for the Le Menu Été Dégustation — essentially the degustation menu that comprises of a selection of dishes which best represents the restaurant’s character as a French fine-dining establishment; a little of a splurge on our part, but was a well-made decision nonetheless. The dishes served up in the Le Menu Été Dégustation are as follows (in sequence):
- Amuse Bouche (three kinds);
- Assortment of breads
- Le homard bleu de Normandie en coraline à l’hulle d’olive extra vierge
- Les oursins sur un soufflé moelleux, sauce crustacée
- Étuvée de giroles <> au foie gras
- Le turbot sauvage de I’île d’Yeu, sauce Champagne au petit caviar <
- Le filet de Canard de Vendée, navet noveaux glacés
- Pre-dessert; Fresh Herbs Sorbet, Pineapple, Rum and Vanilla Sorbet
- La pêche blanche du Roussillon, pochée et servi en entremets
- Petit Fours
Our meal started off with the Amuse Bouche; small bites that opened our palates featuring tomatoes that are in seasoned which are sourced from France done in three ways — zingy and refreshing, whilst meeting savoury elements that effectively kicked the start of the meal and setting our expectations right. The breads were also impeccable; special love for the Sea Salt Brioche Feuilletee which was like a crossover of good croissant with its layered exterior and a brioche that is just suitably savoury, and goes very well with their luscious butter. If I have to pick between the starters to just mention about one single dish, the Les oursins sur un soufflé moelleux, sauce crustacée was hands-down my favourite — Sea Urchin Soufflé with Tarragon & Dill served alongside a crustacean sauce; an item conceptualised in a manner that I would have least expected for one that included sea urchin, and was not only delicate, yet bursts of the umami and natural sweetness of the various seafood exceptionally well. The Le filet de Canard de Vendée, navet noveaux glacés; essentially Roasted Challans Duck Breast from Vendée with glazed summer turnips and duck jus was also perfect — probably the biggest portion of duck breast I have seen on my plate, not to mention how it is so incredibly tender, juicy and not particularly gamey; carried the slight savouriness of the poultry so well with a slight tang from the jus that was poured in whilst being served. Was also truly impressed with their pre-dessert; had a fun time guessing the five herbs that went into the Fresh Herbs sorbet, but it was the use of vanilla beans in a sorbet that really left the mark for me since vanilla-flavoured ice-creams typically exists only in milk-based formats. Would really like to write about every single dish given how every item seem to have continuously and constantly impressed, bringing the gastronomical experience higher as we sat through the three-hour long meal, but I would be busting Instagram caption limits that way I guess.
Have heard a lot of Les Amis before making this visit, and the impression I was often given is how Les Amis tend to be a spot that is a little more classic in its approach and execution. That being said, do not mistake Les Amis as a formal establishment that feels dated in the food that they served up. If anything, we were more than impressed with how the dishes served were nothing short of being current with the times in terms of preparation and plating, not to mention that there is an onslaught of caviar and the use of premium ingredients with most of the dishes that resonates with the price tag. Les Amis is an establishment that is very deserving of its status as a 3 Michelin Star restaurant — from its attentive service where they were able to accede to our request, to how each and every dish seems to be so perfectly done that makes it one of the most well-rounded fine dining experiences I have ever had. It’s that place I would probably be dreaming of visiting on an occasion, and one that I am likely to fulfil if my wallet ever allows for it again.
I celebrated my birthday last week at the iconic Les Amis! I was SO excited about this meal, given that it’s a three Michelin starred restaurant and it didn’t disappoint.
We opted for the 3-course at $155/pax and although some dishes were definitely more of a hit than others, we still enjoyed the meal overall 😋 Plus, there were so many complimentary dishes that it ended up feeling like a 10 course meal rather than a 3 course! 😂
We started with a complimentary starter - a thin, crispy shell topped with sliced mushrooms and truffle. This was so incredibly light and delicate, and was gone within two bites 🤪
We then had our Entrées served - my partner opted for the 𝐋𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐄𝐭 𝐋𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞 𝐄𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞 [supplement of $40]. This dish was so beautifully plated, with alternating layers of mushrooms & black truffle on petals of roseval potatoes.
I on the other hand, went for the 𝐋𝐚 𝐍𝐨𝐢𝐱 𝐃𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭-𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐃’𝐄𝐫𝐪𝐮𝐲 𝐀 𝐋’𝐄𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞. This consisted of a single slow roasted scallop handpicked by a diver off the coast of Erquy. It was mindblowingly good - I’ve never had a scallop so tender and fresh.
We then moved onto our mains. For this, we chose the 𝐋𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐃𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬, 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐲, roasted challans duck breast from vendee with ginger-caramel pear.
The other main I had was the 𝐋𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐞𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐃’𝐈𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐲 “𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐭”, the heart of isigny salmon gently cooked & accompanied with civet sauce. The salmon heart was so ridiculously tender and almost had a dory-like texture.
Le Clementine: variation of Clementine from corsica in a refreshing candied peel.
Very refreshing final dessert course to end of our wonderful meal and experience at Les Amis!
Yes, we're extremely satisfied by this point but you gotta have this chocolate tart! As the saying goes, there is always room for dessert ;)
After 9 dishes, we reach the 3rd course in our 3 course + dessert menu.
Oven roasted challans duck breast served with jus gras & pear 🍐
