4xFOUR

The man behind the dishes. Marrying Japanese attention to detail with French Flair, his dishes are simple but delightful. The flavours of each prized ingredient shines through and is pleasing to the eye, like a work of art. I'll definitely want to visit Sola when I'm in Paris just so that I can experience a dinner like that again.

I'm guessing the crisps on the plate are made of taiyaki batter, topped with something reminiscent of corn flakes, a thick piping of chestnut cream, sprinkled with icing sugar and a really rich dark chocolate base. The sweetness from the chestnut cream and the sugar paired really well with the bittersweet taste of the dark chocolate. While the crisps and flakes added a much needed texture for the flavours of the dessert to soak in and linger in your mouth.

Similar to the sea bream dish earlier, the desserts were also placed at the edge of the plate for the same reason. Yuzu sauce dripped across the plate, a very rich milk foam over vanilla bean ice cream, atop a yuzu cream pie. Based on personal preference, I thought that the crust could perhaps taste less egg-y but otherwise, this was an excellent dessert.

For those who did not opt out of the beef, they got the exact same thing as the Wagyu Beef with Truffle, except that the beef was changed to chicken. Really tender(I'm guessing sous vide) chicken placed atop the same creamy rich risotto, marmite/dark soya sauce dressing and shaved white truffle. This reminded me of the chicken rice that Chef Alvin Leung of Bo Innovation created and I would choose this over the current Singapore version of chicken rice any day. Also, I think if I had to pay $20 or more for chicken rice, I would choose a dish like this over chatterbox without any hesitation.

The only complaint that I have about this dish is that it wasn't enough. Slices of beautifully marbled wagyu given a quick seat on the pan, shaved white truffle, creamy rich risotto with a marmite/dark soya sauce dressing. Everything was perfect.

Why is it plated so strangely? Well according to the waiter, who said he asked the chef the same question, the answer is: it makes it easier for you to slice it if it's at the far end of the plate. There was a very lovely mustard/wasabi dressing on the side, along with dollops of a special mayonnaise by the chef, grilled asparagus and slices of turnip to accompany sea bream. I really liked how the sea bream had a really charred flavour to it without being burnt or overcooked. The texture was form but chewy and managed to capture a really unique smokey and charred taste.

I know this isn't a really clear picture but the black thing you see in the bowl is something like a blended mushroom sauce where you still taste bits of mushroom. I think the foam used here was codfish as well. And the foie gras was pan seared perfectly. As soon as you bite into the foie gras, it just melts into your mouth, treating your tastebuds to a type of sweetness that is truly unique to this delicacy. The lusciously soft egg custard (chawanmushi) blends in and you just keep taking mouth after mouth until you realise that your bowl is unfortunately, empty.

One of the things I look forward to when eating a meal like this is being blown away by the sheer ingenuity of the chef. I mean how good can a piece of scallop taste? And then I always end up finding my answer with the first bite of the dish. This is why these chefs have earned themselves michelin stars.

Hokkaido Scallop topped with codfish foam, deep fried pumpkin crisps and pumpkin purée. The sweetness of the pumpkin purée complemented the sweet taste of fresh pan seared Hokkaido scallop. Topped with cod fish foam and deep fried pumpkin crisps, this was layer after different layer of bliss.

Icy cold fresh tomatoes, melons shaped in balls, mango foam, sliced radish and generous thick pieces of Homard lobster. Each bite was certainly refreshing and just made you want more. As far as starters go, Chef Hiroki Yoshitake seems to be on the right track.

What a great way to start the meal! The slight acidity of the balsamic vinegar, the crunchiness of the radish (which I suspect may have been soaked in beetroot juice) and the amazing freshness and light taste of the tuna belly came together to create a sublime dish for the first course! The appetiser definitely whetted my appetite.

Fresh salmon roe atop a salmon tartare, placed on a rye taco, with a juniper basket. A well balanced flavour between the salmon roe, tartare which was excellent by the way, and the rye taco, which wasn't overly salty. Not really sure if the juniper basket affected the taste of the taco but this was a really great starter.

Frozen beets, dried beet raisins, rye, all on a bed of yogurt. The texture of the yogurt was heavenly: a slightly firmer texture of creme fraiche but just as light. Each mouth I took consisted of the chewiness and sweetness from the beets together with the crunchy rye and the fluffy texture of the yogurt. They formed an amazing combination that I would gladly eat all day.