When it comes to the thriving culinary scene in Southeast Asia, there is one location that is stirring things up in a big way. We take you on a journey to one of Singapore’s most sought-after dining experiences at Restaurant André.
Singapore is known on many fronts as a leader within the region and this certainly holds true when mentioning the city-state’s a∞ninty for fine-dining. Award-winning chef and restaurant owner André Chiang, formerly at the helm of Jaan Par André at Singapore’s Swissotel The Stamford, first realized he wanted to be a chef at the tender age of 13. His mother was a chef managing a couple of Chinese restaruants in Japan where he developed a deep-seeded passion for cooking. The French-trained Taiwanese chef recalled, “One winter vacation I went to Japan for two months and started watching the cooking show, The Iron Chef, with Chef Hiroyuki Sakai.” After a two-month unpaid internship with The Iron Chef at the age of 16, he knew what he was destined to do. “I want to learn French cuisine with an Asian twist,” quipped the artistic and energetic Michelin-starred chef. That was all the inspiration he needed to catapult himself into the culinary world.
Arriving at the fringe of Chinatown, you will be greeted outside the retaurant by an attractive and friendly hostess. It is di∞cult not to notice the lone olive tree transplanted from the Mediterranean right in front of the restaurant. This tree serves as an inspiration to André and his team, with the olive serving as an icon for French and Mediterranean cuisine. “I want my restaurant to feel like home, not a commercial establishment. It was a di∞cult journey, but the tree has acclimatized itself to its new equatorial home.” This seemingly out-of-place tree serves as a welcome reminder that many of Singapore’s residents are transplants from other parts of the world. Chiang has also acclimatized himself to the people and the culture, “When I look at that tree outside my restaurant, it is a representation of myself, the tree is on my side.”
Restaurant André is open for lunch and dinner, boasting a relaxed atmoshere which attracts fine-dining enthusiasts the world over. The Singapore restaurant has quickly become a dining institution and has been featured in countless articles across the globe including, The New York Times, 10 Restaurants Worth a Plane Ride and Wallpaper magazine’s, One of the World’s Best Young Chef’s. André is very pleased with the success of his restaurant and enjoys the artistic freedom while offering a true artisan experience.
Chef Chiang offers a creative culinary approach with his “Octaphilosophy” set menu — Pure, Salt, Artisan, South, Texture, Unique, Memory, Terroir, preceeded by a set of canapés and finished by an artisan cheese platter and chocolate dessert. Octaphilosophy is a concept he has practised for several years with the eight elements constantly resurfacing on his menus. The menu will change with the seasons or be inspired by fresh produce, but the fundamental characteristics of the philosophy always remain.
I will not parade you through each course, but rather leave a bit to your imagination. Rest assured, each course plays with your senses. Perhaps my favourite of the eight-course set menu was Terroir, which included a rare serving of Japanese Wagyu from Omi. The petite fillet, served medium, was oak-smoked with praline of Cevenne onion and fresh tarragon. The beef is certainly special, as André explained — only 3% is exported to markets outside Japan. “I always like to find different produce that people are not familiar with and introduce different ingredients to guests. All the farmers make so much effort and are important to our success.” However, my dinner companions favored the course, Texture with squid ink risotto and Arborio rice crackers served on a black slate.
Chef Chiang’s greatest influence and inspiration came from his experiences while fine-tuning his craft in France where he spent nine years. “I am not the one that decides who cooks the vegetables. As an artist, I learn to adapt to the existing products and learn to enhance the natural flavors.” As reflected in his clay
creations and ambiance within Restaurant André, he believes that there is no such thing as a perfect dish. He also incorporates a keen sense of creativity into other aspects of the dining experience. This is apparent through a couple of the elegant table settings entirely designed and handmade by André himself.
Chef Chiang has an impressive collection of Michelin Guide books that he has accumulated over the years. “l went into an old bookstore, found a 1976 Guide (his birth year) and bought it for no reason,” he said with a smile. Then he stumbled upon more and a collection soon began dating back to 1966.
I had the privilege of taking a tour of the wine cellar and creative space upstairs before André departed for London to attend “The 50 Best Restaurants in the World” gathering — a five-day event of the world’s top culinary minds. Chef Chiang is so passionate about his food and restaurant that he closes his establishment in his absence. “I never take a holiday and this was a rare break for myself and my team. I don’t want to have a restaurant where the chef is not present,” said the
34-year old chef prior to his recent trip. His skilled team has been working together for more than eight years with each member just as passionate about food and art as the next. All the wines are meticulously selected and imported by André and his team. You will not find any commercial wines or champagnes, but all artisan boutique labels that are produced in limited quantities. These wines are highly unlikely to be found anywhere else on the market in Singapore. The wine list has the same characteristics of the food and this is a great reflection of the attention to detail offered by Chef Chiang and his staff. As a result of this, wine pairing can be a bit daunting, so the advice is to leave the selection to the entertaining Japanese service manager, Ken Hasegawa, who is eager to share his knowledge. The balcony adjacent to the 30-seat dining room serves as a relaxing lounge and offers additional seating for those wishing to get some fresh air or enjoy a fine cigar.
Chef Chiang and his team is fun, energetic and inspired by nature. His dream is to make people happy and enjoy their dining experience. With impressive service, all-natural ingredients and artisanal personality, Restaurant André is certainly worth a visit if you are a fine-dining enthusiast.
