Odette Julien Royer

Ever since the closure of Joel Robuchon Sentosa and Restaurant Andre, Odette is arguably the best restaurant in Singapore in terms of serving modern French cuisine; Les Amis should be the island's finest delivering classic French fine dining. Odette, opened in the late 2015, was the collaboration of its patron chef, Julian Royer with the Lo and Behold group. It took me some times to have a full meal here because as I observed online, the dishes served at Odette were very similar to the ones Chef Royer created during his days at Jaan. I expected a few years after the opening, Julien Royer would establish his own style given the freedom / power that he has as the owner of the restaurant. I was invited for a business lunch (it was satisfying) earlier in the Spring of 2017, then more than a year later, that's when I decided it's time to have a dinner to savor supposedly Chef Royer's "most proper meal".  

Restaurant Odette is named after Julien Royer's maternal grandmother who taught him a lot about respecting top produce / seasonal ingredients and cooking fundamentals. 5 years has passed since my dinner at Jaan ... I found Chef Royer was more confident and the cuisine has evolved. Nowadays, his cooking received some influence from Japanese cuisine and he often used Japan's top ingredients. In addition, he was more bold about taking advantage of utilizing Asian spices on the dishes. Julien Royer (still) liked to start the meal with the 'same' amuse-bouche: mushroom tea with Cep sabayon and Cep brioche. It was consistently good, creamy and tasty with earthy mushroom flavors and rather flaky brioche. For the bread, I tried 3 flavors - onion chestnut, black truffle brioche and sour dough - they're accompanied by normal butter as well as butter with pork lard and pancetta. Odette provided 2 tasting menu and I picked the non-vegetarian one. Below was more details info about my meal: 

The Tasting Menu

Hokkaido Uni served with Spot prawn tartare, Mussel cloud and Royal Schrenckii caviar - Prawn tartare and sea urchin have been proven as a potent combination, however the highlight for me was more of the airy and creamy mussel cloud that delightfully balanced and held other elements together. On the side, there was squid ink toast with uni on top - I truly tasted the sweetness of uni here more than the one inside its shell; a wonderful appetizer with plenty of umami flavors.

Trondheim Bay Scallop served with Horseradish, white balsamic, Pickled onion and dill - The fresh bay scallops were sliced and served a la sashimi accompanied by seaweed butter & rice cracker. The green 'sauce' below was horseradish while the dill oil was on top. It was simple and clean with a little sweetness; an interesting dish but would not be my favorite way to prepare scallops.

Heirloom Beetroot Variation served with Salt-baked beetroot, Stracciatella 'artigiana', and Honey - Eating a better beetroot than the one served at L'Arpege was nearly impossible. However, the kitchen played smart by presenting differently and adding more elements. For instance, the soft and silky Stracciatella gave some sweet and milky flavors that somehow worked well with the beetroot. The combination of honey, pomegranates and smoked beetroot were quite tasty. The frozen & gelato beet were not as bad as I thought. Overall, it was a very satisfying and well-deserved signature dish though I don't necessarily want to repeat it for the next time.

Organic Egg Capellini served with Light Comte cream, Hokkaido uni and White Alba truffle - It has been a trend for many high end restaurants recently to ask for supplement for dishes involving truffles; Odette practiced such method as well. The positive consequence was that the Alba truffle shavings were usually generous. Moreover, it was of good quality in terms of both flavor and aroma. The pasta was solid with decent taste, somewhat al dente but unfortunately really 'sticky'. The sauce consisted of 24-month old Comte cream and a little hint of chicken jus was light and delicious whereas the sea urchin was barely noticeable (perhaps only as an accent to the dish). A rather sophisticated pasta dish with satisfying flavors but with a little issue on the capellini's texture.

Foie Gras 'Comme Un Pho' served with Jade tiger abalone, Bbq eel dashi and Yuzu - The eel was torched in front of the guest; the abalone was so little that it's "almost irrelevant". The variations of clean & light dashi with several vegetables (such as spring onions, mints, coriander, tarragon, nasturtium leaves etc.) induced the idea of pho. The soup with fragrant veggies and a few layers of textures was my favorite part of this dish while the duck liver in a hot soup, made it less 'fatty'. Chef Royer seemed to like serving foie gras inside some kind of broth even several years ago in Jaan.

Wild Atlantic Turbot served with Butternut squash, Yari ika and Thai veloute - The beautifully cooked Turbot was kinda tasteless / under seasoned but it had flaky & lovely texture. The tender squid was slightly sweet and the mussel was alright. The main flavor of the dish was mainly derived from the moist Thai veloute and a little mussel jus. Many high quality ingredients were good but I did not find they worked too well together with the (strong Asian-influenced) sauce here.

Pigeon 'Beak To Tail' served with Jerusalem artichoke, Kampot pepper and Black garlic - This dish has always been the pride of Julien Royer. It was sourced from Brittany, specifically from Fabien Deneour. The bird was first grilled, then smoked. It was meticulously cooked with pepper, rosemary and garlic. After a short presentation, the kitchen would later prepare the pigeon in 3 ways.
The breast part was perfectly executed - tender and flavorful. The addition of delicately aromatic and mildly spicy/sweet Kampot pepper covering the meat made it almost ethereal. The crisp leg confit was tasty as well. Lastly, the liver parfait with a little sherry vinegar, pigeon jus as well as Jerusalem artichoke completed the overall enjoyment of this remarkable dish. It was even better than Chef Royer's hay roasted Bresse pigeon in the past.

Lemon Tart served with Sable breton, Meyer lemon and Basil - The crunchy Sable breton became the base for this dessert. The pleasant & tangy Meyer lemon curd was a bit sweet. The Basil could be detected on the white foam and sorbet. It might not reach the high note of earlier dishes, but it was a decent dessert to close the degustation menu at Odette. 

The service at Odette was above average when compared to other restaurants at similar level in Singapore. The front team managed to strike a balance between being formal and friendly; the staffs (even at the junior levels - the ones without any jacket/blazer) were warm and sincere. When explaining the dishes, they were confident and not robotic. The conversation sometimes involved the personal view / sharing from the team, indeed a few small details often made a difference. The wine selection was quite good. Since I usually only drank 2 glasses, my concern was more about the "pairing". I had a glass of 2016 white Sancerre and a glass of 2013 red Cote Rotie.

Besides JR restaurant under Chef Danzaki, I think this was my most delicious French meal in Singapore - technical-wise, Andre might be more superior, but I was more fond of the taste at Odette. I might not love all of them, but the signature dishes here such as the pigeon, beetroot and uni caviar were remarkable. The problem was probably that if Julien Royer is unable or unwilling to make changes and create new dishes that are at least equally flavorful, I would hesitate to return anytime soon as I usually like trying new items. It's not wrong to keep the same dishes over the years (including mushroom tea, rosemary smoked egg etc.), but I'm afraid the current state might not be sufficient to earn the 3rd Michelin star. For the pictures, please click Odette Autumn '18

Food (and Wine): 95 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 94 pts 

Overall: 94.5/100

Hashida Sushi Singapore

Hashida Sushi in Kachidoki Tokyo was the original branch of Hashida Sushi Singapore, now located on the 4th floor of Mandarin Gallery. It might be lesser known in Tokyo when compared to Jiro, Saito or Sawada, but Hashida was supposedly a good sushi-ya too and Tokio Hashida was a senior and respectable (master) chef. Established in 2013, Hashida Sushi quickly rose as one of the prominent sushi-yas in Singapore. I was invited for a business lunch before and it did not disappoint indeed. I had planned to come for dinner, but often I found that Kenjiro Hashida (the son of Tokio-san and often called 'Hatch') was not present on my preferred date. He travels to Japan every 1-2 months, in particular to visit his suppliers. He wanted to make sure that his Singapore restaurant would consistently receive ingredients having high quality and good variety. His menu truly was dependent on the produce he received that week. In early Summer 2017, finally all stars were aligned and I managed to have a dinner and be seated in front of Kenjiro Hashida himself. The restaurant was bigger than many sushi-ya you would normally find in the island. The decor had some mixtures of modern and heritage elements; it was Zen-like with bright light and the counter made of fine cypress wood. Hashida was quite known for its secret sauce. The nikiri and nitsume used the special family recipe dated back to more than 100 years ago ... they were indeed very good. The omakase menu here had a very clear sequence: one would start with an array of appetizers followed by numerous sushi and a small / simple dessert in the end. Here what I had for my dinner:  

Appetizers

Tofu, Uni and Okra - The first course at most gastronomy restaurants usually was something refreshing and easy on the palate to whet our appetite. At Hashida, the chef created green bean tofu (whose texture was balanced between silky and slightly dense) served with creamy uni, sticky lady fingers as well as light tomato 'soup'. Only at the start ... yet the uni already appeared :)
Flatfish maki with gluten-free tofu - The fish 'roll' was mild with fine texture. It was in contrast to the firmer tofu. The sesame miso sauce was delicate and nicely absorbed by the watery winter melon. A good dish with clean flavor

Sashimi - The sashimi for the night consisted of:
Clean & light Hirame (Flounder), tender Mizu Tako (Water Octopus), delicious Chutoro (Medium fatty Tuna) and a bit firm yet sweet Hotate (Scallop) - satisfying selection
Uni with Shiro Ebi - the Uni was actually one of the strength of Hashida Sushi. Hatch-san served the moist and flavorful Murasaki uni (purple Sea urchin) in the whole shell. It was served and enhanced with the sweet white shrimp and balanced by the soup stock jelly. A harmonious dish & full of umami flavors - scrumptious!

Katsuo - The bottom one, the Bonito was smoked and more cooked inside (fragrant and flavorful) while the top piece, the bonito was skin-torched / seared on the outside and still raw inside (fresher but a bit bitter). The Katsuo was balanced by thinly sliced cucumbers, enhanced by garlic and shoyu sauce and accompanied by green yuzu to give a round taste. The fish was really meaty & satisfying
Kinmedai - The Golden eye Snapper, in sashimi form, was warm and served with its rich liver inside chef's special sauce (prepared with sake, mirin, etc.). The texture was neither too soft nor firm. The wasabi and sweet sauce 'improved' the already flavorful Kinmedai

Ayu with Ankimo - There were actually a few things here: the signature Monkfish liver was delicate in texture but robust in taste; the tako was very tender yet light in flavor. The Sweetfish was deboned and wrapped inside deep fried yuba - unusual preparation for ayu, it was decent but a bit 'fishy'. The dish was also served with okahijiki (land seaweed), kinda crispy and peppery. There was also a green sauce made of rhubarb, avocado, buttery dill, and pine nut. Have fun to try and mix a few things together!
Tsubugai - The Whelk, served with its liver sauce, was crunchy and naturally sweet. It was served with fresh eggplant tempura, battered sweet corn and fermented shitake mushroom ice cream (smooth texture but not too keen on its taste)

Mushi Awabi with Seaweed sauce - The Abalone was slowly steamed until they became tender and juicy - pure, simple, delicious. The healthy seaweed sauce could be intense if you put too much of it
Zuwai-gani and Nodoguro - Both the Snow Crab and Black throat Seaperch were carefully steamed in bamboo leaves. The texture was delicate and the taste was clean - quite nice
Saba - The Mackerel was lightly grilled and served with yuzu as well as chef's specialty sauce. The flesh was rare, meaty and fragrant; the secret sauce made the saba tastier

Sushi

Ika (pristine Cuttlefish with lime) - A bit crunchy; the sudachi highlighted the ika's flavor
Tai (Seabream marinated with Kombu seaweed) - Hashida-san used 2 slices of Tai to create this morsel; umami and fatty with good texture
Botan Ebi (Botan prawn) - The large shrimp was glistening with a bit of wasabi inside and brushed with the chef's sauce. It was delicious and almost soft yet held itself well

Kampachi (Amberjack) - clean and rather chewy (Chef cut kampachi into a few thin slices). The neta + shari were not too compact; this made the rice 'sweeter'
Tairagai (Torched Pen Shell with uni-mixed shari) - It was a bit firm, having a light taste, distinctly bitter with subtle sweetness
Akami-zuke (marinated Tuna) - fresh, tasty but a bit acidic due to the 'extra' squeezed sudachi

Kamasu (Aburi baby Barracuda) - a smoky and juicy fish with bold flavors; one of the unique sushi served at Hashida and it looked beautiful .. check out the picture
Nodoguro (Cooked Seaperch) - tender, rich in taste and oil with some smoky flavor; enjoyable
Soup - served with scallop and fish cake; good and rather unexpected to be served at this point
 
Ikura Uni don - Instead of sushi, Hashida-san preferred to present the heavenly Sea urchin and juicy Salmon roes with rice this way. The portion was generous and I could eat this rice bowl again and again ... easily
Anago (Saltwater Eel) - soft & crumble in the mouth, moreover it's pleasantly sweet due to the vintage tsume from the Hashida-san's family

Otoro (very fatty Tuna) - Kenjiro-san prepared this nigiri differently .. he sliced several layers thinly across the grain, this made the amount of Otoro was much more than what one would normally eat. It was really marbled, sublime and very umami. As soon as I chewed it, I would straight find the shari - super smooth, soft and 'oily' otoro. The best piece and the chef saved it for (nearly) last
Kama Toro (Fatty Tuna cheek) - Hashida-san partially grilled the toro, then he put some horseradish (to clean any intense flavor) and bonito flake (to intensify the taste) inside the neta. Again, the amount of Kama Toro was overwhelming, which I didn't mind. This nigiri was so sumptuous that I hardly 'recognized' the shari - divine

Dessert - There were 3 kinds:
Musk melon (sweet but a bit firm), Milk ice cream with honey and Mochi (it had chocolate, strawberry and red bean inside; the outer texture was good and the taste was alright)

It was not a busy evening. I was in the main dining room with 6 other diners.The meal was well-paced and Kenjiro Hashida was quite chatty, funny and sometimes a bit sarcastic, so there's hardly any dull moment despite eating alone and had minimal interaction with other guests. I only had hot ocha for my drink and the waitress was never late to re-fill it. The service staffs were warm, gracious and polished. I heard that Hashida-san trained both the kitchen and the front staffs to ensure a seamless dining experience. Although the core of his sushi was Edomae style, the food here, especially the otsumami, was more contemporary. The chef put extra attention to the presentation yet he still carefully balanced the traditional cooking with some artistic flair; in addition to being delicious. This was the kind of freedom that Hatch did not have when he was working at his father's restaurant in Tokyo. While I may like my meal slightly better at Shoukouwa (under chef Masa), I was puzzled that Hashida Sushi received no Michelin star. In my opinion, it's deserved at least 1-star ... based on my past meals, Hashida was certainly better than Sushi Ichi and on par with Shinji by Kanesaka. Here are the pictures: Hashida Jun '17  

Food: 94 pts

Service: 93 pts

Overall: 93.5/100

Shoukouwa Singapore

Singapore is never short of high quality Japanese restaurants. As a matter of fact, every year, there are capable and native Japanese chefs opening new elite dining places in the island. The latest addition that probably caught even many seasoned foodies and critics alike off guard was a tiny sushi-ya at One Fullerton named Shoukouwa. Approximately 5 months only after the opening, Michelin awarded this sushi place 2-star (pretty unusual practice by the red guide book). It may not be completely "new" since the head chef was Masakazu Ishibashi, a Hokkaido native. He is the master chef of Ginza sushi ichi group - he occasionally had special events a few times here annually in the past. However, since the opening of Shoukouwa, Ishibashi-san has spent most of his time these days in Singapore. He stands behind the counter regularly and rarely lets other chefs to serve sushi to the diners. When Chef Ishibashi is off or visiting other sushi ichi branches in Asia, he would especially fly in his colleague from Tokyo to be the temporary chef de cuisine as Shoukouwa. Like many other high-end sushi-yas in Japan, this place only offered omakase; there are 2 kinds and guests can choose whether they want to have the shorter version or a longer one. To fully experience the best of the chef's creations, I opted the most comprehensive one - menu Hana. After a few snacks, the chef served some sushi and mixed them accordingly. Ishibashi-san wanted to make sure that diners would not feel full if he gave the sushi only towards the end (I will arrange the otsumami and sushi separately below for easier reading). 

Kabura mushi (Steamed Eel with grated turnip/radish, wasabi and some other vegetables) - A traditional Japanese appetizer, typically served during a cold season. Quite a decadent opening. The steamed stuffs were tasty and relatively sweet with a touch of 'hot' wasabi while the aromatic dashi was also pleasant
Sashimi platter - My 'Sakana' consisted of:
-Kawahagi (Filefish) wrapping its liver - succulent and creamy
-Mirugai (Geoduck) - very crunchy and a little sweet
-Saba (Mackerel) - flavorful with distinct fishy aroma; a versatile fish
Nodoguro (Slightly seared Black throat Sea Perch served with soy sauce, leek, ginger flower etc.) - The Nodoguro was fresh, tender, and delicious with slightly crispy skin (good texture). The mixed of chopped vegetables gave interesting taste variations though a bit too strong for my taste 

Hokkaido Kegani (Hairy crab served with jelly sauce and a bit of shark's fin) - A fresh, meaty and refined kegani with its natural sweetness; it went along nicely with the flavorful sauce; awesome!
Cooked Tachiuo (Silver Scabbard fish served with tuna belly) - After slightly grilled, the Tachiuo became softer, still meaty in light flavor. The tuna here, however, was rather mediocre - tender but rather flat in its taste
Kaki no Shiraae (Persimmons in tofu sauce) - It's deliciously awesome! The sauce was versatile and I imagined it would be suitable to be paired with other fruits. This dish can be a dessert too

Crab croquette - This deep-fried croquette had a nice crisp and light crust while the inside, in contrast, was filled with rich & velvety creams, cheese and muddy crab meats - rather too intense / rich for me
Awabi don with "matcha sauce" - The Chiba abalone was sake-braised, thickly sliced and slowly steamed for several hours. The result was a tender and delicate abalone (barely chewy) with slightly sweet and buttery taste. The 'green-tea' sauce, made from a mixture of awabi's liver, miso, egg & oil, was delicious with little bitter flavor and certainly elevated the overall flavor. The shari could be used to wiped out any left over sauce ... I wish to have a second helping for this outstanding dish 
Uni, Ikura and Gohan (Sushi rice topped with Sea urchin, Salmon roes & wasabi) - No kani this time since we had plenty of crab earlier. To compensate, Masa-san gave us generous amount of ikura. A dish that was full of decadence: rich, sweet, creamy, fresh, delicious & balanced. It's usually served towards the end of the omakase

Kinmedai (Golden-eye snapper) - rather sweet with unique texture; decent
Shima Aji (Striped horse mackerel) - good texture and quite fishy but in a good way. It was full of flavor explosion and went well with red vinegar shari
Buri (Yellow tail) - the left one in 'sashimi' form was smoky and flavorful; the right one in sushi form was oily and delectable
Akami Zuke (Marinated lean tuna) - the soy sauce/sake and red vinegar rice brought out the maguro's natural sweetness
Chutoro (Medium fatty tuna, aged for 10 days) - a marvelous piece; succulent and luscious!

Shimo Furi? (In-between Chutoro and Otoro) - A refined, smooth and delicious cut with the right texture and temperature. The red vinegar rice optimized the toro's flavor
Kama Toro (Lightly seared back-cheek part of Bluefin tuna aka 'gill flesh') - very marbled with elegant taste
Uni (Sea water Sea urchin in gunkan style) - cold, creamy and sweet as expected
Sayori (Half beak) - clean, quite soft, sweet & delightful
Akagai (Ark shell) - top quality, pleasantly chewy with deep flavor

Katsuo (Bonito) - Fatty (in the Fall), fresh & fine; scallions gingers were used to reduce some smell
Anago (Salt water eel glazed with 'sweet' sauce) - delicate and delicious
Negitoro Temaki (Chopped toro with spring onions and sushi rice wrapped by crunchy seaweed) - tasty flavor variations; good
Tamago (Omelette) - sweet and milky but a bit 'sticky'; still enjoyable

Miso soup - served with clam and wakame; above average
Kudamono - Musk melon and pears. High quality of sweet & watery Japanese fruits

The food was generally very good in particular the sushi. Most (if not all) pieces were nearly flawlessly prepared and executed. The fish/seafood had the right texture, temperature and was well seasoned/'sauced'. Masakazu Ishibashi used 2 different shari: the one with white vinegar was applied to lighter & cleaner (white) fishes while the one with red vinegar was utilized for fattier & more flavorful items such as some different cuts of maguro. For the drink, due to the expensive meal, I only had a hot ocha in which the staffs never failed to refill. The service was similar to my experience at Ki-sho. Staffs (all of them were gentlemen wearing suits) were warmed, observant and discreet but they're always ready to respond tp any questions or needs you have. Chef Masakazu was also easy going, comforting and modest. He liked entertaining diners and helped a group of Mexican businessmen with restaurant recommendation in Japan. Overall, the atmosphere was relatively casual. The main downside of the experience was probably Shoukouwa's dining room. It's small, had no windows and lacked any interesting decor. Besides a private room for 6-people, the counter only accommodated 8 people (fully booked on that day) at most and the dinner was divided into two time slots. A future return to this place is likely and as of now, Shoukouwa immediately has become among my top 3 favorite restaurants in Singapore. Well done Michelin Singapore! Please follow this link for the meal's pictures: Shoukouwa Nov '16

Food: 95 pts

Service: 94 pts

Overall: 94.5/100

  

Ki-sho Singapore - 3rd & 4th visit

After a couple of years since my last visit, Ki-sho (whose name means "Aristocratic Craftsmanship") seems no longer to be a hidden gem among foodies. For instance, during my 3rd visit that fell on Friday, the counter was fully occupied (12 diners max). Moreover, the two private rooms upstairs, comfortably accommodating 20 people or so, were also full and often noisy. Several Italian and German sport cars (nearly 10 of those) were found at the Ki-sho's relatively big parking space. Despite a very busy & crowded evening, the affable and capable Head chef Kazuhiro Hamamoto did not look panic at all. He looked totally in control of the whole situation; he still managed to engage with every single guest in the sushi bar more than once. At the same time, he was also preparing several plates of nigiri sushi himself for diners in the private rooms. It's always fun when you can have a great meal and concurrently you could observe how the chef(s) preparing the food.

This report was a delayed report of my last 2 meals at Ki-sho. Both of them, as expected, were excellent. In these subsequent visits, I had a chance to savor plenty of new savory creations by Chef Hamamoto (including sushi variations). The omakase at Ki-sho truly fits my Japanese cuisine taste: Kyoto-style & seasonal kaiseki dishes; Edomae + sometimes innovative sushi (serving arguably the best "kai/shell" morsel in the island); lots of uni & toro, Japanese wagyu beef and western high quality / luxurious ingredients. I'm not sure where I could find all of those combinations in one place, not only in Asia but also in the whole world. Although Michelin Singapore guide decided to 'ignore' this place this year, I doubt it would change my view of Ki-sho. This will remain my main dining destination when I visit Singapore. Given Kazuhiro-san's passion, skills and drive for excellence, I expect every meal(s) I will have at Ki-sho in the future will consistently still be exquisite. In the mean time, these were my other omakase reports ...

3rd meal - Nov '15        

Kaiseki

Appetizer 1: Home made yuba, black pumpkin and shaved white truffle - Served with tonburi, gingko and wasabi. A vegetarian dish introducing several different layers of textures and flavors. The yuba was creamy & nutty; the pumpkin was delicate; the dark color seed had caviar-like texture. The alba truffle added decent pungent aroma & flavor while the wasabi put a little kick. There were so many things in such a small bowl ...  
Appetizer 2: Hotate and tara shirako 'sauce' - Served with ikura and radish. Another seasonal opening - the fresh hotate with its natural flavor was combined with mild & sweet cod milt, tasty salmon egg and some vegetables (kelp, mountain yam). It was pleasant and balanced; overall, the dish was not cloying at all

(Shredded) Seiko gani served with uni, egg jelly, nori, and gari in yuzu sauce - The 'queen crab' might be smaller than its male counterpart, nevertheless it was about as good in particular when it's integrated with the umami flavors of sea urchin, fresh sour jelly + yuzu as well as seaweed + ginger. A delicious and refreshing dish - it seduced my palate that made me 'wanting' for more food
Tai Sashimi served with shaved white truffle - Simple and delicious! The top quality & subtle raw sea bream was integrated by aromatic and 'woody' Alba truffle. An excellent match of the sea and the earth

Soup: Kabu with grilled nodoguro - A clean, clear and delectable broth with some Tai flavor. The Kyoto turnip was fresh & mild but deep in flavor while the nicely grilled (black throat) sea perch was awesome: fragrant & crisp skin, tender & meaty flesh - simply delicious
Grilled Hokkaido Shishamo - The (salt water) Willow leaf fish/Smelt was crunchy and it still had its liver and plenty of eggs inside. First time eating this ... It had a fine flavor with no sign of any bitterness; the eggs were surprisingly tasty. An enjoyable dish

Shirako tempura - A saver/less adventurous way to enjoy the Japanese delicacy of Cod sperm sac. Nevertheless, it was well executed. The milt was lightly battered and piping hot; inside, it was still milky and smooth with natural sweetness and enough hint of the sea. Liked it - the purist may prefer if the shirako is uncooked (often served with ponzu) to have a more burst of creamy & richer flavor
Toriyama beef sukiyaki served with leeks, Nagoya cochin eggs and shaved white truffle - The beef (from Gunma prefecture) was very tender and delicious. By itself, it's already good but Kazuhiro-san brought an additional dimension to this traditional dish by adding luxurious shaved & earthy truffles and more humble & effective leeks to bring down any "richness"

Sushi

Shiro ebi (White / glass shrimps) - well marinated, sweet with tender texture
Kinmedai (Splendid alfonsino) - delicate with plenty of 'fat' and (subtle) umami flavor
Akami zuke (Marinated lean tuna) - aging for 17 days. Beautiful red color with smooth texture and delicious taste; matched well with the sushi-meshi
Botan ebi (Botan shrimp) - fresh, very sweet and juicy

'Kotoro' (In between Chu and O toro) - great color in soft texture (buttery and melt in the mouth) as well as tasty + quite fatty
Buri (A mature Yellow tail from Sado island) - aged for 1 week. It was fatty with deep flavor
O-toro ("Fatties" part of tuna belly) - aged for 17 days. A very fine and marbled piece; as expected it was luxurious, flavorful and 'melting'
Taraba-gani (Charcoal grill king crab) - served generously. I prefer consuming this delicious crab in nigiri sushi form. The hot king crab was contrasted with the room-temperature shari; the thick meat was indeed satisfying. Love this piece very much!

Grilled Nodoguro (Rosy sea bass/sea perch) - Chef Hamamoto was a bit playful here; he also put (in small portion) of preserved yuzu, sea salt and green chili to balance the rich, fat and flavorful nodoguro. The skin was fragrant and tasty too
Buri Otoro (Grilled fatty Tuna) - By doing this, the fat (& muscle) of the toro became even softer. It's literally melting and bursting with umami flavor in my mouth. Raw or grilled? Why choose if you can have both ways ..
Hida-gyu roll - Served with bafun uni, slow cooked egg yolk and wasabi. What can I say? Simply exquisite ... These (sinful) combination generated harmonious and delicious experience: moist & smokey beef, sweet sea urchin, salty yolk and a 'kick' from wasabi. Wow!

Mirugai (Giant clam) - firm and crunchy, at the same time it was distinctly sweet with light sea flavor
Tsubugai (Whelk / Ezobora sushi) - crunchy, refreshing with ocean's sweetness
Anago (Roasted conger eel with sweet sauce aka tsume) - It was really soft and very flavorful rich but not cloying

Others

Bafun uni gohan served with ikura, shiro ebi, chopped toro and wasabi - A very decadent dish! It was one of Ki-sho's classic dish. A heavenly "risotto" was enhanced by flavor burst of salmon roe, sweet small shrimp, fatty tuna and fresh green horseradish. Pretty much perfect ...
Chopped raw Awabi served with red abalone's liver paste, sea urchin, rice, and wasabi - Chef Hamamoto generally prefers his abalone served raw due to its freshness and crunchy texture. Mixed all of the ingredients above for the fantastic experience in the palate - crisp awabi, sweet uni, creamy & delicate liver, vinegared shari and slightly hot wasabi - this instantly became one of my favorite items at Ki-Sho
Kyoto white miso soup served with goma tofu - The soup was tasty and a bit mild; it went along well with the thicker but smooth sesame bean curd. This implied that the adventure was about to end

4th meal - Jun '16   

Kaiseki

Appetizer 1: Ayu, junsai, ikura and (late) Spring vegetables - Eating something refreshing to tantalize our palate at the beginning was an 'ideal' way to begin a meal. Here, the sweetfish was fresh and uncooked with its unique mild taste. Ayu acted as a supporting element to the a mix bowl consisting of oily salmon roe, "water shield" in slimy texture, okra, stem yam, green peas and radish. Now, I'm ready for a lot more food ..
Appetizer 2: (Hokkaido) Hairy crab and reduction jelly sauce - Served with fava beans, uni, yuzu, sudachi and (Murasaki) uni. The Kegani meat was rather sweet; nicely enhanced by the jelly (crab + botan ebi) and velvety tasty sea urchin. The rich taste was balanced by the Japanese lime and citrus as well as wasabi - very good  

Soup: Tilefish, winter melon and egg tofu - The dashi was mild and elegant. The lightly cooked Amadai, served with its crisp skin, was delicious; the (Okinawa) Tougan was watery and soaked up the flavored soup well; the tofu was very soft and thankfully not so eggy. I enjoyed this dish 
Assorted sashimi of the day - I believe this was my favorite sashimi selection at Ki-sho (I skipped it during the previous meal). I had: binchotan grilled Kinki fish - tender, fragrant and tasty, Tachiuo? fish - a bit firm, Otoro - marbled and buttery, Shima aji - crunchy and flavorful, and Tai + Uni - chewy sea bream integrated by sweet smooth sea urchin. Tough to pick which one was the best

Uni caviar jelly - The Murasaki sea urchin was, as always, of high quality with creamy, intense and heavenly flavors. The vinegar jelly not only ensured to bring harmony in the dish, but also 'deepened' the uni taste. The caviar added some saltiness while sweet corn, beans, and shiso flower put some texture / taste variations. To fully enjoy it, one should scoop deep and savor every unique delicious layer upon layer. By the way, this was one of Ki-sho's signature dishes and deservedly so
Grilled Ayu served with tade-zu - The (river fish) ayu, simply grilled with salt, was crunchy and slightly bitter but still tasty. It was accompanied by a herbs sauce made of water pepper, vinegar and sake. The bitter plant actually complimented the bitterness of sweetfish liver. Consumed together, they created somewhat sweet flavor and supposedly was also good for our digestion

Amadai and Awabi served with kamo nasu in wakame soup - The Tilefish was perfectly cooked, so was the steamed abalone (some texture contrast of tender fish vs more chewy abalone). The dense flesh Kyoto eggplant was deep and rich while the soup filled with fresh seaweed was tasty. All the elements worked well together to produce a very delicious dish. One of my favorite kaiseki dishes for the evening
White asparagus puree served with Nodoguro and egg tofu - The puree was flavorful and a bit dense. The simmered Seaperch was tender and tasty; the tofu was even softer and blended nicely with asparagus' flavor. Overall, a tasty dish and not too rich - good!

Sushi 

Isaki (Chicken grunt fish; kind of Seabass) - it was lean and delicate yet still tasty. First time eating this fish
Akami zuke (Marinated lean tuna) - aged for 2 weeks. The color was bright and beautiful, more importantly it's delectable
Chutoro (Medium fatty tuna) - aged for 8 days and sliced from relatively small fish. It was marbling, rich and cleanly delicious. I was served this piece twice
Hotate (Scallop + a pinch of salt) - The texture was consistently soft and the(Fatty) tuna collar - a little bit seared. It was marbled and heavenly with concentrated & rich flavor  salt intensified the scallop's sweet flavor

Aji (Horse mackerel) - a bit chewy but fatty; it's awesome. The ginger made it less fishy. Eating Aji around summer time was very pleasant
Kinmedai (Golden eye snapper) - smooth, savory and tender
Torigai (Heart clam) - crunchy and naturally sweet. It's the last week of this cockle's availability
Shiro ebi (White shrimps) - decent with plenty of sweet flavors, well complemented the shari

Japara? ("Snake tuna belly") - probably the most interesting morsel of the night. It had the best characters of Chutoro and Otoro combined. Marbled, delicious, (somewhat) melting yet we could still chew and savor its delicious flavor
Nodoguro (Blackthroat Seaperch) - lightly charred. It's rich, tender and oily/fatty in a positive sense
Otoro (Fatty tuna belly) - bursting of umami flavor in the mouth. Excellent

Uni (Sea urchin) - this one came from near Hakodate area. It's velvety, creamy and sweet; in non-gunkan version
Akagai (Ark shell) - a typical Edomae sushi. The red clam was delicious (sweet and slightly bitter) and somewhat resilient in texture 
Kama toro (Fatty tuna collar) - a little bit seared. It was marbled and heavenly with concentrated and rich flavor

Kampyo maki (Dried gourd) - cooked with soy sauce and sugar, roll (with extra wasabi). A good flavor variations: sweet & sour with an extra spice from the wasabi; often underrated
Tuna roll (A mixture of chopped maguro, chutoro and otoro) - Tuna 'party' - marbled fatty tuna, flavorful medium fatty tuna and smooth texture of lean tuna - beautifully wrapped with tasty shary and crunchy seaweed
Anago (Conger eel) - very soft with light sweet sauce. A satisfying ending ..

Dessert:
-Japanese musk melon (sweet and watery) with granite
-Warabi mochi, matcha chocolate and hojicha monaka: good dessert; well execute in both flavor and texture

The cooking at Ki-sho is consistently performed at a very high level. I've tested it for several times in the past 3 years at different seasons. Another visit in the future be very likely. The service was always professional, polite and discreet. Staffs sincerely cared though a good 'relationship' might not be built until after 2-3 visits. The most fun part about Ki-sho's hospitality was to have a direct conversation with Chef Kazuhiro Hamamoto himself. During my 3rd meal, I had a chance to order the house brand sake (in a small portion) as well - sweet, fragrant and slightly spicy. Another aspect stood out about Ki-sho was actually its 2-storey black & white building. It was hidden in a plush & serene sanctuary not too far from the Sheraton hotel. Inside, the decor was meticulously designed by Japanese artists. The sushi bar table was elegant, accompanied by 'golden' wall paper. Upon entering the building, there was a zen-style garden. The foyer was quite big and felt peaceful - as if you're instantly transferred to Japan.  

For pictures, you can see from the following links: Third meal and Fourth meal

Food (and Wine): 96 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 95 pts

Overall: 96/100

Joel Robuchon Restaurant

Having been to all three of Joel Robuchon's finest establishments (Galera, Chateau and Mansion), actually I should not have any particular motivation to visit his latest formal dining place in Singapore. However, I simply have not had any time/opportunity to go to Europe or Tokyo in the past 2 years. I did crave for some great French cuisine at times and the closest one I could think of will be Robuchon's Singapore. As we all know, the island's fine dining places will cost our wallets as much as New York these days. Hence, prior to visiting, I decided that I would devise my own menu in such a way that I would savor as many new dishes as possible. In the initial degustation menu, I have tried more than half of the dishes offered. Thankfully, the restaurant front staffs were all prompt & helpful and Tomonori Danzaki, the Executive Chef, was also flexible in accommodating my request. Finally, my gastronomy adventure became a reality near Christmas time in 2011.

Located in the Resort World Sentosa (the home of Universal Studio and Casino), Joel Robuchon restaurant might not be the kind of place that will attract many crowds especially after people observe the menu and its price at the front of the entrance. The whole restaurants' concept (the foyer, dining room and kitchen) is apparently inspired by Robuchon Vegas with more generous space. It should not be surprised since Pierre Yves-Rochon, the famous French designer, is the leading architect. The restaurant is dressed in mainly beige and black creating a modern and luxurious atmosphere. In addition to the chandelier in main dining room, pay attention to the details the staff set up in the guests' table. My table was meticulously decorated by sparkling crystals and crystal candle stand, essentially everything is brand new. Dining at Robuchon always began with the bread trolley and during the 4-hour meal I had the chance to savor saffron and basil focaccia, milk, rosemary, bacon with mustard and brioche. There was only unsalted butter available with sea salt on the side. Then come, the 14-course degustation menu (it used to be 16 dishes including cheese tray when I ate at Tokyo)

Le Caviar Impérial sur un velouté de maîs glacé tremblotant, croutons dorés (Imperial caviar on a shivering corn veloute served with golden croutons) - Sweet and chilled corn soup was nice to be mixed with salty caviar, sour cream and crunchy crouton while the beef did not contribute much. A decent opening, but not as good as Robuchon's other caviar dish

Le Truffle Blanche en duo mêlé de pomme ratte comme un carpaccio aux copeaux de foie gras (Shaved white truffles and potatoes topped with duck liver carpaccio) - The potato is earthy and tasty; it went well with the rich foie gras, cheese and the rather pungent white truffle. Like it

Accompanied by wine: Bruno Paillard Brut “Première Cuvée” Rosé MV

Le Foie Gras en copeaux, salade de haricots verts mimosa au parmesan (Green bean mimosa salad served with shavings of foie gras and parmesan) - Good presentation, but I wish they would prepare the duck liver differently from the previous dish. Savor by mixing all the ingredients to enjoy the contrast of earthy parmesan, a few vegetal flavors (beans and mushroom) as well as rich foie gras

L’Œuf de Poule mollet et friand au caviar et saumon fumé (Crispy soft boiled egg served with smoked salmon and oscetra caviar) - One of Robuchon's signature dishes. The warm and runny egg-yolk was 'absorbed & balanced' by the salty salmon and briny caviar (served in generous portion). The crunchy pastry also soaked up the soft egg and the cauliflower cream below. An interesting dish to remember and I truly enjoyed it

Le Noix de Saint-Jacques poêlée aux fregolas avec une emulsion coralline (Pan-fried scallop served with fregola on a coral emulsion) - The US scallop was not that sweet; the pasta was a bit hard while the seafood emulsion was alright. Overall, not too bad, but not as flavorful as the one I had in Tokyo

Accompanied by wine: Alsace Riesling “Clos Himmelreich” Domaine Lucien Albrecht 2005

Les Spaghettis à notre façon, œuf à la coque sans coque et une râpée de truffe blanche d’Alba (Homemade spaghetti served with soft poached eggs and shaved Alba white truffle) - An excellent dish. It seemed straightforward yet impressive. The al dente spaghetti was around the poached egg. To make the most out of it: break the egg yolk and mixed it together with the pasta, cream sauce and the white truffle. Then enjoy this delicious dish and its texture and temperature contrast. The stronger the truffle, the better the dish

L’Oursin crémeux tremblotant sous un voile mousseux au wasabi (Sea urchin served in a tender consommé jelly with wasabi cream) - Japanese influence on Robuchon's dish. I've never had uni prepared this way, especially the consomme's texture - quite a new experience. The Hokkaido sea urchin was creamy and sweet while the wasabi was slightly hot

Le Homard en cocotte lutée aux châtaignes et asperges vertes (Lobster in a sealed cocotte served with chestnut and asparagus) - The Maine lobster was not as firm and sweet as its Brittany's counterpart. The lobster taste was enhanced with its own juice; the chestnut added new dimension. It's OK

La Châtaigne en velouté sur une royale de céleri rave à la caradamone (Chestnut soup served on a royal celeriac with cardamom) - The veloute was velvety and a bit sweet. It had crisp bacon inside, was served with cappuccino foam and scented by the alba truffle

Accompanied by wine: Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières Domaine Vincent Girardin 2003

La Sole poêlée à la citronnelle avec une étuvée de jeunes poireaux (Pan-fried dover sole served with lemongrass and stewed baby leeks) - I quite enjoyed the contrast between the lemon grass and citrus. However, the sole was not that firm and a bit bland. I like this dish better when they used 'Le Bar' instead

Le Boeuf l’entrecôte cuite sur du gross sel aromatisé (Premium beef rib-eye cooked on a bed of flavored rock salt) - The Wagyu beef was perfectly cooked at medium rare and delicious, except I found that the fat/skin part was a bit too salty. The beef was put on top of bacon and prepared teppanyaki style. The mushroom, asparagus and mashed potatoes (silky and smooth texture with tasty flavor) complemented the ribeye

Les Pousses de Soja comme un risotto aux yuzu et ciboulette (Soy sprouts as a yuzu and chives risotto) - Nothing spectacular here, just a simple and unique soy bean 'risotto' to wind down at the end of my meal, quite decent actually

Accompanied by wine: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine de Beaurenard 2007

Le Parfum des Iles crémeux aux fruits de la passion, granité au rhum ambré, onctuosité à la noix de coco (Smooth passion fruit served with dark rum granite and light coconut foam) - A great tropical dessert showcasing different flavors: sour passion fruit cream, sweet coconut and bitter rum granite. Overall, it's very refreshing

Le Chocolat chuao sable friable aux graines de sesame, nuage de pistache de Sicile (Chuao chocolate served with sesame seeds biscuit and Sicilia pistachio) - The chuao cocoa (from Venezuela) was awesome combined well with the biscuit below. Eat the pistachio ice cream before it quickly melted

Le Moka – Le Thé escortés de mignardises (Coffee or tea served with sweets) - The famous sweets trolley. I had macaroons (lemon and cinnamon), hazelnut cream, chocolate millefeuille, opera and chocolate rhum. I also drank Rosemary tea cut directly from its leaves

Accompanied by wine: Sauternes Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2005

I could confidently say that the food at Robuchon Singapore is as good as its Tokyo and LV counterparts. This is probably expected since the leading Chef Danzaki has been working with Joel Robuchon for nearly 2 decades. He started his apprenticeship in Chateau Robuchon Tokyo in '94, then participated in the opening and becoming Chef de Cuisine at Robuchon Mansion Vegas in '05 before coming to Singapore a year ago. Chef Danzaki described working in LV under Claude Le Tohic was probably the most challenging part of his career. He's a friendly gentleman and obsessed to execute every single dish perfectly. My favorite dishes from this meal are Crispy soft boiled egg with salmon & caviar as well as Spaghetti with poached egg & white truffle. One thing really stood out at Robuchon Singapore is the hospitality offered. The service here is impeccable and the best among all of Robuchon fine dining places. The staffs were courteous, friendly, informative and professional. Since the restaurant was only 60% full, I was often served by the Restaurant manager (he used to work at Robuchon Monte Carlo) and the Sommelier/Assistant manager (he is from Montpellier and happened to recognize me from my visit to Robuchon Vegas). Somehow, the service rendered by these European gentlemen particularly from France suit me the best, probably because they're not only great at making guests feel comfortable, but also knowledgeable and passionate about food - they had many experiences dining at Europe best restaurants. The sommelier also kindly gave me an extra glass of wine as part of my wine-pairing.

The dining room at Robuchon restaurant consisted of a main dining hall and a "winter" garden (don't worry about the rain as it's covered). Diners who have never been to any Robuchon fine dining places will certainly be impressed with the luxurious decor. I even heard that the newly renovated Robuchon Macau au dome has the most incredible atmosphere. However, I find that all of Robuchon's decor has been too similar. I prefer Alain Ducasse's dining rooms, usually designed by Patrick Jouin. One can see & feel different characters and styles between different places such as when comparing Ducasse at Plaza Athenee vs Dorchester. There is no doubt that Robuchon is able to produce top notch dishes. People often recalled their meal at Jamin Paris was the best they've ever had. When the Mansion opened in '05, some said it reminded them of Robuchon's peak performance in the 90's. I was not lucky enough to have the opportunity to dine at Jamin, but from the meal I've had in the past 5 years - I don't think Robuchon's cooking is the best. If any of you have dined at L'Arpege, L'Ambroisie or Le Louis XV, you probably understand what I'm talking about. Anyway, the fact that Robuchon is capable of creating and replicating four restaurants that consistently serve high quality French cuisine is already remarkable by itself.

Please check out the link below for the dishes' pictures,
https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/JoelRobuchonSingapore

Food (and Wine): 95 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 95 pts

Overall: 95/100