I was in Singapore a couple of weekends ago for the Louis Vuitton's new store opening at the Marina Bay Sands and, for the first time in 3 visits, was able to eat the best that Singapore could offer - The third time is truly a charm!
One of my group suggested we eat at Andre, and upon reading the reviews for it (One saying, "Worth jumping on a plane for") my interested was immediately piqued.
On our way there we almost missed it, its exterior was so subtle. Good thing the marker was a hospital next to it.
It looks like a date place for sure! All around our group of 5 were quiet couples. Thank goodness we got a reservation, Vanessa had to namedrop she was with Philippine press and from LV to boot. Voila! The magic words.
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| the wallpaper makes you feel like you are in a forest |
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| Antler-style chandeliers |
The style of Andre is to provide eight courses with a theme, hence called an octophilosophy of Unique, Pure, Texture, Memory, Salt, South, Artisan and Terroir, served in any order. Sounds pretentious, right? But what a delicious pretentiousness it turned out to be!
We were joking that we would have to find a McDonald's after the meal. We gorged on the fresh bread they brought to us.
First they brought us a series of snacks on the table. A smartly dressed server had to explain each dish for us, making it all the more special.
This dish, the most interesting, was made to look like a vegetable garden, made of Spanish tapas such as roast potatoes with a tomato sauce and fish wrapped in bacon and deep-fried to look like carrots. Ingenious! The best part? The "dirt" made of chocolate and toasted garlic...
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| An edible garden |
These onion tartlets were light and tasty, hollowed on the inside...
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| onion tarts made to look like little starfish |
All Filipinos like their lechon skin. This is a variation of dehydrated chicken skin. Sarap!
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| chicken skin made real crispy. Lechon anyone? |
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| Popcorn of vanilla, macadamia and caramel |
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| Amberfish wrapped in a barquillo-like pastry, wrapped in parchment and fastened with the littlest clothespin ever! |
Our first course was Pure. Sea scallop sashimi in a puple cauliflower consomme
As the name implies, no spices or seasoning was added to this dish. The purple rose petal-like garnishing is pickled onion, so sweet it didn't even taste like onion.
The next course served was Salt. This was Black Label oyster in seaweed jelly on the left and foam of green apple on the left; both meant to represent the sea. If I didn't take down notes, I would have forgotten what this was!
The next course is Artisan: heritage aubergine with caviar, black sesame salt and smoked aubergine with root crop vegetable on creme Anglaise. The word of the day: kamote!
The next one is South; this time meaning South of France, specifically in Montpellier, where fresh seafood is abundant. It combines freshness and acidity with the tomato sorbet, white peach, risotto with purple sea urchin (I love uni!) mackerel, abelone and Spanish prawn. So delicious and dreamy, easily one of my favorite dishes of the meal.
So 4 down, 4 to go. The next dish is Texture, and quite interesting. Our server made us take a guess on what it was based on a riddle. It was risotto with squid in a cauliflower puree and he asked us to guess which was which.Can you guess?
The squid was the white stuff, made to look like risotto, and the black stuff was the risotto, dyed with a vegetable and dehydrated into a cracker. Kropek anyone?
The next dish is Unique. This was artichoke with barracuda in a red wine sauce. It was my first time to see barracuda on my plate instead of in the ocean! Did you know that barracuda can be meaner than sharks?
The seventh dish is Memory, with tastes meant to linger in your mind for a long time after the meal is done. Try and guess what's in it.
It smelled of a soy sauce base, something Chinese-y. But our server told us it was black truffle over foie gras. Amaaazing! Could I have another please?
The last course, the terrior, is something from the land. This land was divided between France and Japan, culinary best friends for years.
This was a 36-hour slow-roasted short rib served with potato gnocchi, petit poir, pea and tarragon puree, mustard and a version of floss. So damn good you'd sell your child for it.
So there you go - 8 pretentious courses for 5 non-pretentious Filipinos. But wait, there was more. Can I tell you, that by this time, we were sitting on our bums for 2 and a half hours already?
They gave us a cheese course (a small one, we asked!)
The pre-dessert snacks
And then finally, after we had been sitting in food coma for at least 10 minutes and ruing the day we ate all the bread and made fun of the restaurant, the chocolate dessert arrives
Together with some fresh figs and madeleines
And OMG, marshmallows with more popcorn. They were killing us slowly. Or perhaps planning to turn us into human foie gras eventually? That would be a first!
The rest of the desserts we gobbled up instead of savoring. Imagine having to go through this with a first date you didn't like! Thankfully, we all enjoyed each other's company. "The most beautiful meal I've ever had!" exclaimed Meryl, who suggested eating here.
We got to have a photo with Andre himself, who claims that when he goes home and has his dinner, he just whips up something simple from whatever ingredients he finds in his ref. We love your food Chef Andre!
This is how we looked after leaving the restaurant....an incredible meal! Thank you LV!
P.S. My apology for the quality of the photos. They told us "No flash!" haaayy....as if we were paparazzi....
Restaurant Andre
41 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089855
Opening Hours
Lunch: Tuesday – Friday / $128++
Dinner: Tuesday – Sunday / $288++
Closed on Mondays and Public Holidays
Reservations
+65 6534 8880
