I keep meaning to write a post about what we ate in Singapore. I mean to talk about all my favourite local foods that I gobbled up, but I think I will write that in another post. Instead, here’s a post about some fine dining dinners that I enjoyed when we were there for two weeks in July.

We happened to be in Singapore during the launch of the country’s first ever Michelin guide. Two hawker stalls, one selling soy sauce chicken rice and noodles, the other selling pork noodles (bah chor mee), received one Michelin star each! Of course these days one has to queue for several hours just to get a plate of Michelin-starred noodles. But hey, I guess nowhere else can you say that you had a Michelin-starred meal for less than US$5!

The Husband and I had planned a little couple time, a long-awaited get away at a local hotel in Singapore. One of his relatives is the general manager there, so he upgraded us to a lovely suite with its own private hot tub outside on the balcony. It was good to get away from the kids, with the added plus of free babysitting from both sets of grandparents!

Before we flew to Singapore, the Husband said, pick a restaurant! I had mulled over the choices. Singapore is full of good places to eat at. Should I pick that hot new restaurant in the National Gallery, Odette? Or was that just too trendy for me? In the end, that was decided as it was impossible to get a table! Even for weekday lunch.

So we went to Les Amis, which has been around since 1994, and supposedly the first independent fine-dining establishment in Singapore.

It was a quiet Tuesday evening, and we were the first table to be seated on the ground floor. A private function seemed to be going upstairs as the hostess brought quite a few people up, some dressed surprisingly casual, then again, this is Singapore. And this fine dining establishment didn’t require a jacket – the Husband had made sure to ask when he called to reserve a table.

The maître d’ was very pleasant and explained the menu to us. The sommelier was surprisingly young (the legal drinking age in Singapore is 18 and part of me wanted to ask if he was that!), and so was one of the waitresses, who brought us some light bites to savor while we perused the menu.

There were several prix-fixe menus to choose from, but we went for the six course menu. I was enticed by the lamb chops and the husband by the steak (which was the only course in which there were choices). So that was that. We decided to share a half-bottle of pinot noir, as we aren’t big drinkers.

I wish I had taken a photo of the bread basket. They had a lovely teeny tiny baguette, a really delicious tomato bread and some others that I cannot remember now, but oh, that French butter!

Hmm can’t remember exactly what this was. A cold delicate jelly-like dish with some thing sliced asparagus and some roe on top.

An intriguing dish of lobster puree, topped with what was kinda like spaghetti on top. And oh, those truffle slices!

 

The husband wasn’t fond of this, but I liked it. A kind of artichoke salad

But he really was impressed by this one, salmon done two ways. He said that he was stunned by how soft and moist the cooked salmon was. Before tasting the dish, I had assumed that we both would prefer the raw version of the salmon as we are both sashimi lovers, but I think the delicate cooked version won us over.

And those lamb chops! They were just finger-licking good. The waiter thoughtfully placed a wet towel by my side and I gleefully picked up the chops. Perhaps the best lamb chops I’ve ever had!

A lovely palate cleanser sitting in some fortified wine. 

I am a chocolate person. I am the kind of person who immediately steers towards the chocolate desert. So I was just thoroughly surprised and pleased by this upside down apricot souffle, which, had I been given a choice, I would never have picked. It was light, refreshing, and had several different textures, from the crispy noodle-like nest at the bottom, the grilled apricot, the souffle and the cake that it was sitting on.

It was the perfect end to the meal. But then came the mignardises, a lovely pineapple tart, canele and chocolate.

And more cookies to bring home.

The maître d’ stopped by to ask how our dinner was and asked if we would like to have a look at their wine cellar. The sommelier was happy to have us look around this pebbled cellar (as in, pebbles instead of a floor, apparently to have it feel like a vineyard!) and showed us some of their really expensive (and I mean six figure-expensive) wines, as well as some of their regulars’ private shelves of wines and wine menus. As he ushered us to the door, he remarked that we were smart to come in and eat there before the Michelin announcement (and I’m presuming, crowds and possible price increase!).

And of course, a few days later, it was announced that Les Amis received two Michelin stars. I think it was well deserved. It was an expensive meal but we were treated so very well, the food was exceptional and just delightful. And we had a wonderful time!

Les Amis Singapore
1 Scotts Road,
#01-16 Shaw Centre,
Singapore 228208
(65) 6733-2225

If you’re interested in the rest of the restaurants that made the rest of the Michelin Guide Singapore, check it out here

And here is what the food critic of Singapore’s main newspaper had to say about it

As well as some alternatives for places to eat in Singapore

 

Weekend Cooking at Beth Fish Reads is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, beer, wine, photographs