Since its establishment in 1994, “Les Amis” has reigned as a prestigious modern French restaurant in Singapore.
Their unwavering belief in French cuisine and service boasted a quality worthy of being counted as one of Asia’s top restaurants.
Ave. Budget: Lunch 10,000～15,000円、ディナー 20,000～30,000円 ／”Michelin Guide Singapore 2022” 3 star、”Asia’s Best Restaurants 50” No.23
Reliable harmony played by spheres, Singapore’s 2-star French restaurant
Last Sunday in Singapore. I had an evening flight back home, so I was looking for a place to have lunch, but there weren’t many options.
Most privately-run shops are closed on Sundays, so they are limited to hotels and restaurants attached to commercial facilities.
Then, it is the French system that I failed to choose.
We chose this place from among the ones with the highest rankings in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, and made a reservation for “Rezami”, which was nominated for No.16 in 2016 (No.12 in 2016, No.1 in 2015). .13, No.14 in 2014, No.14 in 2013). Michelin has two stars.
（※Postscript: In the 2019 edition, it was promoted to 3 stars）
Is choosing a menu at an overseas restaurant a psychological game?
The theme of this time is about the menu selection of the prefix course. I always think that this menu selection is a kind of psychological warfare. This is especially true when visiting a foreign restaurant for the first time.
Depending on what you choose, I feel like I’m being tested.
Basically, I think you should order what you want to eat, but if there are several things you want to eat, I want to be liked as a customer anyway. I want to feel like I understand each other in a one-shot match. I’m not a regular customer, but I’m selfish.
Such psychological warfare can be addictive.
It might just be my imagination, or it might just be that the restaurant did a good job of putting the customers on board, but such meals are fun.
Now, let’s talk about “RLes Amis”.
It is located on the first floor of the shopping center “Shaw Centre”, about a 3-minute walk from “Orchard Hall” station, one of the centers of Singapore.
There are two weekend lunch courses. I felt that “Menu Tasting” (155SGD) was too much, so I chose “Menu Formule” (90SGD).
3 dishes + dessert prefix.
As I was handed a nicely bound menu book, the soft-spoken staff explained, “Please choose one cold appetizer, one hot appetizer, and one main dish.”
Menu order that reflects the feelings of the creator
It may be the order of seats at a dinner, but for example, there is an implicit understanding in the order of credits in the end credits of a movie.
As for the performers, it is common to order them in the following order: (1) leading role → (2) supporting role → (3) big game → (4) supporting role → (5) secondary role.
I would like to test some actual menus when I have time, but I feel that this order has a similar rule for restaurant menus.
Conversely, think from the standpoint of the production side (director for movies, chef for restaurants).
It depends on the artist’s personality, but in the case of someone who is very particular about what they are making, I try to imagine where they put their effort.
The main character in ① is largely determined regardless of the creator’s will. Priority is given to what customers want most, so there are many cases where popular actors and dishes come.
On the contrary, I think that the big hole is actually ④.
“It may not be popular, but I definitely don’t want to miss it.”
Even in movies, it is usually here that credits are given to excellent supporting players who always appear in the director’s work, even though they do not play the leading role or semi-leading role.
With that in mind, when it comes to prefixes, I tend to aim for (3) the big game and (4) the big hole. That’s my hobby.
On this day, I will decide from the main dish, and then choose a warm appetizer and a cold appetizer by counting backwards.
Main Dishes
“Aged Irish beef” is the big one in ③, and “Pignon” and “Tête de Veau” are big holes in ④, but if you don’t like the main dish ④ I have decided to choose the big hole.
Then, there are many cases where chefs and staff come knocking. I like both, but I chose “Tête de Vaux (calf’s head)” depending on how I was feeling that day.
Next, warm appetizers.
③ Big game is “Lobster Luel”, ④ Big hole is “Foie Gras & Cherry”.
I want to aim for a big hole here as well, but I will still balance it with the main and make it a big game.
So, I was worried about the first cold dish.
It may have been an English menu, but there is not much that comes to mind.
In such a case, I may ask you to play the leading role in (1), although I may be half-hearted. “Foie gras terrine”.
・Amuse and bread typical of French cuisine
The introduction has become longer, but it is the start of lunch. The fact that this “Les Mis” can be positioned as a Grand Maison is nod from the luxurious detailed service.
The first dish of Amuse is a snack that will take you to French. However, it also has a little Japanese taste.
I agree with the high quality of homemade bread. The butter is also specially made.
The second dish is a mousse made with the image of uncured ham melon.
The melon sorbet is cool and pleasant.
While eating these amuse bouche, the staff changed a little. When someone called out to me, “Customer,” I felt like the time had stopped for a moment, like a scene in a movie.
Long-established French restaurant in Singapore boasting stable quality
This is what the gentleman service staff told me.
“I consulted with the chef, but if it’s like your taste, I think it would be better to have a hot appetizer, ‘foie gras & cherry’, instead of the cold appetizer, ‘foie gras terrine’.”
――But didn’t you choose one dish each from the cold appetizer and the hot appetizer?
“No, if the chef asks for ‘Tête de Veau’ (calf’s head), this one should suit your palate, so I don’t care about the menu.”
In the first place, I was quite worried about choosing “foie gras & cherry” as a warm appetizer, so my wish came true.
I feel like I’ve won the psychological warfare as far as I’m happy that the choice of the main menu was the trigger to pull it out.
“Foie Gras & Cherry”.
Thick foie gras carefully roasted at a low temperature adds the scent of sesame and the freshness of cherries.
Next, “Lobster Luel” was carried. It is often listed as a specialty of the store, and it is truly a quality.
When you open the inside, it is filled with moist lobster and salmon. The sauce is delicious.
And the main thing is the “Tet de Vaux (calf’s head)”.
Actually, it’s my favorite local dish, and I’ve eaten a lot of it, but the “Tet de Vaux” here, served in a beautiful circle, is a word of sophistication.
The taste is orthodox, and the rich thickness overflows in the mouth.
Then, again, the soft-spoken serviceman cuts out, “As for the next dessert, if you’re a customer…” Already, when this happens, before I hear the content, in my heart it is “yes”.
In short, I can serve a specialty that is not on the menu today for dessert.
Harmony played by spheres
And on the table was “Peach Compote Topped with Jelly”.
like pearls. You can tell from their beauty that they are confident that they are specialists.
If you break the sphere that sits on top of the jelly, the peach compote will appear.
Even so, this chef likes spheres and circles. If there is an opportunity to talk, I would like to hear the real intention.
The small confectionery at the end is also of high quality. You can feel the trust they have built up over the years by not cutting corners down to the last detail.
Small sweets served with coffee after meals.
Souvenir given at the time of accounting. If you open the inside, it is “Financier”.
It was a fun meal nonetheless. Even though it was my first time visiting the restaurant, I feel like I got along with the chef. But again, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask yourself this question.
Did you put it on or was it put on it?
I’ll leave that decision up to the readers, but it’s not a bad idea to go to a Grand Maison overseas to experience this kind of fun.
Information of “Les Amis”
Opne Hour: Lunch 12:00-14:00(Last entry), Dinner <Mon-Thu> 19:00-21:30(Last entry) <Fri-Sun> 18:30-21:30(Last entry)
Holiday: None
Tel: +65 6733 2225
Address: 1 Scotts Road, 1-16 Shaw Centre, Singapore 228208
Official web
MAP
▽If you’re looking for Michelin-starred restaurants in Singapore, check out this article▽
▽If you’re looking for restaurants ranked in “Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants,” this article is for you▽
