No wonder you can’t get a table at this new Les Amis Group restaurant—there are only seven of them in this chic shophouse restaurant. And this minimalist approach extends to the menu too. Limited to a three‑course set lunch and a eight‑course set dinner, the menu more or less makes your decision of what to order. In contrast, the wine list is voluminous—23 pages to be exact. And the wines range from affordable, mid‑range wines to premium bottles. Fortunately, the restaurant gets away with a small menu because the food is so interesting, creative and tasty. The style here is part molecular gastronomy, part straightforward European cooking, courtesy of young chef Michael Han. Our starters of Japanese cherry tomatoes, watermelon and strawberries, and Waygu beef carpaccio with beetroot and hibiscus granita were bursting with flavor and texture, yet clean on the palate; while our main of beef flap (it’s like skirt steak) with foamy potato had us scraping the bottoms of our plates. Our dessert of fig with sweet olive tapenade and green Szechuan peppercorn ice‑cream was certainly unique and tasted good; while the other dessert of chocolate caramel and raspberry granitaa was polished off quickly. Then came the gin and tonic jellies petit fours, which is the fun thing about molecular gastronomy, when done well. And the attention to detail impressed us: Bread rolls served in cloth bags with heated cherry stones to keep the bread warm, a stick of charcoal in the water pitchers to absorb impurities and the beautiful raw wood tables and chairs, to name some. This restaurant opened without much fanfare, and judging by the interesting experience it delivers, it won’t need much to be one of the next hotspots in town.*Menu changes every 2-3mths
