Gastronomic Anniversary

It was our wedding anniversary – yes, four years of Greedy Gluttonous living, and what better way to commemorate the occasion than a gastronomic feast at one of Singapore’s finest restaurants?

Iggy’s has a truly enviable reputation amongst the city’s restaurants – it was recently voted Asia’s Number One Restaurant by the Miele Guide and is also named in UK magazine The Restaurant’s S. Pellegrino World’s Best 100 restaurants. It is worth noting that not a single restaurant in Asia makes it into the top 50 of this list, nor do any restaurants in Japan make the cut at all – quite amazing considering that Tokyo has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in the world (more than London and Paris combined). So whilst the judges of this list are clearly somewhat blinkered (or not very well travelled), the fact that Iggy’s is recognized makes the achievement all the more remarkable.

What immediately sets Iggy’s apart from most other restaurants is its ambience. No cosy tables à deux in here. There were 12 diners on the night we went, and we were all seated around an L-shaped counter, facing towards the semi-open kitchen (the windows were blacked top and bottom, meaning we could observe the chefs busy at work, without being privy to the intricacies of their endeavours). So whilst the evening is not set up for a romantic and intimate dinner, the atmosphere is relaxed and informal, and encourages interaction with the other diners, in addition to the waiter/sommelier who serves all the guests from behind the counter. As you are all facing one another, there is also the chance to get a sneak preview of what is coming your way in the 10 course Gastronomic Menu – and this is what we were treated to:

Uni
Cauliflower mousse, sea urchin, shiso jelly

Jabugo Iberico Bellota
Jamon Iberico, autumn salad, parmesan croutons, warm figs, fresh herbs and datterini tomato

Foie Gras
Foie gras crème brulee, cinnamon sugared pear, pan-fried foie gras on toast

Spanner Crab
Spanner crab meat soufflé, shellfish bisque, rocket sprouts

Cappellini
Cappellini with zucchini, smoked mullet roe and shallot

Halibut
Pan-roasted halibut fillet, red curry-scented pumpkin puree, green mango salsa, roasted shallot oil, glacier lily and balsamic reduction

Welsh Lamb
Herb crusted Welsh lamb saddle, French beans, baby aubergine, seito tomato, garlic confit and thyme jus

Pre-Dessert (a fruit cup)

Chocolate
Caraibe chocolate bar, mascarpone ice-cream, green lime zest

Iggy’s Lemon Tart

Suffice to say – the food was exquisite, and each course just got better and better. The ingredients were undeniably fresh, cooked to perfection and the flavours paired impeccably.

The capellini was truly to-die-for, I could’ve eaten an entire pasta bowl full, and I didn’t think I even liked smoked mullet roe!

The halibut was cooked to perfection and the delicate red curry-scented pumpkin was a worthy accompaniment, with the glacier lily an unusual addition that provided some scrumptious crunch to the dish.

‘Melt-in-the-mouth’ is a phrase far too often applied to food, but there is no other way to describe the herb crusted Welsh lamb saddle – and the memory of the marscapone ice cream which accompanied the sticky fudgy gooey chocolate bar remains with me to this day.

So does it deserve all the accreditations? Well it was certainly one of the best restaurants I’ve had the pleasure to feast in, and the relaxed ambience, impeccable service, interesting menu and of course, the exquisite food all combined to make this a very special and memorable anniversary meal indeed.

Iggy’s - http://www.iggys.com.sg/

Girls Lunch

It was time for our last girls’ get-together lunch before we all head off on our separate ways for the festive period, so we decided to go upmarket and made our way to Au Petit Salut at Dempsey Village. Like most Dempsey venues, this restaurant is set back from the road and nestled in amongst the greenery. We took our seats in the timber-decked al fresco area, where we could dine in the breeze and to the sound of the trickling water features.

Au Petit Salut is certainly a popular choice for lunch, particularly with the “Ladies Who Lunch” crowd, I’m guessing because of the high quality of its food and its fantastic value $30++ set lunch. Set menus can often be somewhat restricting, but here it is very extensive, and with six choices for each course it offers as much variety as many a la carte menus do. You are also given the option to supplement any course with one from the Executive Lunch Menu for an additional charge.

I kicked off with the Homemade Duck Rillette with Mesclun Salad and Walnut Dressing, which was rich and creamy and delicious.

Then followed it up with the Oven Baked Sea Bass Fillet with Fresh Mixed Vegetables and Light Herb Butter Emulsion, which was beautifully cooked and perfectly seasoned.

Being French, the cuisine is all very rich, and had we been allowed to choose our desserts after we had eaten our first two courses, I probably would have followed my more sensible friends' lead and opted for the Fresh Fruit Salad infused with mint and served with blackcurrant sorbet.

Having chosen at the beginning however - when I was in greedy-mode - I instead decided on the Choux Buns Filled with Vanilla Ice Cream in Warm Chocolate Sauce, with Sliced Almonds. It wasn’t a bad choice, but the feeling of over-indulgence was certainly starting to kick in around the second mouthful.

So would I recommend Au Petit Salut to my friends? Absolutely - a beautiful setting, fantastic food, knowledgeable and attentive service and great value for money all combine to make this the perfect venue for a girls’ lunch.

Au Petit Salut - http://www.aupetitsalut.com/index.html