Many a food enthusiast, like myself, would love to wine and dine in Michelin starred restaurants at least once in their lifetime. This haute cuisine dining experience, usually reserved for the rich and privileged, now accessible for most of the middle-income earning public. The sound of wine glasses and smell of fresh foie-gras and caviar, bids a huge appreciation in all the senses, especially the gastronomical one.

Unfortunately, the Michelin Red Guide is not available in Malaysia or Singapore, as far as I know. However, they do share the Tatler’s Guide to the Best Restaurants in both countries. As some of you would know, I subscribe to these guides. Not like I can afford patronise these outlets on a regular basis, but the fact that I can only dine there like perhaps once in many blue moons with the company of good friends and/or family, makes the dining experience all the more pleasurable.

Suffice to say, my experience in this place that I’m about to write about, is not the most accessible of prices in town. However, it would be prudent to be a Feed-At-Raffles cardholder or a Raffles Member, because it would give you the much needed discounts. But in its defense, which I’m sure you will agree, is quite worth your lifetime to experience. Times maybe bad, let’s burn some plastic. The name of this deserving establishment is Jaan restaurant located at the Equinox Complex at the Swissotêl, The Stamford, on the 70^th Floor, in Singapore. Try to imagine the view!

Alright then, on with the review, the only pre-conception of Jaan is that it is a French fine-dining restaurant, that and many other fine-dining restaurants that I have been to, such as Lafite in Shangri-La KL and Atmosphere in Tun Mustafa Tower (better known as Yayasan Sabah Tower) in KK. Honestly, it is quite similar to Lafite, but this place is much more exclusive. Believe me when you only see only 12 tables, a maitre’d, the décor, just about the same number of waiters per table and the magnificent view. The chef is of a Taiwanese-French descent, André Chiang, which has graced tables in various Michelin starred restaurant around the world and no doubt is an accomplished master of cookery.

The service was nothing less than attentive and friendly. The maitre’d ensured that we were comfortable and even explained our 7-course dégustation meal. I would have been more impressed if they had given us some wine pairing recommendations, however that was unnecessary as I choose an excellent South African all-rounder from Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, that would serve our wine needs for the evening.

To all our surprise, we were served, which initially appeared to be some strange looking floral arrangement, “Bread sticks”, which is essentially broomstick bristle thin wisps crumbled with cheese or sesame. Accompanying it is an emulsion of smoky eggplant in olive oil and some sort of goat cheese dip. Thus begins our evening.

Next is the amuse bouche, which is essentially a bite-sized hors d’œurve. One interesting fact that I have learnt is that an amuse bouche differ from any other appetizers is that they are not ordered from a menu by the patrons, but are according to the chef’s selection alone. Served as an “excitement” of the taste buds to both prepare the guest for the meal and to offer a glimpse in the chef’s approach to the cooking. Anyways, the amuse bouche was a green pea sorbet in a miniature ice-cream cone. Honestly, when first explained by the server, I was rather unenthusiastic about the prospect of a vegetable sorbet, but it had a sweet, organic flavour to it which was rather surprising delicious. However, it didn’t stop there, as it included a sweet emulsion of a green grape, trout roe and cucumber, decorated by an edible flower on a strip of cucumber. This gave us a rather definitive view of what to expect next.

Then starts the meal, with its first course. The Légumes Oubiliés, or the Salad of “Forgotten vegetables” with olive oil sorbet and ocean trout confit. Served on a large rectangular plate initially appeared as a montage of some fairy tale comprising of exotic shapes and colours. Some of the “vegetables” include white carrots, baby sorrel, beetroot and broccoli. The accompanying “condiments” (for a lack of a better description) includes morsels of pink trout flesh, preserved apple chunks and the olive oil sorbet that is spread evenly below each morsel of edible goodness.

The next course is one of my favourites of the evening, the Ventriche de thon “Toro”, consisting of Japanese toro, aubergine ratte, potato tartine and smoked basil vinaigrette. Premium tuna belly cooked in the best way possible. Slightly smoky without the overbearing fishy taste. On the sides, tiny cubes of aubergine ratte laid with either caviar or basil. Oh-so-luxurious to say the least.

This is subsequently followed, by a dish, simply called Foie Gras. The description states, “Porcini, foie gras, porcini, foie gras, porcini.” Might sound simple but the dish is nothing but extravagant and elaborate. A croquant of foie gras atop with porcini mash, then a log of foie gras studded with paper thin shards of porcini mushroom. Simply divine!

The fourth course is the Couteaux de mer, which is a “Fricassé of razor clams with winter vegetable barigoule, light vanilla lobster emulsion”. A white seafood chowder-y foam is spread over the clams with a sliver of a crouton (which I think it is). Unfortunately, I have forgotten to whip out the camera to snap a picture, as I was pre-occupied admiring and chewing down the clams.

Anyways, another seafood delight, Baudroie, “Pan-roasted baby monkfish on black truffle aligot, fish bouillon ‘a la setoise’”. Served in a slightly deep dish with amber-ish foam with a tender white fish pan-roasted to perfection. To our amazement, beneath it all, lies two very distinct tender mussels. By now, I was beyond bewildered and simply just enchanted by the whole experience.

However, the main dish has yet to be served. Anticipation of a grade-9 wagyu beef dish is just too much to bear nonetheless. Named the “Carotte Violette”, which is essentially, “Slow-baked ancient purple carrot, wagyu beef and pure veal jus”. The wagyu is just simply divine, from its fatty marbling which melts in your mouth that is a result of breeding and feeding regime of massages and the addition of beer and/or sake to its diet, to the flavour, tenderness and juiciness (medium-rare, I would add) as its caramelised veal glaze provides the exterior texture. On the dish, the purple carrot spread with the same foam as the previous dish (me thinks) and a tiny cube slab of what seems to resemble a hash-brown.

As the richness of flavours slowly dawned its intricacy on my taste buds, it’s time for the pre-dessert. Our maitre’d delicately indicated that it is a surprise of our senses, he was certainly right. It came on a stainless steel slab in which was engraved “Jaan Par André” as a salute to his achievement here. Atop the slab, a lemon spaghetti sorbet decorated as a flower. Sweet and slightly sour-ish but refreshing nonetheless provided such a contrast to the richness of the previous dishes, seems to endow us with a reprieve.

The actual dessert is nothing short of magnificent either. Sucré or the “Grand Desserts of Chef” – a trio of chocolate cake moist with paper thin wafers, Tahiti vanilla ice-cream with risotto chips and a fromage frais with dried strawberry crisps on a stick. Lusciously sinful!

Thinking that this is more or less the end of our gastronomical adventure, we were yet again surprised by another compliment from the chef. Lollypops of white and dark chocolate, with three different assortments of cakes. I’ll let your imagination run wild with the photo illustration of it.

The bill was expectedly astronomical as the view itself. We clambered away feeling like we have just past through heaven, but looking forward for the next perfect meal.

As a tribute to the company I had, I would like to stress that meals such as this can only be enjoyed with the right company, the love and excitement of such an experience lasts a lifetime.