The last time i was at iggy's was in 2006 and we were blown away by the great food - this time was no different!

We had the 5 course lunch and there was a great amuse bouche to start with - tomato sorbet on jelly with capsicum bits. i had the smoked salmon next while my wife had the spring salad. we both had the kurobuta pork ragout and finished off the starters with the sanma and tomato tart respectively. the ragout was sensational and the sanma was melt-in-your-mouth, perfectly grilled and served on a bed of olive rice. yum!

my main course was the angus striploin, done to perfection and served on a bed of salad. hers was the capellini with zucchini and smoked mullet roe. all the way through the service was terrific and the bread was very good too!

the chardonnay and riesling were excellent with our starters and my wife had another glass of riesling with her capellini - shiok!

This is the best lunch i've had in a long time, i only wish i could afford to eat here every month. :)

I went to Iggy's quite a few times when we first moved to Singapore, but haven't been back for a long time for some unknown reasons. I recently found out that they had started doing lunches so decided to go for Xmas day lunch.

We chose the three course set and I picked all my courses from the appetizer section, but made the sakura ebi cappellini (my favorite dish on their entire menu) into a main portion.

For starters, I had a foie gras terrine served with French toast and poached apple. It was one of the best foie gras terrines I've had, full of flavors, but not too greasy. The sweetness of the apple also helped to cut down on the fatty taste. Next I had a very generous slab of fresh burrata on sweet cherry tomatoes in reduced balsalmic sauce. Perfection!

Last but certainly not the least is the sakura ebi cappellini flavored with scampi oil. Since I ordered it as a main, the portion was extra large and I was extra happy!

My husband ordered a summer salad, parpadelle with mushroom and pork as starters, and a sea bass that's not on the menu as main. Everything was excellent but I did feel that the chef was a little heavy on salt that day.

In addition to what we ordered, we also had two extra amuse buches before our food arrived. One was a cauliflower mousse, uni and shiso jelly, and the second one was a cold egg custard with ikura.

Incidentally, the husband came the day before and ordered a tasting menu and according to him, the cauliflower mousse was part of the menu. Not sure if Iggy's regularly dishes out extra courses at lunch but I felt really full after 3 courses (plus extra) so the tasting menu is probably better reserved for dinner time.

The service is excellent as always and the only faux pas was when I inquired about the exceptionally flavorful oil served with the bread. To which the waiter answered, "It's olive oil." Hello! Is anyone expecting peanut oil with their bread? He only elaborated that they flavored it themselves with herbs and such after I probed further. Please don't let this guy out when the Michelin inspector is in town!

i brought the bestie here for her birthday lunch one weekday. nothing short of the best restaurant in singapore ranking for a special occasion :) we both ordered the 3 course set lunches at $55+++ per pax, which is a steal compared to what they charge at dinner. apparently it used to be just $45, so be sure to catch it before the next increase.

complimentary
-the olive loaf was to die for! it was really warm and comforting, such a nice respite from my usual hurried lunches at work.
-amuse bouche of corn cappucino with chocolate ravioli: this was really yummy and cute - a nice take on the usual corn soup. and when the silky ravioli burst in my mouth, i received a pleasant epiphany that chocolate actually complements the flavour of corn really well.

appetisers
-cappellini (sakura-ebi cappellini, konbu and home-made scampi oil): a surprisingly pleasant fusion combi. they were very generous with the sakura-ebi which is an expensive mini shrimp.
-foie gras (terrine of foie gras with french toast, caramelised peach and mango mesclun salad): i was in the mood for foie gras so this was another 10$ more. all the flavours of the individual components came together really nicely, but the toast was such a small piece that we ended up eating the generous foie gras serving on its own, which made me a little sick after a while.

mains
-kurobuta pork (braised pork cheek with onion confit): a supposed signature dish. the pork cheek was really tender and the onion confit had a tint of sweetness that went well with the meat, but i felt the dish was overall abit too oily for my liking. probably the best dish overall though.
-wagyu mayura beef striploin (char-grilled aged wagyu striploin, watercress salad): this was actually a miscommunication. i ordered the PRIME striploin, not the wagyu but i guess i only mentioned striploin and when they repeated our order we weren't exactly paying attention. wagyu was another additional $40. what was amusing was that after having it, we both mentioned that we had better striploins so we were a little let down since this was iggy's (we didn't even know we were eating wagyu as it wasn't particularly tender). the cress on the side was a nice touch though, it really refreshes your palate from the saltiness. so when the bill came and we were billed for wagyu we both received a surprise. probably should have gotten the duck confit or wagyu burger with white truffle sabayon instead.

dessert
-pina colada (souffle and iced pina colada): this was quite unique, the souffle was very fluffy and moist. and i've never really seen pina colada flavoured desserts elsewhere. the iced pina colada came in a little shot glass with a short straw too, which was cute. i couldn't help but feel that the tropical flavour seemed abit out of sync with the rest of the meal though.
-french toast (choc cylinder, french toast and home-made maple ice cream): i didn't see how the individual components in this dish harmonised. the choc cylinder, probably made using some fancy molecular gastronmy equipment tasted plebian. the french toast was similar to the slice of what i had in my foie gras dish and the ice cream melted really quickly. it was too jelat for my liking. but my bestie seemed to like it.

service was extremely top-notch. we couldn't help but notice there wasn't a single female wait staff though. and even though it's supposedly a chi-chi and intimate place the ambience was actually quite relaxed and we didn't bother speaking in hushed tones. one of chefs was rather cute, so we lapped up the eye candy opportunity since it was an open concept kitchen with glass (the limited seats basically surround it in a u-shape). however i'm still not sure that this is the best restaurant in singapore (miele guide 2008), i'm sure i've had better meals elsewhere. i probably need to go back for dinner again to make a fairer assessment though.

The first time we went to Iggy's was about 3 years ago when a very generous friend of ours bought us dinner there. I rememember it was a mind-blowing experience. Hence when our family of 8 decided to have a very special get-together occasion, we chose Iggy's. The price has now increased to $195++ from $150++.

The complimentary amuse bouche was delicious! Uni in cauliflower mousse and jelly. The combination of slightly fishy uni with a calming cauliflower mousse and refreshing jelly was indescribable. The first course in the menu then came, which was the Foie Gras terrine. It was good but easily forgettable. I would have preferred the real Foie Gras rather than the terrine.

This was then followed by raw Hokkaido Scallop, truffle and cous-cous. This was very good, but abit disappointing as the scallops slices were very thin. All 3 combined pieces were probably only half the size of a scallop. Maybe i was too demanding, but with the premium price that they charge, i do have a certain expectation.

This was followed by Gazpacho with shellfish oil and tomato jelly. This was slightly fishy. It gave a slightly funny and mixed feeling, but yet a most pleasant sensation to the palate. I couldnt have enough of the soup! Then we had the linguine with fresh summer truffle. This was probably one of the highlights. Nice pungent truffle aroma and we all ended up licking off the sauces with the bread. I was quite happy then, as the dinner seemed to get better.

However, when the next dish of Bonito consomme with fish dumpling guenelle came, we wondered if we were still in Iggy's. Although the dumpling was pretty good, the soup was simply too plain and unexciting. I could easily skipped this dish.

The main dish was a piece of wagyu beef and striploin each. The wagyu steak was simply too small (about 2 x 3 inches big!) to be fully tasted and appreciated. I thought it was abit of a waste. They could have omitted the striploin and gave us a bigger slice of wagyu. Mind you, the $195 pricetag should have covered that. So after the main course, we were all rather disappointed and still feeling abit hungry. The pre-desert and dessert were pretty good but not the best i had.

All in all, the experience was indeed once of a lifetime, as each dish was unique, and the service was fantastic. But i probably wouldnt pay $195 for it. However their menu does change every month and i believe some would be better. Perhaps the set lunch (which i had once and was very impressed) would be a better option.

When i asked specifically for a room while making my reservation, they incur a minimum charge of $2500 which i then kindly rejected. They however in the end did give us a room without charging us. And for the gentlemen who wished to bring their gfs to Iggy's to impress, u would have to book using your Credit Card with no refund after a dateline, so make sure u r dead certain that u will be going.

There are some places where you pay top-dollar for a meal then walk out wanting to shoot yourself for unsuspectingly squandering your money away. Yet there are others where the after-meal satisfaction is 100% coz the whole dining experience was almost surreal. Besides Les Amis, Iggy’s is the only restaurant in Singapore I think the price-satisfaction ration is wholly balanced. Here I see fine dining at its acme yet again. Food not only taste fantabulous, you can see for yourself how much pride they take in the preparation. Note I say preparation and not presentation. It’s not use playing up on presentation by doodling on your plate or masquerading the foods with foamy clouds of strange emulsions, embellishments and what-have-you coz these extraneous elements do not at all contribute to the taste factor. The latter I deem to be half-baked foods created by chefs who have Absolutely No Confidence in their deliverance bleah! (I’m not calling names here…) and food per se. Themselves as chefs even.

But you will see none of these underdeveloped wannabes here. From soup to nuts, every course is presented with finesse and conviction. And dining at Iggy’s is definitely not as forbidding as its prices. I don’t know why Singaporeans like to carp about paying expensive $ for fine dining in Singapore. What you pay is what you get. Fine dining is all about the experience and the satisfaction one gets from getting lavished with opulent food and cosseted by exclusive service. And high-end restaurants generally feature higher quality ingredients in their menu, with more elaborate presentations to boot.

You also pay for getting fussed over. Service was very genial, manager so thoughtful, waiters were amiable and possessed in all sense the decorum of fine fining. Which means you won’t experience any hint of hoity-toity behavior like that from “elsewhere”. And these people here have excellent product knowledge. The manager and waiter guide you through the courses and make the effort to explain in detail what is being served. Cutlery is changed after every course they don’t expect you to work your way in, your bag gets a chair of its own, they pamper you with magazines while you wait and there’s no need to wave frantically for attention in any point. It just comes and very naturally so. And oh no they don’t just plonk your plate in front of you and walk away leaving you stumped hur and wondering hur hur what was that sh** you’ve just got. This is what I call fine dining. Fyi, at no point in the meal also was I asked if I wanted San Pellegrino or still. The question here was: “Could I get you anything to drink Miss xxx?”

Then there are people who complain portions here are small. Fine dining is never about big portions, and a meal by itself most likely won’t fill you up. But I think the portions at Iggy’s have increased since the last time I came here say 2? years ago. Coz I actually left feeling stuffed. Yes I was full and mind you I have no appetite of a little bird. Maybe it was helped by in between-courses fillers, not 1, 2 but yes 3 big nibbles in between our course proper. And these creative teasers were so exquisite I can even construe them as a course by itself. Dine here and you’d know what I mean. From amuse bouches, yes there were 2! to the pre-dessert dessert, they are crafted with the same if not more attention to details as the courses proper. And mind you they don’t just nip off corners from menu items and pass them off sloppily as amuse. They create magical stunners like Sweet corn cappuccino with a chocolate raviolo surprise and a tri-layer Cauliflower mousse, sea urchin and shiso jelly. It’s that awesome. They bother even to make their own breads (they don’t buy from bakeries), serve them warm and waiters come by automatically when you polished it off to serve you another. I’m sorry I have to mention this again here but it’s all in the Les Amis lineage. No?

Food of coz takes centre stage. Nothing was overplayed in any course. Squid ink risotto was perfectly done al dente and tasty. Homemade potato gnocchi was great and need I say anymore about Iggy’s most illustrious Sakura ebi cappellini with konbu and home-made scampi oil? Crazily delicious. And these little crustaceans here in Iggy’s creation are fresh ones sourced from overseas and not the dried ones that you could easily buy off from Meidi-ya or Isetan supermarts.

The Wagyu burger was petite but very superbly executed. Eh no it’s not dry eew yes it’s Wagyu but how the pattie’s hand chopped and seasoned also contribute greatly to the taste factor. And if there’s any main worth eating over and all over again, I would highly recommend the Braised Kurobuta pork cheek. Oh man pork cheek…is it already calling out to you? Already the porcine cheek by itself clearly shone for tenderness and savor. But it’s Iggy’s here, so add a stratum of savory onion confit and another glorious sunshine fried egg to accentuate its gelatinous deliciousness. Though delicately flavored, shavings of summer truffles then give this porky dish a whole new taste dimension. Dang. Just writing this makes me drool again….Anybody for lunch? haha

Then just when you think your next course is dessert, you get shocked a 2nd time with a pre-dessert teaser. Yes I’m talking about a 3 course set lunch suddenly evolving into a perfect 6! Soooo exquisite I simply love the Rockmelon soup, earl grey chocolate, fresh dill and summer flowers. Can you just imagine a warm chocolate ball swimming in a really icy cool sweet melon soup? And this was only a prelude to dessert!

While the Champagne jelly and sorbet with elderflower foam was quite refreshing, the Pina colada soufflé was more worth expanding your waistline for. The big soufflé’s beautifully risen in its mini Staub “La Cocotte” and paired nicely with a coconut ice-cream and citrusy iced pina colada. But nothing in this dessert affair could outshine the Chocolate cylinder, French toast with home-made maple ice-cream and iced mocca. There’s a sugary cuboidal French toast, quenelle of home-made maple ice cream and a chocolate cylinder ensconcing decadent chocolate cream placed precariously on one side of the cute little sweet French toast. Woa the best part of this dessert ensemble was the iced mocca! which dazzled with its heady aroma. Coffee was so very potent and don’t be surprised when you find crispy mouth popping morsels of chocolate balls lurking surreptitiously beneath the whipped cream. Oh haha you need to suck them up with an awfully hilarious bubble tea straw!

If price is not prohibitive, I urge you to dine here at least once, the lunch Table d'hôte I deem to have most appeal. And know what guys? What was most astounding which rendered us speechless was a personalized Table d'hôte lunch menu du jour each which miraculously appeared before us after meal proper. It was That Incredible!

And so to answer my question in the beginning…yes of course yes it does live up to its position in the world and verily so. In fact I hope all restaurants in Singapore who call themselves fine dining restaurants take some pointers from here. Then only can we get more of our restaurants in the Top 100!

ps: Haiz...if there are readers out there who are dubious about my review and ratings, then here's another view from one of my lunch partners. Do pop by if you're really skeptical...