JAAN

For more photos, please click here. 

The boyfriend brought me for a degustation lunch set at $88++ some time ago for Jaan and I love it very much! We had many many dishes before what was our 5 course menu came. Mise en Bouche (french terms for pre starter) began with smoked fresh eel topped with teriyaki jelly (left) and mizuna leaf from France. In the middle of the plate, was the crispy baked chicken skin. Followed by the potato cantal cheese ball with tarragon puree on top.

Our soup had a wonderful combination of Cep sabayon from France, wild mushroom tea, walnut and lovage. Mushroom tea was poured into the cup, the aroma and smoothness of the tea was beyond words.

Chef's stellar 55' Smoked Organic Egg, paired with Jerusalem artichoke and chanterelles. The organic egg was cooked gently at 64 degree celcius for 55 minutes to maintain its creamy translucence, and it was accompanied with the salty crunch of iberico de bellota slivers and porcini nougat crumbs. The egg was runny and silky!

Not only do we get to eat sio bak in hawker centres, we could eat it in fine dining restaurants too! The Kurobuta Pork in 4 Ways appeared with a crispy pork belly, trotter, cheek and rib. The juicy pork belly was topped with fried shallots; ribs were slow cooked and grilled; pork cheek was glazed on top; and the fried trotter was simply addictive. Not forgetting the carrots that came in orange, yellow and purple in colour!

Dessert "Petit Fours" included "Carambar" marshmallow, Rosemary ganache, Smoked rosemary lolipop, Freshly baked madeleine. The experience was truly a journey through gastronomy excellence.

For photos, visit http://paotothelo.wordpress.com/

Located on the 70th floor (Equinox Complex) of Swissotel at The Stamford in Singapore, Jaan is an intimate 40-seater restaurant that offers artisanal French cuisine.

Dining at Jaan is truly a wonderful and unique experience – it appeals to both the eyes and the tongue.  Beautifully plated dishes, made with the finest ingredients, that’s what Jaan is all about.

You’ll start your meal with a couple of complimentary bites from the chef - rye crisps and lentil hummus (I loved how the lentils were not mashed) and a plate of crispy chicken skin, croquet and smoked eel.

Then, comes the Amuse Bouche - wild mushroom soup.  I never tasted any mushroom soup this intense.  

My appetizer was the landes foie gras and quail ballotine. followed by my main which is the smoked saba and baby squid.  

I ended (well, i thought i did) with a truffle filled brie dessert.

To my surprise, it wasnt the end yet, they served a mango twill with lychee sorbet to cleanse the palate and then a petit four, served smoking with dry ice.

Over all, I really liked Jaan and would definitely return.

Pictures Here/Full Review

Presiding over stunning views of Singapore's skyline, 7741 feet and 70 levels above the ground is JAAN, part of the prestigious Equinox Complex perched at the summit of Swissôtel The Stamford. Many would remember the restaurant previously known as Jaan Par Andre, where the restaurant was named after Chef Andre Chiang in recognition of his dedication and passion which took Jaan to 39th place in the San Pellegrino's World's Best 50 Restaurants in 2010. When Chef Andre left in the fall on 2010 to helm his own restaurant, Chef Ebbe Vollmer who had tremendous shoes to fill, took over but had a largely unsuccessful spell which led to the emergence of young chef Julien Royer. Inspired by the Artisanal Cuisine Movement, Chef Julien’s approach to food is simple. Showcasing the freshest ingredients through simple but beautiful dishes that most importantly boast a wonderful blend of traditional flavors simplistically. 

Complimentary Snackings 

The first amuse bouche came in a trio which basically consisted of buckwheat chips with homemade hummus, Potato Croquet's and Smoked Eel Parfait w apple jelly. My favorite was definitely the eel which was somewhat similar to the first entree i had at Les Amis, where the sweet dimension of the apple jelly complemented and neutralized the smoky robust flavor and saltiness of the Eel. The golden crisp chips with hummus definitely makes a perfect movie snack while the tasty Potato Croquet's were suffice to satiate my hunger pangs before the first courses descended.

Cepes Sabayon Again with complements from the chef, a bowl of Cepes Sabayon was served in the form of a veloute which was pretty intense in flavors with all the different varieties of mushrooms used, but lusciously delightful on a whole as I would gladly have a second bowl of it!

Assorted Bread Selections

Bread was then served after the first two complimentary courses, while the idea of black truffle brioche sounded extremely appealing, it failed to deliver as the brioche lacked the smoky robust flavor truffle flavors exudes. The French Baguette and Sourdough fared much better where the bread was warm, fluffy and moist, complemented by the herbed butter served alongside.

55' Smoked Organic Hen Egg: Jerusalem Artichoke Veloute, Chanterelle & Porcini Crumbs, Iberico Belotta 

If there would be one world to describe this this, it would be WOW. The slow poaching of an organic egg for 55 minutes left even the egg white still runny, but with an extremely delectable silky texture, paired with shavings of iberico ham, various mushrooms and a Jerusalem Artichoke Veloute that was poured into the dish table-side. All these components resulted in an indescribable explosion of myriad of flavors that left one yearning for more as each mouthful of this dish somewhat seemed better and better. Arguably the highlight of the meal. The use white alba truffle oil  in the veloute definitely  took the flavor of the dish on a whole new level.

Iberian Black Pork: Confit Belly, Braised Cheek, Grilled Rib, Trotter Callatte, Wild Chantenney Carrots, Roasted Chestnut and Pickled grey shallot 

The variety of the different cuts of iberico pork served were simply stunning. While I only sampled the pork cheeks which were melt in your mouth tender, the pork belly was roasted to perfection with a crackling skin, where the meat beneath was moist, juicy and delightfully sinfully.

Juniper Roasted Venison Tenderloin: Pear, Celeraic, Perigord Truffle 

Venison is usually pretty uncommon in many restaurants as most people particularly dislike the gamey flavor it brings about, while the texture and flavor of the meat is somewhat quite similar to Beef. In this instance, the venison was roasted perfectly with a tinge of pink, while the meat was tender and succulent, somewhat similar to eating a beef tenderloin but enhanced by the gamey flavor of venison. The Perigord Truffles and bordelaise sauce  rounded of this dish with a really nice unami and smokey flavor, although I couldn't quite make the purpose of the slices of Pear and Celeriac which were there to make the dish look pretty I suppose?

Pre Dessert 

The pre-dessert came as a mango mousse with lychee sorbet infused with thai basil. It arrived icy cold and was simply refreshing largely due to the use of Thai Basil where particularly loved the sweet licorice scent definitely made the perfect palette cleanser.

Choconuts 2012 

N had the Choconuts which was essentially a Tanariva ( Chocolate ) Mousse with Macadamia Nuts Ice Cream. While he claimed that it was good, it definitely paled in comparison with the pre-dessert served.

Victorian Pineapple ($28++)

I opted for the Victorian Pineapple which consisted of coconut panna cotta, roasted spiced Sarawak pineapple topped with an exotic sorbet. The exquisite and meticulous plating made this dessert seem rather creative and interesting, while the panna cotta felt more like a mousse. The roasted/caramelized pineapple had a really delicate sweetness  while having a tinge of acidity. The flavor of the exotic sorbet would probably be passionfruit which was quite refreshing as I particularly loved the zingy flavor.

Petit Fours

Overall, a wonderful dining experience where the whole meal was nothing but perfection, from the intricate but non-intrusive service to having one of the best restaurant ambiance's and the magnificently executed food. The only thing that probably didn't exactly blow me away were the desserts. Dining at JAAN definitely doesn't come cheap, but a meal here is definitely a life changing experience worth every penny paid. I most certainly can't wait to  return , but that isn't exactly feasible until i've saved enough and completed my priority to-visit-restaurants list.

for photos and more reviews, head tohttp://theendangeredsartorialist.wordpress.com/food-listings/

some restaurants are simply meant to be reviewed -- to me the motivation comes from eating food so inspiring, whimsically creative, complete and every dish a literal work of art both visually and taste-wise. and yes, jaan is one of them. but don't expect this to come cheap.

let's talk ambience. jaan is situated at the 70th floor of swissotel hotel, meaning it commands a really spectacular view of the city-hall-marina bay area that is really magickal and the sky dims and night approaches and you get to see all the beautifully lit buildings twinkling and being reflected by the esplanade bay waters. to be honest, this one of the things that every singaporean ought to feel somewhat proud of.. we have such a beautiful skyline and harborfront nowadays..

ok the interior of jaan is somewhat disappointing to be honest, because it looks like some plain ole' dining hall with non-descript, sparse furnishings and deco. the statement piece i suppose are the interesting glass ceiling lights but to me they look kinda ugly, almost like some twisted scrap metal that was being suspended from the ceiling. hmm.

but who cares about decor when we come here for the food? let's start the show.. we ordered the 5 course degustation menu for $148 (without wine and without the cheese supplement of $35).. seriously this place doesn't come cheap, but good food is what you are paying for. the chef has generously littered the degustation menu with many free servings of pre-appetizers and pre-desserts as you can see from the picture at the top. they are intricate, really yummy stuff that was described kinda quickly and in that foreign accent-style that most european waiters adopt.. so errm.. i couldn't really catch it. but its nice la.

ossiblue prawn ceviche - lime marinade, oscietra cream, pear and radish (along with rice cracker)

first course out of the gate and i'm really genuinely impressed. the prawns are tantalizing, but what is truly impressive is the thought that has gone into determining the combination of ingredients that goes on the plate and creates this harmonious and expertly balanced dish - the limey sourness and sliminess of the prawns counterbalances perfectly both the creamy savoriness of the oscietra cream and the crunchy texture of the pear strips and rice cracker. the pear and radish also lent that vegetal note to the dish, really creating a smorgasbord of flavors that complemented each other perfectly. i craved for more.

55' smoked organic egg - with Jerusalem artichoke, chanterelles, iberico de bellota and porcini crumb 

OMG. this was like taking a humble soft boiled egg and elevating it into taste heaven what with the perfect pairing of ingredients at the side and with perfect execution. our waiter kindly informed us that the egg had been smoked at 62 degrees for 55 minutes, hence the name. whatever the rationale, the egg was perfectly done and smelled and tasted amazing. i especially loved the crunchy savoriness of the dried chanterelles (a type of mushroom), the iberico ham strips and the procini crumbs. omg.. yet another perfect blend of ingredients. this was really the highlight of the meal.

trondheim bay hand dived scallop (rosemary smoked), with reinette apple cider, boudin noir and burnet

hmm.. the first dish i didn't particular complete embrace. the scallop (which the waiter informed us came directly from trondheim bay, norway) smelled heavenly, having been infused with the smoky flavor from the rosemary and was once again divinely executed to be just the right amount of chewiness. what turned me slightly off was the use of boudin nour dollops (essentially sauce made from pig blood) because the blood taste was overwhelming and just not appealing to me. but i suppose i can appreciate the thought behind mixing these flavors - giving a meaty savoriness to a fresh seafood, and perhaps boudin noir fans would be ecstatic over the dish.

saddle of salt marsh welsh lamb - done three ways, with bitter caramel, violet artichokes, quinoa, preserved lemon and fresh anchovies

something i found kinda amusing was the fact that despite having the menu right next to us, we still couldn't exactly decipher how each ingredient was incorporated into the dish. this is cheem stuff man. the waiter explained that the lamb was done 3 ways for 3 different portions (which i sadly cannot remember the names of). i absolutely loved the long strip of meat though, because it had the most delicious crispy layer of skin coupled with a juicy slab of meat below. very well executed once again. the other ingredients (quiona, artichoke sauce and preserved lemon droplets) formed the sauce to couple with the three different cuts, each presenting a delicious and different combination of flavors that was really appealing.

"victoria" pineapple - roasted spiced pineapple, coconut blanc-manger and exotic sorbet

took some points off the service because we asked what "exotic sorbet" meant but the waiter didn't know, said he would check back and didn't return with an answer. hmmz. but anyways we deduced it to be having a decent proportion of passionfruit. this dessert was really interesting, creative and satisfied the sweeth tooth on multiple levels - the blanc-manger at the base satisfied the sweet-vanilla creaminess, the caramelized spiced pineapple satisfied the sugary, chunky fruit craving and the sorbet satisfied the refreshing, cooling icy craving. its like the ultimate dessert! haha.

complimentary petit fours

hmm all in all, a really satisfying meal that was nothing short of creative, perfectly executed and magnificently balanced. this restaurant deserves its hype as no. 39th ranking in s.pellegrino world's 50-best restaurants list 2010. chef julien royer is a great addition to the restaurant and is poised to take the restaurant to greater heights i say. good stuff, worth it for that once-in-a-lifetime experience, that date, that anniversary or something. watch the cost though [spent $200 per pax in the end, and that was with the 25% discount for Amex thats gonna expire after january]

Overall, I loved the food at Jaan, we could feel the efforts and passion of the chef. Four days later, I still reminisce the mushroom soup and the pre-dessert!

We had the choice of either the five course or three course festive set lunch menu at S$128 and S$88 respectively.  We went with the three course which allows some flexibility.

For the detailed write up and loads of pictures, click on the link: 

http://foodsionista.blogspot.com/

The 3 course set lunch inclusive of one coffee and one bottle of mineral water, at S$58 ++, is definitely value for money. The presentation and quality of the food was great. A trifle fancy (esp the nibles and amuse bouche) but the mains are delish. Good ambiance, professional service (tho very fake and plastic but at least they tried).

I heard about their set lunch so decided to try it out with a friend. We got there by noon and already there was a big table full of businessmen. We were shown to our table straight away and I was very pleased with the view in front of us. It's nice to be able to see from the top, away from all the chaos on the street.

There are two set menus, one 3 course and other 5. We picked the 3 course one. The usual fancy nibbits were brought out but we didn't eat much of them. As fancy as they were, none really tasted "wow" to me. The complimentary "starter" which I can't remember what it was now, was ok. We both ordered for ox cube in some brothy soup as starter, main course was the seabass and pudding, one chocolate and one raspberry. The starter was ok. It was tasty but with all the fancy food these days, I always kind of expect the combination of fancy meat and fancy foam would give you an explosion in sensation in taste but I have to say all three courses failed me. The seabass was paired with pumpkin and some citrus fruit. I thought the fish was cooked well but wasn't too keen on the choice of combination. My raspberry pudding was light and tasty and I can't comment on the chocolate one as I didn't taste it but my friend seemed to have enjoyed it. 

Two 3 course set menu with a bottle of water and a coffee, it was $140.00 for all on the way out. 

Cost aside, there are many reasons why Jaan makes a near-perfect dinner venue. Yes, the view is amazing  - but that's nothing new. Well, but since AndreChiang left, Jaan has had a 'new' chef, Ebbe Vollmer, helming the kitchen and he's a fresh-faced young Swede who happens to have winning ways with Nordic-style cuisine. Now, Nordic is new. Not many of us would have had a carpaccio of avocado crowned with pearls of Atlantic cavaiar...or perhaps a pheasant meat pudding (not unlike the sausage we know, but more refined) with morel mushrooms in Madeira sauce? Well, you'll get to taste these and more at Jaan.

http://bibikgourmand.blogspot.com/2011/02/culinary-musical-chairs-in-singapore.html

 

Please visit Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow for photos. Sorry, no photos of waiters. 

There is a choice of 3-course ($64) or 5-course ($96) and the lunch includes either stilled or sparkling water. I so suaku leh. I didn't know the lunch includes water, so I asked for tapped. In high class restaurants hor, the waiters are out to trick you. When they ask you "stilled (mineral) or sparkling," and if you choose one of them, you have to pay for water! So you should always say "tapped water," which is free. Trust me, it is NOT worth spending $20 on a bottle of mineral water. My sis and I both took the 3-course one. No money leh.

Freebie! Amuse-bouche. Radish, rock melon, carrot and beet root. The colors were beautiful and the presentation was marvelous. Unfortunately, the taste sucked. My home also got carrot to eat leh.

Another freebie! When I showed this photo to my friend, he said, "How come you eat brownie as appetizer?" Actually, that was just a slab of rock. So you only eat the horseradish (yellow bits), the leaf, and SURPRISE! ..and grilled eel. The eel was very sly, and hid under the leaf. I thought horseradish comes in liquid form (you from from bottles in supermarket) but I was wrong. The bits melted in the mouth, not in your hands. I so suaku have never tasted eel in its original form (I only eat unagi mah, those Jap eel, french eel is white one). I can't say much for the presentation because I dislike singular things, make the food look so lonely and sad. Seriously. And again, it failed the taste test. The horseradish was fun to eat but the eel was completely tasteless. The texture wasn't good, wasn't chewy; more like soggy bread.

DISH OF THE DAY! The free bread! From nearest, going in an anti-clockwise, Black Truffle bread, olive bread, baguette and sour dough with (1) cheese butter and (2) salted butter. Forget about the baguette and sour dough and attack the olive bread and truffle bread. I hate olives but in this instance, the olive really brought out the sweetness of the carbs in bread. But Wow, the truffle bread was in a class of its own. The taste was very...truffley. Every inch of the bread was dotted with truffle.

The taitais at the next table only used the cheese butter, which tasted like milk gone sour and stank like that. So High Crass they all. I can understand eating blue cheese with wine because the wine changes the tastebuds, so the stench of the blue cheese is somehow transformed to fragrance. But to eat stinky cheese like this? My sis and I, two ah-lians, didn't know how to appreciate worh.

Finally, the 3-courses begun. Appetizer. One big fat wanton with oxtail meat...but the restaurant calls it "oxtail ravioli with foie gras sauce." Why did the restaurant do oxtail foie gras ravoli? I would have love that.

It tasted exactly like shredded beef wanton lor. Passable but nothing extraordinary. I think Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao is nicer.

Roasted chicken with asparagus and foam of morel (a fungus). At first, when we asked Ken, what the foam was made of, because he speaks with a (vietnamese?) accent, we thought he said, "foam of more emotions." It's just emotions taking me over....caught up in the sorrow...lost in the song.

So anyway, this is the main course?!?! SO huge portion hor? And the taste of it...I have eaten better chicken rice at hawker centers that taste less dry.

Another freebie! My Ah Lian sister said, the food wasn't very good, but lots of freebies leh.

The top layer was--you can never guess it from the taste--foam of lime and lemon. It was so sweet with only a slight hint of lime and lemon. I used to wonder why top restaurants bother doing foam, because it's mostly air, few calories, and difficult to make. But I guess it is the same reason with cucumber sandwiches. In the 19th century, cucumber sandwiches were very popular with the rich because it didn't have much calories and could not fill you up. It wasn't because the rich were afraid of getting fat (last time, the fatter you were, the more beautiful); it was because it showed their status, they didn't need the calories because they didn't need to work. So food is used as a class divide. And foam in this case too is to show that only high class people can appreciate it. So my readers will know that I'm ah beng lah... I am for food for the masses...so I really don't like foam.

The second layer is hawthorn juice. Actually hor, hawthorn is used in some Chinese herbal drinks and you may have drunk it before, it has a slightly bitter, biting taste. But in this case, the hawthorn juice is surprisingly light and sweet.

The last layer is white chocolate panna cotta.

I like sweet things so I like this pre-dessert dessert. But all three layers are very sweet and I wonder if the chef could have layered the taste a bit.

All different chocolates, infused with different things, like pecan ice-cream, nutmeg ice cream, mousse, etc. Ok lah, what can go wrong with chocolate? Do you know that those people who love chocolate also love sex? Since everyone loves sex, everyone loves chocolate. Average chocolate, not orgasmic.

Overall, the ambience is wonderful. The service was the best I had in Singapore. The waiters were polite and friendly--very difficult to get the right balance--and helpful, without being overbearing. The food needs to be improved.

The meal turned out to very expensive for lunch. $75 per person after gst. But Jaan is the #4 restaurant in ASIA. And it was a good experience to go once. But until I hear that the food turns better, then will I return.

http://triathlonchef.blogspot.com/2010/08/jaan.html

JAAN

An unexpected dinner at Jaan with a couple of good makan kaki. we decided on 5 course with no wine paring ($200+++/pax)

Ambiance was great, nice view of the marina bay, quiet, really great for that special occasion. Although the restaurant is pretty small, u can feel the space u have.

The selection of bread includes Bacon roll, sour dough, olive and thyme, baguette. All pretty good.

amuse bouche, smoked onion, flat bread, cheese

Nice and simple with gentle flavour to kick start the palate.

amuse bouche, cheese cracker, sour cream, pumpkin foam

Nice crunchy cheese cracker with savory pumpkin foam. Simple to taste, clean flavour, unpretentious.

Cold Appetizer, Avocado, caviar, fresh almond, dill

The presentation was really good IMO. Good flavour of avocado with caviar. Almond brings depth and dill has got this refreshing flavour that goes really well in this dish as appetizer. Mouthfeel and texture wise, this dish is soft... very soft...

Hot Appetizer, homemade Chicken sausage without casing, maderia sauce, mushrooms

This dish really packs a punch in terms of flavour. the sausage is simple and lightly flavour that goes really well with the Madeira sauce. the mushroom was nicely prepared to bring out is natural flavour.

Seafood Course, Marron, Marjoram, Lemon confit, orange, melon

I love seafood especially shellfish. However this dish brings nothing more then disappointment after the first 2 appetizer. Don't get me wrong here. There is nothing wrong with this dish. If any problem it just lack the wow factor. Still i must say the marron is very fresh, prepared to perfect doneness, not overcooked or undercooked. Flavour combination is light and clean, balance overall.

Main course, Lamb loin, Aubergine, Olives, pumpkin puree, spinach, fried crisp onion, lamb jus

Ok this is surprisingly my favourite of all and what even more suprising is i'm not a fan of lamb! In fact i don't like lamb because of the lamb smell. However this totally changed my perspective of lamb. The second time in my life i ate lamb which doesn't have very strong lamb smell and nice sweet flavour meat. (first time during team Singapore food tasting for FHA 2010) The lamb jus was great, no complain with the mash and one thing to note the amount of veggy in this this is pretty much. Really healthy dish!

Pre Dessert, Hawthorn Jelly, Lemon Espuma

Really sourish lemon foam with really sweet hawthorn jelly! ha! have to eat both together the get the balance. Now our palate is ready for dessert :)

Dessert, Blackcurrant marinaded white peach, elderflower ice cream, meringue

Simple ideas, nice flavour, great way to end the meal. Not overly sweet with nice tangy peach. Love it :)

Selection of Petit four with coffee or tea :)



Petit four, chocolate ice cream coated with strawberry and strawberry dust. Nice surprise here.

After the meal, i requested to visit the kitchen and they service staff brought us to the kitchen for visit and and we had a chat with the chef. It was pretty good to meet the chef in person and compliment his food especially the lamb. he deserve that.

Food Rating: 8.5/10

Service: Warm and friendly, feels at home.