Les Amis

We reached Les Amis for our 7pm reservation and were warmly and professionally welcome by a waiter into a cosy environment. The maitre'd explained that we could mix and match our intended 4-course set menu dishes with the other dishes on the menu, so naturally we made a few changes from the listed options.

The breads served while we were waiting were nice (in particular the stone-ground bread) and warm, served with two choices of butter and coarse salt. Amuse bouche of marinated bamboo clam and tomato came not long after, and was also good - fresh taste with just enough marinade, and nice clam texture slightly but not overly chewy.

Our appetizers were marinated scallop and uni (sea urchin) for me from the set, and the Wife's choice from the signature menu of lightly smoked eel "tiède". The two were contrasting in taste - the scallop and uni were smooth and light, the eel fragrant and flavourful - but commonly delightful. The uni was sweet and creamy and paired nicely with the lemon-tinged scallop on which it sat. The Wife was fascinated by the taste of the eel and the accompanying pork crouton, which went well on their own or with the accompanying drizzle of mustard (which gave a good kick to the tastebud). The only minor grouse she had was that the crouton was a tad oily, but it did not detract from the taste.

Our second dishes, although again different, were not as contrasting as was the first pair. She picked the fried "tete de veau" from the set while I the ciabatta-wrapped crispy egg from the signature dish list, both with black truffles. Both arrived exuding a tantalising fragrance. We didn't know what "tete de veau" was and forgot to ask, but my checking upon getting home showed that it literally means calf's head. What the dish looked like was a cut of meat with layers of fat, which initially brought  the three-layer-pork belly familiar in Chinese dish (The Wife: no meat at all actually, just tasted like fat and pig skin, but the fat texture was more collagen-like, unlike pork belly fat). However it seems to have more tender part than pork belly, i.e. more fat. The "tete de veau" was served with a thin crisp ciabatta atop it and lettuce and black truffle salad. We quite liked the dish, but more salad would have helped counter the greasy feeling in our mouth.

My egg turned out to be poached egg wrapped in Joselito Iberico ham and crisp ciabatta, sitting in a bed of spinach and black truffle. The Wife remarked that it was a high-class combo of eggs benedict and eggs florentine, without the muffin (replaced with the crisp ciabatta) and sauce. While the ham was flavourful and the spinach balanced it well, I still prefer the more sinful "tete de veau"; in fact the Wife didn't quite like my ham. Maybe the remark about eggs benedict/florentince caused some bias, because it actually was still quite a good dish.

We both had a similar set dish, which was the Muscat pumpkin soup with lobster. For the third dish in a row, the fragrance hit us when it arrived - the dishes here were mostly not subtle. However the Wife found the taste not as robust as she would like, and that the soup was not hot enough to her liking. (Disclaimer: she loves hot soup, and doesn't really like lobster bisque, to which she compared this dish). I on the other hand was happy that for once I had a soup which was warm and not overly hot. I agreed that the flavour was not as strong as some other soups I had, but again actually I enjoyed the softer edge more - it's not as if it was bland. We both agreed though that the meaty chunks of lobster in the soup were good, with excellent springy texture.

Our main and last dish was whole roasted baby monkfish, which was not on the set since it was a dish to be shared by two. A server carved two sides of the fish by our table side and then plated one side for each of us together with mushroom and cooked lettuce. The fish cheeks were carved out and served separately accompanied by grilled garlic and thyme. An accompanying sauce of tomato-and-herb was made available, but I found that I liked the taste of the fish better on its own, in particular the outer flesh which in some places had a little crispiness. The Wife didn't think that the fish was very flavourful, although again it was actually not bad, but also not spectacular. Basically not a fish we would reject, but not one we would order again on an a la carte basis given the $170 price. Not to miss the side dish, the two pieces of mushroom accompanying the fish tasted wonderful.

We had opted out of the dessert when choosing the 4 courses, but was tempted to try the dessert since the maitre'd was telling us earlier we should not miss desserts from their great pastry chef. We decided to order "A fancy lemon tart" to share. And were we glad we did, because this turned out to be the best dish of the night. The "tart" came as bits and pieces of what usually made up the tart, strewn in clumps on the plate - clusters of lightly-burnt merengue, dollops of lemon emulsion, and a few saltish brownish discs which I couldn't quite identify. Taken individually, some of the flavours were too strong (e.g. the lemon dollops were really quite sour), but when taken together, the combined burst of flavours worked magic. The sweet, sour, and salty just worked so well. Also on the plate were two portions of thyme ice cream, which we took in-between spoons of the tart to cleanse the palate to preapre for it to be amazed again. The ice cream itself was wonderful too, the thyme flavour was so refreshing. I half-jokingly requested the maitre'd if we could buy the ice cream to take home. Kudos to pastry chef Daniel Texter (which I later found at was formerly with the Copenhagen-based Noma, the #1 restaurant in the world) for this wonderful creation.

And then the petits-fours arrived. I had not expected these extra confectionaries, otherwise we would have skipped the dessert - on hindsight it was a mistake we were happy to make! Not that the petits-fours were bad, they were lovely and would have gone very well with tea or coffee (which unfortunately we skipped since we were avoiding caffeine).

Another thing that tempted me and I skipped in favour of dessert was the post-meal cheese cart. However, the table next to us ordered it and I head the pleasure of smelling a whiff of the fragrance coming out when the cart was opened, and it smelt good. The Wife did remark that people not used to the stronger cheese may not refer to the aroma as "fragrance" :) but I think cheese lovers would approve of the selection here (I overheard my favourite Mimolette being mentioned, and Livarot, among others).

The ambience was cosy and amenable for conversation, but more for business rather than romance - maybe it's just the feeling I get due to the other patrons around mostly appearing to be businessman-like. It was a good place for a quiet conversation, but one can quite easily hear what is being spoken in an adjacent table. Service was friendly, professional, and knowledgeable (the waiter could answer without skipping a beat when I wanted to find out if the cheese used pasteurised milk). There were some occasional minor shortfall, e.g. refill of the warm water was occasionally lax, and I experienced what one other reviewer mentioned about the waiter asking me to remove the napkin from the bread plate. I found those to be no biggie, maybe because the friendly charm from earlier conversations with them made us feel at ease and comfortable enough to not be particular - which to me is more important in good service, rather than simple precision in standard-operating-procedure.

Overall, the food and experience was a pleasant one, which is what one should expect from such a reputable place. Given the price tag though, expectations would be higher and I would say that the place didn't wow me consistently so much that I would be willing to save money to return here. When I earn enough to come back here without prolonged periods of saving, then that would be a different story :)

Pictures Here

The Les Amis Restaurant, flagship of the Les Amis Group, has been awarded numerous accolades over the years since 1994. Many have considered Les Amis to be one of the very few pioneer restaurants that started of the fining dining concept locally along with Iggy’s. Boasting a renowned and celebrated alumni with former Chef de Cuisine’s such as Gunther Hubrechsen and Justin Quek, the kitchen is now helmed by Chef Armin Leitgeb of Austrian decent. Having worked for world renowned chefs such as the Pourcel brothers of Jardin de sens and Thomas Keller in the French Laundry, Chef Armin’s food philosophy places much emphasis only not only how the flavors blend and interact with one another, but also on the quality and provenance on the food itself. A meal at Les Amis was actually a rather last minute thing when N and I decided to try our luck for a last minute reservation.

Upon arrival, the service staff attentively escorted us to our table, while i gazed along at the refined and splendor of elegance  at the interior of the restaurant. I particularly loved the presence of the high ceilings along with how spaciously the tables were placed apart, so as to ensure that customers dine in comfort and subtle luxury.

Assorted Bread with Truffle Butter

While the bread was delicious but not the best ive sampled, the lovely truffle butter made up for it.

Home-cured Norwegian Salmon, Chives, Dill Cream, Cracker, White Alba Truffle Oil

I devoured the amuse-bouche in a single bite which really gave a unique blend of flavors. From the flaky yet succulent salmon slices to the smoky robust flavor that the white alba truffle oil, rounded of with a nice crunch and buttery flavor from the cracker beneath it, certainly made a very promising start for a rather excellent meal.

Lightly Smoked Eel Tiede, Crispy Pork Crouton, Horseradish, Dijon Emulsion

We were informed that the eel dish was a signature of  Les Amis. The slices of eel were smoked to perfection to the extent that it had a similar texture, taste and flavor to Joselito Iberico! The pork crouton was crisp, flavorful and yet not oil at the same time, while the Dijon emulsion gave the dish overall a much needed spice that was not overpowering at the same time. I even made a joke that this dish was plated to nicely it looked like MBS haha.

Hungarian Goose Foie Gras Parfait, Winter Fruit Chutney, macademia nuts, toasted apple brioche

Surprisingly the Foie Gras Parfait came across as the biggest disappointment of the meal. On its own, the rich and creamy goose liver parfait which gave a melt in your mouth texture was to die for along with the crisp and fluffy brioche that had a nice distinct apple flavor. But when paired altogether with the Winter fruit chutney, the overpowering citrus flavor of the chutney kinda marred the dish overall, as I couldn’t quite make out the taste of foie gras any longer.

Homemade Tagiolini: Shaved Black Truffles & Truffle Infused Stock

The homemade pasta was cooked perfectly with the strings of tagiolini being chewy, springy and yet not overly soggy. The Truffle infused broth along with the generous portion of shaved truffles portrays how simplicity can bring about decadence. The smoky and robust flavors of the Black Truffle paired with pasta and some butter emulsion definitely is a match made in heaven as I simply wanted more!

Wagyu Ribeye (Marbling 8-9) Cooked in Hay, Caramelized endive, Real Truffle

Another Les Amis signature that sounded rather intriguing to me was the Wagyu Ribeye cooked in hay! IV commented that it was definitely one of the best and finest cuts of meat he ever had, as the delicate marbling of the rib-eye was already to die for! Real truffle fries were also served alongside side as rectangular block of potatoes   infused with a whole truffle were firstly steamed twice then fried to achieve a consistency of a perfect golden crisp texture on the outside and yet fork tender on the inside. The service staff said that this method of preparing their truffle fries is also known as Triple Frying them.

N and I opted for the sous-vide/ slow cooked Pork Tenderloin. Basically the whole tenderloin of Iberico Pork was sealed in a vacuum pack then left to cook in a water bath of 60-70 degrees for 36 hours. The result? Fork tender pork tenderloin with a pink centre which melts in your mouth. I loved the fact that minimal seasoning was used in cooking the pork, where only sea salt was sprinkled on top of it during plating. This really brought out the natural flavors and juices of the finest of finest quality cuts of pork in the world! The Brussel sprouts were crunchy and refreshing while the mirin sauce neutralized the natural bitterness of it. The triple fried potatoes cubes were equally as good as the truffle fries, although i secretly hoped they had infused truffles in it as well.

Desserts were meticulously crafted by pastry Chef Daniel Texter, did not disappoint as each and every played dessert we had looked like a work of art.

Milk & Figs, Chocolate & Port WineCrispy apple-pear Strudel, vanilla foam, yoghurt sorbet and salted caramel

N opted for the Milk & Figs, Chocolate & Port Wine while IV had the crispy apple-pear strudel with vanilla foam, yoghurt ice cream and salted caramel.   Both of them found their desserts to be extremely enjoyable with a unique blend and experimentation of textures and unique flavors, especially with the wafer thin strudel shaped as an ice cream cone and the vanilla foam used to portray as the ice cream filling.

A fancy lemon tart, Thyme Ice Cream

I opted for chef Daniel’s deconstructed rendition of a lemon tart. The lemon curd emulsion had a nice sour tang which wasn’t overpowering. While i would have loved the crumble in the form of soil to have a stronger buttery flavor, the meringue in the form of marshmallows were a delight. The thyme ice cream possessed a nice distinct thyme infused flavor with a hint also had an extremely smooth texture and perfect consistency. The various components combined together gave off overall a burst of flavors blended together so meticulous as this is probably the best lemon tart i have sampled to date.

A choice of Gourmet Coffee/ Tea was then served along with assorted Mignardes, as the three of us shared our experiences about our year end holidays,while rounding off a near perfect three hour lunch.

A sweet ending to a wonderful mealPetit Fours

Despite mixed reviews from past experiences, friends and reviews, Les Amis is definitely deserving of the 19th best restaurant in Asia ( Miele Guide 2011) and the 55th in the world (2011). Offering exquisite french cuisine beyond just playing with various textures and delicate flavors, while also employing a plethora of unique techniques that are certainly a cut above the rest. Service standards were also impeccable with the service staff being not only approachable but also extremely knowledgeable at the same time. A meal here certainly doesn’t come cheap, but what better way would it be to blow one’s annual bonus and end the year off with a bang?

I cant explain why I had apprehension even before I stepped into the restaurant. Like you know, atas restaurants like this are usually over-rated and I hate to get disappointed, especially with a huge price tag.

We were quite the first customers for the dinner that evening as we stood stupidly for few minutes to wait for the tuxedo-clad waiter, obviously too busy with whatever he was doing, to show us to our reserved table. Finally he was done and we were shown to the corner table. Frankly speaking, I reallyyyyyy have very low expectations of the standard of service because dearie and I were CONVINCED that 90% of the Sg's customer service(F&B) is poor. Nevermind that the waiter dont bother to pull out my chair, I was appalled that he pulled the chair for dearie instead.

Like WTF.

Even if hubby's more feminine than I am, certainly the waiter should pull out my chair righttttt~ I've never seen anyone pull out the chair of the male guest rather than the female guest leh. That really didnt set my spirits high. So I grabbed the menu and hoped that the dishes can excite me instead. But I was again disappointed. Choices were few, for all starters/entrees etc. Almost all of them were simply.....just not what we usually order. Eggplants? No. Eels? No. Octopuses? Not unless they're sashimi. Bamboo clams with cavier?? Maine lobster, but steamed?? Baby monkfish on the bone?? Sounds unappetizing. Home-made pasta with white truffles, how "exciting". Spanish-style sucking pig?? Huhhhh??

Yes, there was my fave foie gras but I was famished(it's my "breakfast" ok) so I wanted something filing.

Dearie is a fish freak so he grabbed the only fish dish which sounds okie, "Slow cooked Danish Halibut "sous vide" with Maitake mushrooms, lardo crudo and green tea puree"($80), while I ordered "Steamed Alaskan King Crab Risotto with White Alba truffles($110)"

I was silently telling myself....Let's see how amazing is this white truffles, which are termed white diamonds.

We were served butter and bread but really, it was nothing really worth mentioning.

Oh!! There was something worth mentioning! The waiter approached us with a basket of 3 different kinds of bread and I chose white bread. Then he said, "Please remove the napkin" and then I realized the napkin, which was supposed to be place on our laps by them, were on the plates! With both his hands busy, he actually asked us to self-service. I mean, is this really a fine-dining restaurant?? ZzzZzz

Amuse bouche was prawn. An angmoh actually came up to introduce the dish with an bored expression on his face which clearly carried the message that he wouldnt give us the time of the day if not for the sake of keeping his job.

Delicate, crisp on the outside, tender and fresh inside. However it was a veryyyy skinny prawn. As if halved. Seasoning, slightly over saltish but acceptable. The vegetables tasted raw, hard, cold, acidic in contrast to the warm prawn. How odd.

My crab risotto was disappointingly hard. Sigh, I hate having hard risotto. That's like so unacceptable. However, it's still edible and I dont wish to wait for another as I'm famished. First meal of the day at 7pm. Just look at the picture will you? The plating is just.....sigh. The lettuce is kinda redundant. It's not a salad!! And it spoils the plating despite the beautiful shavings of the white truffles. Alaska king crab leg meat were chopped into chunks, tender and fresh. So thankful that they were not skinny, however, will be happier if there are more. The risotto has a hidden poached egg inside which really.........I just dont know what to say. So I'm eating risotta glazed with egg yolk. I like eggs but....all I can taste were egg yolks for the risotto! It's an eggy risotto. Oh my god...

As for the shavings of raw white truffles, it's kinda hard to describe. Hmm.....it had a very faint earthy smell that doesnt attract or repel me. But it's so faint like it wasnt there. I reckoned they aint very fresh. It's texture was smooth and soft but rather bland. To me, it's like a pretty and classy garnish that looked like snow flakes on a dish but basically did nothing to enhance the flavour.

As for dearie's halibut, I only heard him complaining about the portion being too small and complimenting the mushrooms being fantastically fragrant. Fish texture was ok. That's about it. Together with the still water we had($14), total bill is around $240.

In all, the only thing which impressed me is the bill and the most unforgettable thing will be; 1st time a waiter of a fine-dining restaurant pulled out a chair for my husband instead of me. Thank you. We thought we should go back to The French Kitchen for our anniversary celebrations next year. And we suddenly felt bad that we didnt go back because Chef Charles is really very nice! Fod and service is also great at The French Kitchen.

With all the lavish and pomp, and whatsnot whatever, this place is way overpriced. Food art maybe, but ingredients and whatever had been basic. I ordered... something that came with oysters, asparagus, shrimp. Shrimp frenchie style.. nothing special... but oysters... well, truthfully? It wasn't fresh! Nor was it even sth you would call quality. Terrible experience from such an overpriced establishment! I mean.. imagine biting into the oyster that oozes with stinky, toilet smelling juice? I was with good company so I was quietly regurgitating out the foul thing....

Very bad experience.... very....

For photos, please visit Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow.

Ah Beng go 2 high crass place again! lim pei (me) 1 2 complete the best restoreant list in Singapore. The decor hor, si bei bright lor, si bei bey (very white) lor, and you know ah beng don't likeS anything bey. Mama say bey attract lightning..can die one ok? don't pray pray. Restorean suppose to be dark and sexy like Gunther's mah...if not how the businessmen bring their mediacock actresses-mistresses there.

Serwice is buay pai lah (not bad), but different from Guy Savoy, the best serwice lim pei have. Guy Savoy is friendly and introruce the food proberly but here, the serwice is more leng (cold), more distant, like lim pei already know all the food lor. Diz place obviously for all the Old Money. Not very democratic.

We went for the 3-course set meal ($70 each):

Amuse-bouche. Free food! I ah beng buay hiao (don't know), I tot diz is sashimi lor and asked for cutlery. 14K, very kiang (smart), sez this one is call canape, eat with hand one. pronounce as ka na bei ok? So crude sounding right the french? I didn't notice the chip below because it was moist. I thot itz a wanton skin lor. I thot it was fishy but 14K lyke it. he sez very fresh and bouncy. I agree.

Starters: The gratis bread suck, fyi, and I lyke bread. :( Foie gras (addition $12). We both chose foie gras <3 14K sez it's pronounce as fork ah-qua. Then i sez is this a french or bangkok restorean? The red thing below is rhubarb. I forgot it's rhubarb season. I just to not lyke the taste but diz one ok leh. Very sweet. The bits on top of the liver are nougat bits - quite oliginal lah. But the liver itself wasn'tpeng kang (cook) proberly, very hard to cut, and it was all mashed up inside. Good foie gras is supposed to be firm, but melts in your mouth. And 2 oily, way 2 oily.

Mains: 14K and I wanted to ordah same thing again - but I thot we can share share mah. So he had Wagyu beef (additional $25), and I took Octopus risotto.Heng (lucky), i nair ordah wagyu. Although tua (big) piece, very tough and not juicy lor. Octopus Risotto: I really don't like food with foam (I stated my reason here). I think foam veri pretentionious. But diz risotto was ho chiak (delicious). thelice was very favorful, but I thot the octopus still has the sea smelly.

Desserts: we very heart-2-heart lor, wanted to ordah same-same thing again but I changed my mind like a girl change her clothes. So he had 5 chocolates and I had apple pie with yogurt ice cream. Heng again, I tasted the soap and ice kalim from 5 chocolates and it was hollible. The chocorate ice kalim was chao ta(charred) and the soap so chao seng (sourish, bitter) but I have to admit the more you lim (drink) the soap, the ho chiak-er (better) it gets.

My apple pie was normal but the yogurt ice kalim was all-sum (awesome). Sourish like yogurt so it was refleshing.

Pralines and tea.

In seclusion, lim pei feel that the food is mediocre, and that Les Amis isn't trying hard enough since it is already established. Surprisingly to find a full house on afternoon, and usually lunches at high crass restorean are much cheaper...around $40-$50, but this one is about $125 per pax, if you want to change the food to foie gras and wagyu. The website false advertising lor, never show the additional hidden charges. Not worth the money. Better go to Gunther's. They are second best, so they try harder.

Located at Shaw among the stretch of the Les Amis Group of restaurants, I decided to come by one afternoon for a break from my usual routine to check out the set lunches ($60++) here.

A fine dining set-up with a very white facade, the amouse bouche was a potato salad with smoked eel. The smoked eel was really good, such that it did have any of the residual slime and tasted like any other smoked fish.

Down to the food, I started with the essence of goose with foie gras ravioli and generous slices of black truffle swimming within. The essence was very strong with a high sodium content, canceling out any flavour the truffle might have added. A richly flavoured dish indeed.

For those wanting something lighter, I would recommend starting with the Mushroom Pasta instead, clean and easy to eat.

Continuing on rich flavours, I tried the mushroom risotto, in which the small portion, served with raw egg, can fill one up pretty quickly. 

Once again, the lighter eater should stick to the "pouisson", or spring chicken, which had well cooked breast meat on a light salted sauce.

For desserts, I stuck with my theme of having a "heavy" laden lunch by having the milk with figs. The base of the milk semi-fredo was was strong enough to overpower the figs, which provided a slightly sour finish.

Traditionalists would do well to stick to the pear struddle, which was light with fluffy pastry.

I added a glass of Dornhoff Ton Rie Trock Riesling ($24++) with  my meal which was an excellent glass of white refreshing wine which added a nice zest.

Overall, creativity is evident in the dishes prepared with strong flavours and richess in many dishes. Service was very good, as one would expect in a fine dining establishment.

If thou seek for the best service in dining, Les Amis is the one.  100% meticulous and formal, it is hard not to feel like a prince or princess when dining in here (unless one is wearing sloppily with dirty looking T-shirt and jeans, looking like she is just back from a marathon.  I did spot one such person at Les Amis).  Of course, the place must exlude a air of splendor and grandeur to define Les Amis's position as the "Queen of Fine Dining".

As for the food, there are many hits and few misses, though I appreciate the chef's sense of creativity in presenting the dishes in different forms, not seen in any other menu elsewhere.  The desserts are sublime, the chef used rarely seen combinations of ingredients to create something that tastes so different, complex and blissful.

I will love to come back here again on the event that I don't mind burning a hole in the wallet!

I really admire the people behind Le Amis. It is by far the most professional fine dining restaurant in Singapore before Guy Savoy and the rest of the herd came and open theirs in Singapore. Service is flawless, food very refined and located in the quieter side of Orchard Road (perhaps Scotts rd). Keep it up guys!! Good Job!!

Les amis, a well known French fine-dining restaurant in Singapore. Whenever people asked me about French cuisine, Les amis would definately be one of them. Les amis was ranked number 78th in the world’s top 100 restaurants.The restaurant is well-furbished, with high ceiling and elegant style. There is a private room right at the second level and a wine cellar .

A vase of fresh roses are placed on every table. I thought it would be romantic at night when they light up candles . I just love the fresh red roses!

Dishes selection vary from lunch to Dinner. 3 course set priced at $60++ and 4 course at $80++. Menu changes daily, with little changes to the dishes and also depending on availability, freshness and season. From April- 12 June, you can savour the sweetness of white asparagus!( white asparagus season).

Amuse bouche from the chef was the Iberico ham on crispy toast. I like ham thus anything with ham would be good. Iberico ham ,also known as pata negra , is greatly priced for it’s rich, savoury and smooth texture. The cracker was crispy too.

Crunchy spring Vegetable salad with croutons

I always like a simple and light salad to start off my meal. This vegetable salad is simple yet I like the simplicity. Crunchy mixed vegetables, carrots, asparagus and radish were tossed in a champagne vinegrette. The dressing is something unique that I have not tried before. It is different from the usual balsamic dressing that we often use in our salad.

Complimentary Marinated Saury from the chef

Just by looking at the presentation of this pacific saury would make me happy and satisfied. The fish is sooo fresh and it is boneless! The chef takes great effort in removing the fish bones from the fish, leaving just the delicate fish meat behind.

By just simple marination in citrus vinegrette, the fish retained it’s freshness and I can taste it’s natural sweetness and flavour.Some grilled vegetables( tomatoes, aubergine and white asparagus) sat atop the fish. Special mention has to go to the white asparagus! The white asparagus is soft and sweet ( better than the one I had at G…). Yums!

Grilled Obsiblue prawn , hen of wood mushroom, green asparagus, truffle Jus

The best and my favourite dish of the lunch !

They would pour the truffle jus right in front of you. The chargrilled prawn had a savoury and smoky flavour and the chef de-shelled the prawn (save the hassle ). The prawn is not tough and the texture is just right even after grilling . I think the chef is quite good at controlling the doneness. Kudos to the chef!The accompaniments – Asparagus and hen of wood mushrooms were awesome as well.

Special mention has got to be the HEN of wood mushroom which has a unique flavour which I can’t descibe. The truffle Jus is infused with some sweetness of seafood and I licked the plate clean!

Roasted French poussin,sauteed lettuce, sweet corn, truffled puree

I took the recommedation of the maître d’ to have this Roasted French poussin . The french poussin is one dish that I have not tried before and this is a good opportunity for me to try it.

The chef prepared the dish in 2 ways, using 2 different parts of the poussin- The leg and the Breast. Both were served with truffle mashed potatoes and morel mushrooms.The possin leg is very tender and juicy , compared to the breast which is slightly dry . The poussin leg has a nice and crispy roasted skin. Who cares about the unhealthy fats in the skin? It’s so crispy and occasional indulgence is harmless.The breast part is slightly less juicy than the leg and it is cooked in a truffle jus. The truffle jus managed to ‘‘mask” the inperfection.

I can try the 2 different parts of the poussin, in 2 ways as well and The Morel mushrooms were awesome! Yums…

Mignardises

I labelled them for easier identification and reference.

I will start with the lemon Madeleine is a crispy and citrus infused tea-cake. It was crispy on the outiside and soft in the interior. Madeleine is not too rich and buttery. I enjoy this!

Irish cream chocolate: Not too bad with hint of Irish cream in it.

Green Tea: Pale in comparison… greenish stuff looks so yucky

Dark chocolate: The best, good quality chocolate used!

Canele: Canele is from Canele since they are under the same company. However I didn’t like caneles so left it untouched.

Overall verdict: All dishes were well-executed. The chef takes great effort in presenting the best and fresh products to the consumers. I would like to highlight the Obsiblue Prawn which is my favourite dish of the lunch.

The staff here are professional, well-informed and service is top-notch. They understand the menu very well unlike in some places where they have to check with the kitchen. They also remembered to ask me about my dietary habits such as food allergy. I am planning for another visit soon.

Booked a table for two recently for a friend's (belated) birthday celebration. This was one of the best lunches I've ever had, one which proves why Les Amis is still one of the stalwarts of the Singapore gourmet scene.

Note: Given that the lunch is based on seasonal produce, it's markedly different from the offerings for a la carte (though one of the main courses did come from the main menu). This review is to be taken as a reference to its quality in general since your experience may vary.

Ambience/Setting: Plush red and suitably rarefied with the chandeliers hanging above. In its own luxurious way, a rather great setting for lunch ahead. Even got a peek at the Chef's Table while waiting for my dining companion (the CT is a private room which has a window to the kitchen as well as facing a wine cabinet full of top-drawer Sauternes and German greats)

Service: Top-notch, as is expected. Staff were helpful and yet discreet, allowing us to enjoy the meal peacefully. One of them even suggested a mocktail pairing for my teetotaller friend's main course. This may be a surprise question to ask, since most people would ask for what wine to pair with their food, but the way they handled this rather unusual question is admirable

Value: at $48++ for 3 courses, still value for money. the $88 4 course menu (which I skipped, features more expensive ingredients like bluefin) slightly less so. Drinks are a little on the dear side, though you can't go wrong with names like Pichon-Baron, Haut-Brion, Leflaive and Cape Mentelle. (I ordered the cheapest and most unusual wine in the wine list, but more on that later)

F&B

Bread: suitably fragrant and crispy, though on the chewy side. lovely creamy and salted butter, though

Amuse Bouche: Smoked Salmon- one of the best ever tasted, fresh tasting with balanced smokiness and saltiness. the cracker below just helped enhance the experience

Starters: A creamy parsnip 'cappucino' (soup) was enhanced with a briny (barely poached) oyster which highlighted the richness of the soup. In contrast, my friend's yuzu infused poached gambas (prawns) seems more prawn flavoured than yuzu flavoured. it's so delicate that the flavour seemed to be highlighted more by the pumpkin which was pickled. (missed: a supplement of Japanese hamachi with crunchy vegetable salad)

Mains: The slow-cooked Atlantic salmon was very tender and tasty with the salmon flavor still intact and yet enhanced by the king mushroom. It was a good match for my friend's delicately limey and minty virgin mojito mocktail (without the rum). If there's a little gripe, it's that the white truffle foam for the salmon was rather delicate, giving a fleeting truffle sensation in view of the richly herbal potato-leek mousseline. The same green mousseline which was featured on my pickled crispy pork leg, though, enhanced the overall taste of the food. I preferred the pork not only because it's classically German (maybe Alsatian. The Germanic fingerprint is all over the dish with the sauerkraut and the horseradish), it had a very crispy skin which complements the unctuous mouthfeel of the dish well. A Slovakian Riesling (Yes, for the record there is good wine out of Slovakia, so that counted as an education of sorts on wine. Vintage 2004, Ch Bela, run by the great Egon Muller of the Mosel, no less) was a surprise match for the pork, and the crisp Riesling helps to cut the oiliness of the pork leg. Brilliant! (missed: roasted French 'poussin')

Desserts: My friend's crispy clementine 'tuille' was nicely offset by the jellied yogurt, though the gently nutty nougat ice cream presented an otherwise welcome distraction. I preferred my fried apple 'beignet'. The fragrance reminded me of the McDonald's apple pie (only much better), the shape and texture reminds me of a well-fried doughnut, and the complementing cinnamon ice cream and vanilla-calvados sabayon enhanced the apple-pie feel. a great harmony of flavours

Coffee/Tea and mignardises/petits fours: My friend's earl grey was served from a quirky and yet functional looking teapot (design reminds me of a chick). The sugar 'cubes' are cute heart shaped ones. As for the petit fours, we had a coconut-lime 'jelly' (feels like mildly sour lemon pastilles), blueberry financier (positively jammy), a mini-'macaron' with chocolate feeling (my friend's favourite. hazelnutty chocolate filling) and a Canele (my favourite out of the four. a classically tasty chewy sample that tastes honeyish. I think this might have come from Canele, which is part of the Les Amis group )

Overall: An unforgettable lunch. Great for a special occasion or for a special someone. Try the dinner menu if money permits

Note: The pork leg is available on the ala carte menu