Restaurant JAG @ Duxton Road - Herb Centric Dishes By Michelin Star Chef

Restaurant JAG at Duxton is a new kid on the block opened by Chef Jeremy Gillon and his partner Anant Tyagi. The French fine dining restaurant has a cosy and intimate space of 26 seats on level 1, which gets a full view of the open kitchen. On level 2, it housed a bar that makes one feel like stepping into one's home with its Chesterfield furniture. The cuisine is inspired and created from the 40 indigenous herbs that are exclusively flown into Singapore, to highlight the distinctive trait of each herb.

Serpolet Potato 3.5/5 and Ortie Cauliflowers 3.8/5

My 5 Expression Menu ($108++) for lunch started with some canapes. I have the Serpolet Potato and Ortie Cauliflowers. The potato ball is served warm while the cauliflower puree is chilled. You simply pick them up with your hand and pop them into your mouth, allowing the ingredient and herb to interact with each other.

Bread with Three Types of Butter 4/5

Have some complimentary bread with three types of butter while waiting for the next course. The three selections of butter are Citrus, Herbs and Salted Butter.

Butternut Veloute 4/5

Next is the Butternut Veloute Soup, which is warm and comforting. It comes with a hint of smokiness with roasted seeds for texture.

Smoked Foie Gras & Mushroom 4.2/5

I love the play of cold and warm of the Smoked Foie Gras & Mushroom. Usually, foie gras is pan seared, hence smoking it, gives it a new form of appreciation. The combination seems unusual, but it works excellently, with the different flavours coming through harmoniously.

Romanesco and Whelk 4/5

Another beautiful dish I enjoyed is the Romanesco and Whelk. It showcases the different textures of the romanesco, which complement the slightly charred whelk. Yes not the other way wrong, as I was told that the chef conceptualises his dish with the vegetable first, followed by the meat. Which I can understand, as the natural sweetness and crunchiness of the romanesco stood out from the plate for me.

St. Vincent Asparagus and Grenoble White Trout 4/5

The clean tasting White Trout is paired with St. Vincent Asparagus. This is probably the least sophisticated dish allowing the freshness of the fish to shine too.

Purple Artichoke and Te Mana Lamb 3.8/5

For the last savoury dish, we have the Purple Artichoke and Te Mana Lamb. While the lamb was beautifully cooked to tender, what interests me more is the crunchy purple artichoke. The roasted buckwheat rounded the dish with an additional textural dimension.

Surreal Sorbet 4.2/5

For pre-dessert, we had the Surreal Sorbet with diced pineapple, which helped to freshen the palate.

Dark Chocolate Tart & Goat Milk Ice Cream 4/5

For our dessert, we are served a Dark Chocolate Tart with Goat Milk Ice Cream. The sweet and creamy goat milk ice cream helped to balance the richness of the dark chocolate. I can taste the thoughtfulness behind the dish.

Diners have the option to complement the meal with the Cheese Platter ($40 for 12 cheese / $4 per selection) which is an exclusive collection of 18 kinds of cheese from Normandy, Loire, Savoie, Corsica, Basque, Auvergne, Burgundy, Alsace and Pas-de-Calais. Each of the cheese on the menu is subject to seasonality and sourced directly from individual cheesemakers who boast a rich history of traditional cheesemaking not necessarily made for the commercial market.

Overall I have enjoyed the experience at Restaurant JAG with its unique pairing of its dishes. It definitely has the potential of getting a Michelin star. However, I thought some refinement would improve the whole experience. While it is a great story using the 40 indigenous herbs that have been flown in from France to create the dishes, it didn't quite distinctly reflect in the dishes. Just like how the staff brings out the different herbs used in each course to let diner smell them, I could not tell the difference after the first few. Maybe presenting them pre or post dinner as a flight of herbs, can be a better idea. Instead of disturbing the diner at each course.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Restaurant JAG
76 Duxton Road
Singapore 089535
Tel: +65 31388477
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Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Fri: 12pm - 2pm, 6pm - 10pm
Sat: 6pm - 10pm
(Closed on Sun-Mon, PH)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Orchid Hotel. At Orchid Hotel turn right onto Tanjong Pagar Road. Cross the road to the opposite side of Tanjong Pagar Road. Walk along Tanjong Pagar Road to Duxton Hill. Turn left onto Duxton Hill and then turn right on Duxton Road. Journey time about 15 mins. [Map]

MEMO @ Studio M Hotel Singapore - A Cozy Cafe Tucked Away From The Hippy Robertson Quay

Cafes within hotel premises have always sat with well me - the quiet ambience, decent food and excellent service. Not referring to those at the lobby that offers high-end afternoon tea, but a much less conspicuous setup such as the Tuxedo Cafes located within the Carlton Hotels, which remain one of my favourites. And I think I have found another one! MEMO at Studio M Hotel Singapore, which has recently revamped from a self-service deli to a full-service all-day dining cafe to includes your all-time favourite brunch items, pasta and mains, alongside sandwiches and salads.

Lemongrass & Turmeric Wings 3.5/5

Apt for any occasion is this what I would describe as a refined Ayam Goreng style Lemongrass & Turmeric Wings ($8). Thin crust and crispy skin, if you are here for their beers instead or coffee, then go for it.

Chum Chum 2.8/5

I tried one of their brunch items Chum Chum ($18), which to me seems like a dish created more for a hangover cure. Imagine you have streaky bacon on top of beef rendang, plus fried egg and chicken flavoured rice. For regular days, this is a tad too greasy for my liking.

Prawn Penne 3.8/5

Pasta renditions of our local prawn mee aplenty but I reckon MEMO's Prawn Penne ($18) is definitely one of the more memorable ones. The prawn bisque that lays the foundation of the dish is superb. Chockful of flavours, yet its consistency was unexpectedly light, flavouring the pasta without weighing them down. And the prawns, each individual slice was firm and succulent.

Seafood Casserole 3.8/5

The crustacean flavours are even more intense in Seafood Casserole ($22), centring a beautiful slice of barramundi, accompanied by prawns and potatoes. The nicely toasted sourdough is there for you to sop up the delectable saffron tomato sauce. It was a pity that the potatoes, carrots and celery were not being cooked down in the same sauce, which would have otherwise rendered much of its flavours into them.

Hern & Lemon Baby Chicken 3/5

While the Grilled Herb & Lemon Baby Chicken ($18) was pleasingly tender and well marinated with aromatics and spices, the smoky chipotle sauce didn't seem to gel well with the meat. I think even without any sauce, the baby chicken stands out on its own.

What's cute is that you could even choose a limited time only Star War print on your latte! A range of other beverages is available as well, such as Better Latte Than Never, which is flavoured ice lattes with interesting options such as gingerbread and chocolate cookie, as well as wines and beers.

In the heart of Robertson Quay, I love how MEMO is being tucked away from all the hippy spots, and it is just me, my companion and my food.

Words and photos by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


MEMO 
Studio M Hotel Singapore
No.3 Nanson Road
Singapore 238910
Tel: +65 68088885
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Nearest MRT: Chinatown (DT Line, NE Line), Fort Canning (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 7am - 11pm
Fri-Sat: 7am - 12midnight

Direction:
1) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to the bus stop along Upper Cross Road, Opposite Subordinate Court (Stop ID 06171). Take bus number 51 or 186. Alight 2 stops later. Cross the road. Walk to Saiboo Street. Cross the river and walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Fort Canning MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to junction of River Valley Road and Clemenceau Avenue. Cross the road. Turn left and walk to the river. At the river, turn right and walk down the river. Walk to The Quayside and turn to Nanson Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]