The latest addition to Les Amis Group’s stellar portfolio is élan. Like its namesake, the vibe is energetic, fun and full of vigour but not without that distinct flair of joie de vivre. The 48-seater space is decked out with earthy tones of copper, brown and gold tastefully contrasted against dark teal and charming patina elements. Led by the highly experienced restaurant director Philippe Pau, he injects his personable yet animated personality, ridding away the pomp and replacing it with a whole lot more lighthearted fun.
The menu is predominantly French but reimagined with complimentary traces of Asian influences all thanks to chef de cuisine Peter Teo, who kickstarted his culinary career as a trainee under the Les Amis Group scholarship over a decade ago. It won’t take long to pick out the likes of kombu, ginger, basil and yuzu in his cooking. They are served in generous sharing formats that taste-wise are on par with the group’s fine-dining counterparts.
The menu starts off strong with a bewitching dome of foie gras bonbon ($38). It is a harmonious act of sweet and savoury expressions that sees buttery foie gras terrine encased in dark chocolate, textured with the crunch of hazelnuts, and balanced with the tang from kumquat. Followed by our newfound breakfast favourite of fluffy mangetsu scrambled egg with lightly battered frog legs ($34) and a breath of sea of carabinero prawn tagliolini with yuzu sea urchin ($42).
In the hearty mains is where Teo’s French techniques and finesse shine best. There’s tilefish ($65) served with its distinctively crunchy scales over a comforting ballad of melted leeks, potato mousseline and bonito velouté. 500-day grain-fed Australian M9+ Wagyu flank ($170) perfectly cooked to achieve a nice pink in the middle without much resistance to bite. Then a hay-smoked pigeon ($64) oven-roasted paired with refreshing vacuum-compressed watermelon.
Though, the highlight for us was the aqina “pineapple” chicken ($110). It is Teo’s deft showcase of his understanding of Asian flavours where he riffs off the French classic Poulet Rôti. Of course, there is a whole roasted organic yellow fat kampong chicken that lays on an aromatic bed of pilaf jasmine rice cooked in chicken fat. Now that rice fondly reminds of the Hainanese chicken rice as he extracts punchy flavours from ginger, roughly chopped coriander, pandan leaves and lemongrass. It is bound to be a hit amongst the local palate.
Before the sweet endings, there comes a round of fine cheese roulette where you can savour a range of soft, hard and blue cheese. But it was the sight – and scent – of the Burgundian Epoisses that made the cheese board experience extra delightful – at least to us. If you still have room for desserts, have a crack – literally – at the refreshing frozen lemon ($20) that helps refresh the palate or end off strong and heavy with élan's Chocolate ($20)
