After gaining much popularity after staging in Raeburn Park and Paragon, Le Matin Patisserie now opens its flagship in ION Orchard. Opening its doors to all on February 1, the all-day dining concept by chef-owner Mohamed Al-Matin sets the stage for his largest menu yet. French-inspired pastries aside, shoppers can also look forward to an extended brunch and dinner menu. For the uninitiated, Al-Matin spent two years as the pastry sous chef in Noma – one of the world's best restaurants with René Redzepi at the helm – and has also honed his craft with Adriano Zumbo of Zumbo Patisserie, Christopher Thé of Black Star Pastry, Peter Gilmore of QUAY and Andre Chiang of the eponymous Restaurant Andre.
With the new opening comes a slew of new pastries, think roasted hay pecan tart ($9), kombu tart ($9) and sake lee and macadamia choux ($14). But of course, chef Matin’s almond croissant ($7.50) and kouign amann ($7.50) remain highly sought after in the line-up. Fans would also recognise the popular applewood smoked cruffin ($10) and the quirky sensation of the garlicky escargot-filled snail croissant ($13).
Brunch like the French where plates are designed to fuel and satisfy. Treat yourself to the lusciously marbled Wagyu brioche Feuilletée ($44) with brown butter leek and black garlic aioli. Not into beef? Go with the shoyu-cured Chutoro (medium fatty tuna) brioche Feuilletée ($38) for a comparatively lighter bite. The black truffle scrambled eggs croissant ($34, pictured above) is perfectly fluffed and delivers the ultimate brunch experience on a plate. Other modern takes on classics that are worth splurging on are the smoked beef cheek banh mi ($18), seafood pot pie ($24) and ox tongue and bresaola Croque Monsieur ($24).
Come dinnertime, heartier plates take center stage. Take your pick from either land or sea where you’ll find hand-cut steak tartare ($28), white wine-poached blue mussels ($28, pictured above), rum-glazed red snapper ($32) and truffle mushroom roast chicken ($32). In the mood for desserts? Have a go at the Formagede vos Reves ($21), a medley of cheese-based sweets including the likes of rillat savarin mousse, reblochon creameux and comte sponge, finished with a milk crumble glaze and served with a light dollop of creme fraiche ice cream.
