Ms Skinnyfat

I first got a taste of Chef Jérémy Gillon and his Alpine-herb-forward French cuisine five years ago at now defunct Audace. It was certainly the most refreshing French dining i've experienced then. Fast forward to 2021 and Chef has already earned his star with his fine dining Restaurant JAG. Stepping into Restaurant Jag for the first time, we were pleased to see that Chef has remained true to his brand of serving seasonal cuisine inspired by the wild-foraged herbs from Savoie. 

It was yet another refreshing and educational meal with unpredictable flavors using herbs that we have never heard of or were able to pronounce. We went with the well-priced 4 course Executive Set Lunch ($98), which was a delightful experience. Do allow yourself at least 2.5 hours for this. I ended up rescheduling my appointment after because lunch took longer than expected but it was worth it though! If you have even more time to spare, there's also the 6-course Degustation Measured Indulgence Menu ($175). 

We started with a Salsify and Sariette biscuit with the crunch of a potato chip. 

Then a green Kohlrabi juice with Hyssop oil and balsamic. This had notes of apple and celery in it. 

A steamy dark rye was served with a duo of Normandy and herb butter. While we loved the fluffy insides, the dark burnt crust a tad too much to handle after a few bites. Lovely miso notes if you don't mind the char though. 

Then came the amuse bouche, a robust pumpkin soup made with 3 types of pumpkin (including a local variety), topped with a coconut milk espuma and a basil oil. It's like drinking a liquid CNY cookie!

We then finally started on our menu proper. Chef Jérémy centers his dishes around a vegetable and then build on the protein. Our starter was an expression of radish which came with a radish brine sorbet as well. Smoked mackerel filled the radish tube and complemented the cool radish with its strong savory notes. 

Next, a Chiba sea bream served with different expressions of South American capucine tuber, with some drops of Rein de Pres syrup. 

While the first fish dish was perfect, we had a taste of a different one featuring Chiba hamachi with chervil root and cassis and enjoyed this much more. The chervil root has a light sweetness like the sweet potato.

The piece de resistance was the Australian beef with black winter truffles with celeriac and Melisse. We were salivating when the box was presented to us tableside.

 Generous thick slices of black winter truffles topped the juicy beef and celeriac. This was also probably the most celery-tasting celeriac i've had as well. Chef also served his signature polenta with basil oil on the side with this. 

At the end of the main course, vessels of herbs used in our meal were presented as part of an olfactory experience.

Cheese lovers could have your pick of the variety of cheeses on the trolley, with toppings of nuts, grapes, crackers and Chef's Mother's housemade jam. Each slice is $4.

Pre-dessert was a pear and sapin sorbet, followed by the actual sweet and savory beetroot dessert. An unconventional ending but a spectacular one. 

Restaurant JAG
76 Duxton Road Singapore 089535
Tel: +65 3138 8477