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2024-05-07
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This French restaurant has won the 2024 Michelin one-star status as well as the green star for the effort to support sustainable gastronomy. Helmed by Chef David Toutain, who also has a two-star under his name in Paris, the tasting menu features sustainably grown products sourced from local farmers. Despite a heavy rainstorm, we came sharp at 6:30pm on the night to The Wellington in Central.There are two sections in the restaurant, including a semi-private room. We were seated at the innermost p
There are two sections in the restaurant, including a semi-private room. We were seated at the innermost part of the main dining area, on comfortable banquette with an oval-shaped table. There are windows on one side looking out to the Central skyline, providing a cozy and relaxing ambience for diners. The tasting Menu Terroir costs $1,599 with a 7-Glass Wine Pairing at $988.
Soon Esther, the sommelier, came to introduce the first wine for the appetizers, Weingut Tement Gelber Muskateller Sand & Schiefer 2020 is from Austria Sudsteiermark DAC. The Muscat has ripe mandarin appeal, good floral notes, with hints of fresh leaves and spice. Crisp and refreshing.
The menu is divided into different stages highlighting a plant’s life. Starting with Grains & Seeds, the first appetizer is Chia Seed / Lemon Tree Kombucha. The kombucha is made from fermented jasmine tea, with a bit of lemon tree leaves extract added. Very refreshing and palate-wakening. Together with some healthy chia seeds to give a fun poppy texture, a great start.
The second appetizer is Pimenta / Chestnut / Chervil. The chestnut tart is flaky and light, with a cream that has been seasoned with pimenta, having a nice touch of sweet spiciness. On top are the chestnut crisps, with great texture and dusted with some chervil powder, for visually appeal and also showcased the locally grown herbs.
The third appetizer is Mustard Seed / Shiso / Sea Grape. Really wonderful in presentation, the shiso leaf is deep-fried in tempura style, with some sea grapes added on top, and seasoned with some mustard seeds to give the acidity to stimulate the palate while enhancing the fragrance with the fresh and citrusy notes of dill, with an appealing grassy undertone.
The fourth appetizer is Madras Curry / Frog Legs / Rosemary. The frog legs have been trimmed to a lollipop shape before deep-frying to an appetizing golden colour with a thin crust. Seasoned with rosemary to add a layer of the herbal fragrance, it is paired with Madras curry sauce for dipping, with a good tartness to balance the deep-fried frog legs but not overly spicy.
The second wine pairing is in fact a sake. From Miyoshino Jozo in Nara, Hanatomoe Yodan only uses natural yeast, and has undergone four stages of fermentation, relatively rare in sake production, giving the sake more body and intensity. With aromas of mango, good balance in sweetness and acidity.
The second course is Cumin / Egg / Sweet Corn. The egg came from a local farm, with the chef carefully cutting the shell open and infuse back with egg custard with sweet corn foam. On top there is a caramel drizzle, made together with cumin, to give a spicy sweetness. A curly breadstick on the side with some fine chives is provided to mix up the egg custard to enjoy. Pretty in form and good in taste.
The third wine pairing is Domaine Denizot Pouilly Fume. The Sauvignon Blanc has undergone maceration and aging on lees, with delicate and elegant aromas, plenty of flintstone characters from the minerality. The good acidity also helps to cleanse the palate, enhancing the umami of geoduck.
The second stage of the menu highlights Roots, Stems & Leaves. Beginning with the Feuille Bread and Dill Pil Pil, the bread was one of the best I had tried, with a crusty skin, sunflower seeds on top, while the inside remains moist and spongy. On the side the dill pil pil, a spread made from blended garlic and dill with olive oil. So delicious I have to refrain from asking for one more bread.
The next course is French Bean / Geoduck / Lovage. The geoduck is lightly blanched to retain its delicate sweetness and texture, seasoned with some lovage oil, which is highly flavourful and reminds me of celery. With some chopped French beans mixed with pistachio, together with vinegar, it is a complex dish with different flavours surprisingly well-integrated with each other.
On the menu there is an optional course, with the Butter Lettuce / Banana / Oscietre Caviar costing an additional $420 each. The young butter lettuce has been fermented in banana to make the salad, with different greens and some parsley pods to complement, and a bright green puree made from celery. The caviar on the side added a bit of savoury flavour to top up the taste.
The fourth wine paired is Gilles Berlioz Les Fripons 2020, a Vin de Savoie made from Roussanne, locally known as Bergeron. With apricot and floral honey, the wine has some peppery characters, quite creamy on body and has nice minerality on the finish. Good match with nasturtium in the coming course.
Coming to the fifth course, the Carrot / Sea Bass / Nasturtium has a colourful presentation, with a deep-fried water spinach leaf covering the beautifully seasoned local sea bass fillet. The orangish baby carrot is sweet, with the green nasturtium providing a bit of spicy taste, all integrated by the creamy and buttery bearnaise sauce, with some tamarind jelly to further add to the acidity to balance the palate.
The fifth wine paired is Clos des Centenaires Grenache Vieilles Vignes 2017 from Rhone. With raspberry, sweet spices and dry flowers, the wine is less tannic because of the ageing, surprisingly matching with lobster. To balance its higher alcohol, it is served at a lower temperature. Very thoughtful.
The sixth course is Pumpkin / Spiny Lobster / Saffron. The meaty local lobster has been grilled on skewers over charcoal with rosemary and citrus to imbed with extra flavours, paired with a homemade mayo sauce using the lobster head to add an umami richness. On the side there is the chewy pumpkin gnocchi, paired with pumpkin puree, with also a lobster sausage. Super delicious and our favourite in the evening.
The sixth wine paired is Stephane Ogier La Rosine 2020. The grapes actually came from Cote-Rotie, but the vines are of a younger age, so the wine is essentially a ‘de-classified’ Cote-Rotie, with a nice peppery spiciness yet not heavy, with good plummy notes as well to match with the beetroot.
The seventh course is Beetroot / Pigeon / Bok Choy. The pigeon is cooked to medium rare to keep it juicy and tender, with the red beetroot puree, the green bok choy puree, and the tasty pigeon jus to complement. An interesting addition is the pickled beetroot, with the earthy taste provides further complexity on the taste, and the touch of angelica jelly to give some musky sweetness. Gorgeous.
Coming to the third stage which is Flowers & Fruits, the pre-dessert is the refreshing Tomato / Marigold / Lemon Balm. The chef has prepared a cherry tomato gazpacho, adding tomato water to make it not too thick, with a verbena ice-cream that has got good citrus and clean taste, and further supplemented with the fragrance from the marigold and lemon balm herbs. Everything is so flavourful.
The last wine paired is Domaine Huet Le Mont Moelleux 1995 from Vouvray. The Chenin Blanc has fully matured with a nice lemon and dried peach, as well as sugarcane notes. With hints of ginger and not too sweet, its good acidity goes well with the dessert.
The final course is Hazelnut / Chocolate / Herbs. On the bottom are some chocolate crumbs, with chocolate ganache on top, which has also got herbal notes of rosemary and cumin. Wrapped around is the puff pastry rings to create an appealing presentation and a crunchy bite. On the side there is basil ice-cream having the refreshing flavours to balance the more indulgent chocolate.
Finally, the last stage of Origins aims to bring back to the not so sophisticated, authentic, and original style Petits Fours. The Coconut / Passion Fruit is a coconut meringue with a passion fruit cream on top, with the tartness of the cream balancing well the sweetness of the meringue, and the two fruity tastes vibrant and giving a touch of the tropical elements.
The Fir Bud Macaron is truly showcasing the ingredients, not just on flavours but also visually, with the macaron sitting on top of the firs. The macaron is of appropriate sweetness, with a lemony and hints of woody taste.
The last one is Peanut / Vanilla, with the smoked vanilla ice-cream immersed in a rich sauce made with peanut and cream, being the most indulgent among the three to provide a satisfying and fulfilling completion of the wonderful meal.
Service is good, with attentive staff that offers good introductions to the dishes. The sommelier Esther is also knowledgeable and did a great job in pairing the wines to the food. The overall experience is impeccable and the bill on the night was $5,687. A place worthy of its Michelin status and it is amazing to taste dishes that elevate the flavours of the ingredients to utmost.
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