JAAN @ Swissôtel The Stamford

We are back at Jaan for lunch and this time with another group of friends. This means it's good company too, which makes a meal more interesting.

The last time I was here was for dinner in October to celebrate 2 person's birthday. It was the Autumn menu which I had the photos ready but did not get to blog it yet. That was a dinner so it's a bit dark and it was not nice to 'flash' when other diners are wanting to have a nice meal.

This meal we had this time showcase the seasonal harvests of Autumn/Winter. If you fancy something you see, the menu will be available till the end of first quarter of 2014 or the change of season. I love how Chef de Cuisine Julien Royer transform the produce from his native France into something so beautiful and delicious.

When you dine here, it's like a theatrical experience. You are not only feasting with your mouth but your eyes as well. Not only the food, but the service staff who brings the 'acteur et actrices' out before they are served to you. The Chef, his Sous Chefs and other staff together with the service staff makes your show enjoyable.

First thing is the set. This theatrical set is on the top of Swissôtel The Stamford which gives you a really awesome view. You can see the sea and on a clear day, we see all the way to the Bukit Timah. (yes, you can see the telecoms towers there). During the day, you see the buildings, during the night, you see the beautiful lights.


Amuse Bouche

The theatre performance starts with these petit delights. Don't you think it's harder to make this tiny things compared to big ones? Mini samosas, black sponge and little snacks on mini pegs.


Amuse Bouche

The signature lentil humus and the lentil crisps. Something to munch while the show is starting.
Let the texture from the humus and chestnut paste and crisps entertain your palate.


Amuse Bouche - Cepes Sabayon and Mushroom Tea

As theatre performances changed props, the Cepes Sabayon with mushroom tea is now served in a contemporary styled wooden cup. It's a nice change from the double wall glass.


See how the cup foams up as the service staff pours the mushroom tea in.



The service staff will then let you know how to eat it. Oh, I love that piece of porcelain.
It's a soup with lots of different textures and a fragrance that will leave you wanting more.

The aroma of the dried mushroom made into tea and the walnuts, julienne dill, etc
No, it's not a French version of teh tarik.



As I showed the wife this photo, she said, it's the same gentle lady!
I can't remember, as I only remember the food I ate.



Though it's tempting to try out every type of bread in the bread box. Save your appetite. Just take 1 or 2. It's really nice though these bread.

Warm and aromatic.


Beetroot Collection

The beetroot collection is popular! It was available if you went for the late autumn season when it was going into winter. I know some of you can't stand beetroot, but I am a fan of it. Every few days I will be having beetroot juice, but what I have is just juice.

This is beetroot done in so many ways. Can you count the items and see how many different ways it can be prepared? Just imagine all the work that goes into it!

I know some of you can't be convinced to have it. Tell the wait staff. They can arrange something for you. I saw in horror a man in the next table just took a look and smiled at it that's all. That guy was obviously there to accompany the quite pregnant wife who probably wants to be pampered.



There are also different kinds of beetroot, these are from France and what I am still as intrigue is the golden beetroot. You can taste each character in this scene as you like. The beetroot meringue slowly melts in your mouth as it whispers to you. The beetroot gel sheet sticks to you as your tongue antagonize with it and you win finally. The sharp screeching soprano voice of the coulis scratches your tongue. The cool dude the sorbet gently gives a soothing baritone voice. There's the burratta artigiana and honeycombs that joins in the chorus as well.


Winter Garden

The winter garden platter once again shows what Chef Royer has in his heart. He once again showcases the forgotten vegetables. There's interesting vegetables that I have not seen. We got a chance to talk to Chef Royer and asked him what that spiral thing on the corner. Is it some kind of shell or something? He said it was 'Crosnes' in French. Texture is like a cross between jicama and potato. It's crunchy!



Jerusalem and Chinese artichokes, parsnips, chervil, parsley roots are cooked separately in different methods and then assembled on this beautiful plate. In between these vegetables are smoked ham from Auvergne that gives it a hint of saltiness. Parsley sponges, purées of parsnip and white chocolate holds them together with artichokes, almond and sweet chestnut.

After the Garden scene comes the intermission. Chatters amongst the 5 of us dining there. The gossips and latest news etc.  


55' Rosemary Smoked Organic Egg

After the intermission, the theatre play continues with the grand entrance of smoke and smell. The service staff came to the table with holding on to a wooden box with sous vide egg cooked for 55 minutes.

The narration follows of how the egg was prepared. These are organic New Zealand eggs that been prepared to a temperature just before the egg yolk coagulates and hardens.



The egg is to be poured into a double glassed bowl that contains ratte potato puree and chips,  chorizo iberico and crispy buckwheat.



'Plonk' as the play continues in front of you. Yes, audience nowadays applause with the clicking of their smartphones. Some capture the moments with by the video mode.

Tada, we show off what we just watch on Facebook and Instagram and tempts your friend to come as well. They all respond with the #bojio hashtag.



The moment it's in front of you. The imaginary music at the back of your head plays Celine Dion's "All my myself, not sharing it, all by myself......"

Just before the service staff leaves, they lift up the double glass bowl gently to let the smoked rosemary scent out.



Chefs wannabe, please don't play with smoke at home.
This dish has always been my favourite and ahem, I think I can replicate this at home now after so many tries.


Atlantic Brill 'Tournedos'

The curtain rolls up for the next scene and it's a nicely grilled Atlantic Brill served on top of a lovely piece of Kagoshima Kurobuta Pork Belly. It was a lovely dish, but I prefer the co-star the pork belly below it. If memory serves me right, there was very delicious crispy pig's ear!



Pigeon 'Plouneour'

Not Bresse Chicken but Bresse Pigeon Hay Roasted. My friends and I celebrated someone's birthday and had this dish too. The Instagram I posted brings back memories.



It's best served medium rare, but if you are vary of 'blood', tell them.

As they open up the oval Staub cast iron pot, the whiff of smell of the roasted pigeon will just makes you salivate. The scene closes and you wait for it to be cut up and served to you.



I am going to try plating my food like this next time!
So artistic isn't it?

It is served with barley, winter mushroom, vin jaune.



If 'Moulin Rouge' is not your preference show, tell them earlier.
For those who likes red meat. This looks beautiful to you?


Brie de Meaux Truffe

Next scene was the 'love-hate' relationship scene.
The props were beautiful. Artisan brie was brought out to be presented to you.



"I have no love for cheese. None at all. I wonder if I will ever love it."
The character in the show saying that is me.



"I have a soft spot for ice cream. Anytime of ice cream."
The same character is also me.

What more, this was Truffle Ice Cream. Not some scented chemical 2,4-Dithiapentane you get in many restaurant's truffle fries. This is the real thing. If you missed the Truffle Promotion at Prego recently, you can still get this ice cream here!

"Once you tasted this, you will always remember it. One can never get enough of this."



That's the Artisan Brie served with toasted poilâne.



Citrus

This is the next scene. The palate cleansing scene to prepare you for the final scene.



Mandarin orange sorbet, grapefruit and pomelo.
This scene was brief but has a great impact. The characters in the show are but a few left.


Choconuts 'Tart'

In every theatre show, there's always a lady whose a tart. The final character in the show who was initially showed her cold, selfish side wanted to protect herself from evils and hate against her.

She finally found the love of her life, a chocolatier and they fell in love. It was a nice ending to the lunch time show at Jaan.


The director of the show, Chef Julien came out with our standing ovation as he carried his espuma and squirted chocolate foam to this dish that's full of taste and texture.

It was a chocolate tart with chocolate ice cream, sponge and bits of nuts and caramel, shaved chocolate.



The show ends with a postlude.
Chocolate pops. Ice cream inside a chocolate coating with a fresh rosemary scent as the dry ice 'smoke' whiffs around.



This thing you see here, will give you a surprise!
There's pop rocks in this chocolate and nut surprise.

This Autum/Winter seasonal menu will end this quarter. If you want to try them you got to make a booking soon. There are different menus and sets or a surprise menu that my friends and I have tried before. Yes, we did pay quite a bit, but you need to use the 'right cards' to get discounts.

The menu and pricing are all available at http://www.jaan.com.sg/

Update (25 Feb 2014):
JAAN is one of the 8 restaurants in Singapore to be on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014, sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. It ranks 17th. Details at http://www.theworlds50best.com/asia/en/


JAAN
Swissotel The Stamford
2 Stamford Road,
Singapore 178882

Tel: +65 6837 3322

Hours:
Lunch - 12 pm to 2.30 pm, Sunday and Public Holiday closed.
Dinner - 7 pm to 10 pm, daily. Public Holiday closed.


Disclosure: This was a hosted session.

Lunch @ Jaan, Swissotel The Stamford

It's rare on a weekday that I have lunch with my sis. We had taken leave because we had an appointment with Chef Julien Royer later in the afternoon to discuss what to prepare for the Bosch Dream Kitchen Contest we were participating in. Chef Julien was our mentor chef.

You can do an online search and read about Chef Julien. I shall not repeat them here. I am not being bias if I say that he and his team is really good!

We decided that before we met the Chef in person, we would like to taste his food without him knowing. We thought of booking but decided not too just in case his team found out. We just walked in to try our luck if there's a table for us at 12:30PM. 

Later at the appointment, he told us we should have let him know so he can serve us some extra dishes other than what we have ordered. We thought it would be good that we come ourselves, pay for the food ourselves so that when I decided to post this up, it's more authentic.



I think the set lunch at Jaan might be the best value around.
It's $58++ for a 3 course meal with coffee.

What you get is more than a 3 course meal.
You get pre-meal snacks + 3 course meal + petit fours + coffee/tea + a superb view!

Service was outstanding too. As usual, when we dine, we pretend to be total noobs, asking a few questions now and then and see how the service staff answer them. Throughout the meal, we were served by 4 persons and 3 of them were outstanding.

There was one day that we had another appointment with the Chef and sis was there early and got to the dining area and she saw there were all ironing the table cloth. Wow... is that why the table cloth was so nice without crease etc. Now you know, if you dine there, feel how nice and impeccable everything is there!


As soon as we place your order, we  were served pre-meal snacks.
The balls were potato croquet. Nice and warm, it's also starts to awaken your appetite. The thin brown piece in the middle is actually crackling chicken skin! Have a bite of it and you wish all chicken skin were made like this! What's on the wooden stick were smoked eel squares.

Sis and I were discussing our food, after all we were suppose to plan our menus with the Chef. We realised how clever of them to have different textures. Served to a panel of say 3 different judges, whether they like things crispy or soft, savoury, umami, it's all there!


We also had thin crispy rye 'bread' served with 'My Hummus'. 


I am not usually a fan of lentils, but this was delicious. Sis and I enjoyed it. The lentils were whole yet it was really soft and sweet. Not the usual lentils we have with our favourite local Indian food for sure.

The card writes: "My personal interpretation using lentils from Saint-Flour, Auvergne and Chestnut Paste".

Yes, we noticed textures again. Thin crispy bread with soft lentils and chestnut paste.



The amuse bouche was Cepes Sabayon and Mushroom Tea.

It's served with a double glazed cup that had dried porcini mushrooms from Chaspuzac (near where the lentils come from too). The server will then come with a pot of 'tea', tea in the form of mushroom soup that had fresh porcini mushrooms. You should try this! So rich, so creamy, so fragrant with bites of soft and crispy mushroom bits.

Yes, we noticed different textures again! Crispy mushrooms and soft ones and the presentation was a mini show! No wonder we have been enjoying our meal.


How nicely the butter has been shaped, presented in a glass inside a stone.
Yes we did ask, French butter.


The bread on the right, you got to try it. The Truffle rolls. It's so fragrant and the soft, it's worth asking for seconds or even thirds!

This might be funny, sis was saying, please don't instagram your food for this meal. The other 3 teams will know what we are eating! Shoosh will you? she said.  Can I just instagram this truffle roll without mentioning where it is? I pleaded. Seems that so many instagrammers know exactly where we were within a few minutes of posting! Oops...



55' Rosemary Smoked Organic Egg

For my starter, sis had the 55 minutes rosemary smoked organic egg that has been cooked at I think was 63 degrees Celcius.

Oh, the mini theatre show when the egg was presented. Rosemary burnt and the fragrant smoke fills the air. The egg was then poured into a double walled serving glass. Doesn't the above already look so beautiful?



The egg cooked at the temperature turns the egg white from transparent like feel into something translucent and soft. The egg yolk at that temperate does not hardens but turns slightly custard like. It was poured into the bowl that had smoked rattes, autumn mushrooms, chorizo iberico and buckwheat.

Why is this dish so worth it? The egg would have taken you about an hour to cook. The smoked rattes potato mash would have taken more time. The potato was not boiled in plain water, it's in some stock. Shhhh. I wonder if that's suppose to be a secret, but I learnt that from Chef Julien. The potato is then smoked with rosemary. How tedious it is to prepare the potatoes! The saltiness from the chorizo and crispiness from the deep fried buckwheat and aroma from the mushrooms. The combination was just absolutely lovely.



I had the Bresse Chicken, Confit Oxtail, and Foie Gras 'Presse'.
Yes, it's the Bresse Chicken from France. Do an online search and you can find how much the chicken costs in Singapore, it's the same chicken that "Team D" used in the Bosch Dream Kitchen finale!

Try the flavours of the chicken, oxtail and foie gras combined. It was served with maple and beetroot reduction. Some sweetness and crunchy bits with bits of the 3 meats combined was a nice little flavour explosion in your mouth.


Oh yes, it comes served with a small piece of toasted poilane.
Must be very precious!

The same bread that sis laughed at me when we lugged it from Paris last time. 
"Loti only leh" she said. LOL!



For mains, sis had the 36 Hours Kurobuta Pork. (For this there's a supplement of $15 in the menu)

Oh my, the most tender pork you can have. There's a layer of fat on it, but it's marbling that makes kurobuta so delicious. It was drizzled with 'autumn broth'. I wonder how many hours it took for the reduction, but it was so heart warming and makes you wonder what autumn vegetables and produce were used to make this broth.


The menu says served with 'forgotten vegetables'.

When the server served the food and described the dish, you are bound to ask what's forgotten vegetables'. It's vegetables that has always been around for the longest time, always flavourful and gives nice textures to food but has been forgotten by many who served more exotic vegetables.



For my mains, I had the Wild Caught Atlantic Mackerel.

You can see that the menu had all ingredients that are 'artisanal'.

Sis and I were analyzing the chef and his team plating techniques. The few dishes above, we realised everything has a 3 dimension look to it. At any angle, the food is pleasing to the eyes, even before we eat it!


Truth be told, I can't taste the difference between a wild caught mackerel and farmed mackerel. Maybe I should ask around or taste more of it to learn more.

I just know it was very nice! It was served with pickled shallot, deep fried crispy baby squid, sweet corn puree and jus 'dolce forte'.  Yup, dolce forte - chocolate sauce!



For desserts, I had the Caramelized William Pear.

I chose this because I wanted to see how the pear will be like. It came served in such a beautiful plate, I wanted to ask where they got it from! (Of course I didn't). The pear was nicely caramelized with a nougatine placed over it and topped with the top part of the pear and a scoop of ice cream. 

The plate was drizzled with salted caramel and dark rum jelly.
A very nice sweet end to our meal.



Sis had the 'Latte Poivre'.
Very unique indeed. Coffee chantilly with milk foam and java pepper ice cream.

It's sweet, has the nice coffee flavour and a peppery taste to it as well.



Complimentary Petit Fours.

Chocolate coated almond nibs and fruit jellies. Reminds me of the fruit jellies we used to eat as kids and haven't had it for the longest time! Of course these were nicer version of it.



Oh yes, the nice view that comes with lunch!
It only if was not so cloudy, the view would have been better!

We really enjoyed our meal and sis and I really took our time analyzing dishes that we haven't done before. Even the arrangement of veggies we took note. We have been flipping lots of food magazines too. Getting a bit too competitive it seems!

We paid $164.02 for our meal, we ordered a few drinks that cost a bit. We realised DBS did have a discount if you used their credit cards though. December and January are months that many get bonus. It's a nice treat to yourself and family/husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend.


Jaan
Swissotel The Stamford
2 Stamford Road,
Singapore 178882

Tel: +65 9199 9008 / +65 6338 8585

Hours:
Lunch - 12 pm to 2 pm, Sunday and Public Holiday closed.
Dinner - 7 pm to 10 pm, daily. Public Holiday closed.