Ami Patisserie - Beautiful Desserts with Beautiful, Unique Taste and Texture

It has been quite a while since I get excited about any patisserie, especially after my resurgence, where I focus more on the entire experience from starters, mains to desserts instead of just on the sweets themselves. And this is where Ami Patisserie comes in, enticing me with delicate, beautiful desserts that explore the whole spectrum of tastes. Caviar, Uni and Tomato on desserts? I'm on it!

The desserts featured in the Dessert Omakase here are of another level, having the variation in texture, the complexity in taste, the feel of lux, and the uniqueness of incorporation of savoury ingredients. In fact, this feels like complete course of meal. And I like that feeling of anticipation as I watch the chefs carefully preparing the desserts right in rigth of me. This is a must-try for foodies.

Located in one of the extensions of a bungalow house at Scotts Road, surrounded by towering trees and lush greenery, this place feels so exclusive. And venturing through a small gate on the right side of the bungalow to get to Ami Patisserie feels like entering into a secret garden of luxurious treats. Decked in cherry wood panels and frames, the place feels like a cosy, quaint, upmarket cottage, layered with hints of modern Japanese Zen. The full length windows lining the entirety of one side of the patisserie shows the beautiful, scenic view of the huge lawn beside it.

With the awesome, friendly service, this is definitely an awesome place to chill and enjoy the good things in life.

Signature Choux is a signature for a good reason. Packed with chopped Japanese Organic Egg and topped with créme fraiche and Caviar, this is the seamless marriage of the flavours  of the land and sea. The earthy, savoury taste of egg stays on the top layer with the briny sweetness of caviar serving as undertones is complex and oh-so-good. Definitely my favourite.

Piedmont Hazelnut Financier here redefines my impression of this seemingly plain confectionery. Yes, I had always regarded financier as that plain small cake. But the mild bitterness and rich butty aroma of Roasted Hazelnut and the caramel sweetness of Brown Butter adds complexity to the taste, develops into a lovely sweetness and thus makes the financier here the best one I ever have.

Nice warm bread sourdough and super buttery, flaky Iwa Nori Escargot bun, with creamy smooth smoked butter is a joy to enjoy.

Shizuoka Tomato Tartelette showcases the beauty of the garden. This is like the most refreshing dessert without the tart taste as top notes. The mildly sweet and refreshing juices of Amalea Tomato yields a exciting, well-rounded taste with the creaminess of Fromage Blanc, pungency of basil and nutty goodness of 24 months aged Parmigiano Cheese.

Japanese Uni Brioche stretches the limits of what lovely snack can be created with the uni. The amazing creamy umami of Uni, the light zest of Lime Cream and the richness of Butter Brioche makes for a luxurious dessert with multifaceted flavours.

Nasu Brulee has grilled sweet eggplant paired with savoury Miso Ice Cream and smooth pudding encased in a thin layer of caramelised sugar. An interesting and nice dessert.

Setoka shakes things up with some citrus goodness. Pieces of Ehime Citrus, also known as jelly orange, have Gin added, gelee and granita piled on top to showcase a refreshing, juicy dessert with great texture.

I'm not really a chocolate lover, but Marble Dark Chocolate totally impresses me. Crispy Tuiles gives this nice crunch to smooth, creamy 72% Dark Chocolate Ganache, Coffee Cream Cognac and Amaretto Ice Cream. The taste is amazing, being pleasing on the palates and complex. It actually develops a floral smoothness as I savour it, which is amazing.

Ichigo Milk features sweetened Strawberry cubes with mint jelly, strawberry granita and Hokkaido Milk ice-cream. I like it that the strawberry is the main star of the dessert, while the mild creaminess of hokkaido milk ice-cream adds a layer of creaminess to soothe the tart taste of the strawberry.

Oyatsu of the night is Warabi Mochi handmade based on recipe of Chef Makoto's grandpa. Coated with soya powder and drizzled with brown sugar sauce, this flavourful treat has the perfect texture of being slightly chewy and still easy to bite.

Champagne for the night

Thoughts: Desserts that can rival mains in taste and uniqueness

27 Scotts Road

Nearest MRT: Orchard

élan - Modern Exquisite French Dining

This restaurant is no longer in operation

Actually, élan had been on my mind since I noticed this restaurant while walking pass “Les Amis Street”. Yes, the street where all restaurants on one side is under the Les Amis group. I just simply have this desire to try the food in all the restaurants at Les Amis Street, with exception to Mui Kee since porridge to me is … I think I got that desire when I first visited Les Amis (the set lunch set was still affordable at that time), long before Michelin Star had come onto our shores. Aoki, Shabu Jin, Bistro du Vin, I had tried them all.

The chance to dine at élan finally comes when my schedule allows it, and I jump at it. I do expect a restaurant under Les Amis to be of certain standard, and élan surprisingly exceeds it, given its affordable price point as compared to the Les Amis now. The French food here hits all the right notes in terms of taste and texture, with little surprises due to the incorporation of Asian influences.

The interior is of contemporary chic style with soft colour palettes, paintings with splashes of striking colors, warm yellow lights, grey plush fabric sofas and chairs. It is casual, thus being great for gatherings while still romantic enough for dates, due to the cosy ambience.

Service is very good, being helpful and friendly.

Cervettes Carabinero is so amazingly good. Excellent recommendation by the young service staff. The tender prawns taste so briny sweet, enhanced by the lovely char that seeps to the core of the prawn. The super thin tagliolini, similar to angel hair pasta or mee kia in texture, is peppered with yuzu and essence of uni to lift up the taste of rich carbs.

I love this so much. Definitely a must-try here. Recommended for foodies to try this awesome, unique dish.

Nice free flow of Sourdough Bread that is crispy on the outside while fluffy and dense on the inside. I like the generous amount of butter given.

Pan roasted Hokkaido scallops in st jacques have this nice light char with sweetness of grilled meat on the surface and creamy, tender sashimi goodness at the centre. The coconut veloutè and thyme make for very interesting taste when paired with the scallops. The paper-thin bacon bits inject the simulating kicks into the taste.

Canard features slow-roasted succulent, tender Irish Duck Breast that tastes so good on its own already. The crunchy texture and earthy sweet taste of dragée adds a nice variation in texture and taste to the duck.

Crème Brûlée here showcases what a wonderful idea it is to add in orange, making it an unique and one of the best crème brûlée. The zesty taste with slight bitterness of the orange cuts through the rich creaminess of the custard to make the taste more exciting and multifaceted.

The dark chocolate ice-cream is tad too bitter when eaten on its own. But when paired with the orange crème brûlée, it tastes fantastic!

One of a kind Champagne cocktail with Blackberry juice. I like it.

Some may wonder on the difference between élan and Bistro du Vin since both are casual French dining with wallet-friendly prices and doing away with the formalities. The food at élan is bolder, more unique and finer while Bistro du Vin features more rustic and classic French food. élan’s ambience tends towards upmarket contemporary chic, and her sister's ambience is full of rustic French flavour. In terms of food, I actually prefer élan's since I like gastronomic surprises.

Thoughts: Excellent modern French Cuisine

Iru Den - Beautiful Slow Dance of Gastronomy

Dining at Iru Den is like doing a slow dance, where one slowly gets into mood and then start getting that feel good feeling that is so indulgent and memorable.

The Japanese food with European influences here pleases the palates at first, then it slowly builds up with layers of flavours to totally win over my heart. To add it on, the taste is unique, perfect for individuals looking for gastronomic surprises. Every dish is excellent.

Located within one of the extension of the iconic White and Black Bungalow, I enjoy a moment of repose amid the lush greenery and nostalgia while making my way through the gate at the left and then down the wooden walkway to get to Iru Den. The interior fully utilizes the structure of the bungalow to create the feel of a modern, stylish and classy den. It feels cosy, intimate and exclusive. I like the juxtapose of dark walls, furniture with ample of lights and a pillar with mirror finish.

The service crew is amazing, attentive and has very good knowledge of the food and wine here. This restaurant is one of the best restaurants I have been to.

Amuse Bouche of Shima Aji with Tonzawa and Myoga has this clean, sweet taste with hints of brininess. A very good appetite-whetting start. I have to admit that I am expecting a huge surprise of a sudden burst of refreshing sweetness based on well, my gut feeling. Well, the surprise comes not in a sudden pop-up, but in a slow, subtle fashion where the extra mild sweetness develops from a touch to a soft lingering presence. A very pleasant surprise.

Anago with Gobo and Tamago is creamy briny sweetness that I totally love. And as I bite more into it, the distinctive mild herbal flavour of gobo slowly manifests to add in hints of excitement to the overall taste.

Shima Aji Mizuna, Asparagus, Kabu Turnip, Amela is so beautiful in both looks and taste. The vegetables from Taiwan and Japan come with different textures and tastes, all of which are refreshing and carry a subtle sweetness. Shima Aji is the amazing star here. At first look, the delicate slices of Shima Aji look raw. When I savour it, the lovely intense smoky sweetness of grilled meat dances around the clean sweet taste of the fish. This is amazing.

Seseri: Jumbo Nameko, Poultry Jus from 3 hours of brewing, steamed egg custard, evoked feeling of bliss with each spoonful. It is so full of smooth earthy umami.

Uni Somen Wheat Noodle with Hanawasabi is the definitely one of the most memorable dishes. The fresh uni is so fresh, sweet, creamy and full of umami. Chef Owner Javier elevates it further with sprays of sake and the smooth flavourful wheat somen.

Ayu of Tofu Shinjo, Oba, Kataifi wins me over with its crispy textures in different forms with the creamy flesh within revealed when biting into it. I love the feel of juxtapose of the crunch of the deep fried vermicelli, the crisp of the fish skin and the softness of the flesh.

Irish Duck is so tender, juicy and rich in meaty flavour. The root vegetables add nice earthy flavours to the duck.

Donabe of Yumepirika Rice with Sakura Ebi is packed with intense briny sweetness laced with hints of char. The rice is starchy, smooth and carries a good bite. I scrap up every grain from the bowl because it is too delicious.

Since the rice is too awesome and I am too full, I request to takeaway the rest of the rice. Really, don’t be shy about it because good food should not be wasted. So the chef makes it into a cute onigiri for me to take home. I can tell you that it tastes heavenly when eating it on an empty stomach.

Black Glutinous Rice Parfait with Amazake and Mochi tastes so unique that I absolutely go crazy about ii. Such a joy to slowly savour it and bask in bliss. Great in texture due to the contrast between crispy rice cracker, frozen parfait and creamy ice-cream. The star component of this dessert is umami in it. Yes, umami! And it works beautifully. Who says desserts can only be about sweetness only? 😉

White Miso Madeleine features more umami ❤️ Love it, love it!

The Dark Chocolate petit fours is intense and earthy in taste, which is a good contrast from the dessert and madeleine in taste.

Awesome Beverage pairing from light, smooth, floral Sake, then to oh-so-sweet Sake, fruity white wine to intense smoky red wine. Highly recommend to add on this. But I do get a bit drunk after this 😝 

The main building

Entrance to Iru Den on the left of the main building

Yes, I like the old school colonial style of the sloped roof, and how it is complemented by the splash of sunlight streaming through lattice window, so I specially take a photo of it.

I also like this casting of light to show the shadow of the name of the restaurant onto the wall. It is ingenious, stylish, classy and mysterious.

Beautiful and impressive-looking dining area, and one can also see the chefs in action from here.

Japanese cuisine with European influences, under the right hands, is really tantalizing and almost magical.

27 Scotts Road

Nearest MRT: Newton