Au Jardin Restaurant (Closed)

For pictires and full review, pls visit:http://madamechewy.com/2014/03/14/au-jardin/How sad! Au Jardin under the prestigious Les Amis Group will be shutting its doors in approximately 2 weeks (apparently due to lease issues). In French, Au Jardin means “in the garden”. How apt, as it’s located in the beautiful Singapore Botanic Garden.W and I visited some time ago during restaurant week for lunch ($40++ per pax), and I am so glad we did. I daresay you are missing out on a gem if you let the chance of checking out Au Jardin slip by. Their last day of operation is on 29th March.The romantic fine dining establishment occupies the 2nd level of an elegantly restored colonial residence. Wine and dine in old-world charm. Love the warm-toned handsome furnishings and the touch of opulence thanks to the chandelier.The best seats in the house are by the window, where one can admire the lush greenery. The tranquility is calming.Warm bread promptly arrived at our table. I can’t help but notice their elegant China.Amuse bouche was Cured Salmon, Orange, Honey Mustard adorn with Mesclun. Absolutely appetizing and no one flavour overpowered the other.Foie Gras Ravioli in Mushroom consommé possessed robust flavours which W loved.Shredded Duck Leg Confit and Gizzard with Organic Egg confit, wilted spinach, asparagus, truffle reduction. Oooo la la! Egg porn!A winning combo of Butter Roasted Red Snapper with purple mashed potatoes, sautéed fine bean, bacon and Pommery mustard sauce. I polished these off in a snap.Grilled saddle of lamb, vegetable couscous, confit of tomato and rock salad, natural jus. Another excellent main course with well-marinated lamb without a hint of gamey taste.While the servings for appetizers and mains were substantial, the portion for dessert was rather small. This sweet and tangy dessert was the YUMS, and hence I was a bit upset that I didn’t get enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. Decussated lemon tart crumble , jelly and lemon sorbet.We rounded of our meal with coffee, tea (included in set lunch) and petit fours. These cute mini Madeleines are irresistible-crisp on the outside while remaining soft, buttery and moist on the inside. continue reading

Under the prestigious Les Amis Group of restaurants, Au Jardin is situated in the lovely Botanical Gardens at EJH Corner House, Singapore Botanical Gardens Visitor Centre, Cluny Road, Singapore 259569, telephone number being 6466 8812.There were many tables in this Colonial-style bungalow-converted restaurant, and we got ours by the full glass window overlooking Mother Nature's portrait of scenic charms. They played soft French music in the background as well, adding a soft touch of soothe to the already-perfect restaurant with its soft lightings, elaborate chandeliers and handsome furnishings.Entrees graced the table - Pan Seared Quail Breast with 62 degree celsius Egg Confit - served with seasonal wild mushrooms, fresh truffles, "Joselito": ham, potato crisps and truffle reduction. Fit for a King, the quail was succulent and tender, lightly-flavored in its own deliciousness. The saltish truffles and potato crisps and ham enhanced the taste and texture of the dish further.Full but still feeling greedy, we selected a dessert of Chocolate "Au Jardin" - I absolutely adore this beautiful creation that resembled a mini forest complete with trunks and branches and leaves. This dessert of Manjari chocolate cream with soft chocolate cake, coffee "Caviar", creme de cacao jelly and chcolate ice-cream was a chocolate heaven, rich, yet velvety soft like a dream, and lightly sweetened to perfection.For more detailed information and photos, kindly grace:http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2014/01/under-prestigious-les-amis-group-of.html continue reading

I wanted to buy my wife a nice new year eve dinner, and saw the quite attractive menu in au jardin’s website, so decided to make a reservation for 2pax dinner on 31.12.2013.we had couple of degustation dinners at au jardin many years back (my wife said 10 years ago). they were like 8-course priced at S$200pax & was really good. i had considered trying the S$150pax table d’hote (ie prix fixe)menu, but never did. subsequently, the regular menu did not look attractive as it is today 4-course at S$150pax, so i did not do dinner at au jardin but only lunches (especially the recent maybank 1 for 1 promotion set lunch).my wife & I generally have the practice not to dine out during public holidays, festive periods, mothers’ day etc as those occasions were very commercilaised & one often ended up paying through the nose (like 50% – 100% more) & getting poor food & poor service. anyhow for this new year eve dinner, au jardin served a 7-course+amuse bouche dinner at $198pax which was no difference in price from 10 years ago & far better menu than the regular S$150pax course menu, so the arrangement suits us fine.i just wonder why they don’t do such menu regularly, especially when their business had not been good, and they are closing down by 31.3.2014 as a result of huge rental increase (& to me perhaps poor strategy & marketing). sign!i do not rate au jardin degustation as better than the creative & excellent degustation at Jaan which cost only S$119pax after 50% feed at raffles discount, however one need a change of menu & environment, and most degus restaurants like iggy’s, gunthers etc are far more expensive. others like keystone & saint pierre are a little cheaper but not as fine, and private affairs had closed down.wife ordered a red. it was expensive, 1/2 bottle for S$85++, but it was a grand cru classe & was really nice though i took maybe 30ml.the 7-course dinner (+amuse bouche) came with 4 appetisers, 1 palate cleanser, 1 main, 1 dessert; as well as coffee & petit fours.we had a warm bread basket. both the baguette & a raisin bread were good. the amuse bouche was a foie gras terrine with tobiko (flying fish roe) & jelly. this wasn’t exceptional & but still a great start to the evening dinner. 1st course was blue fin tuna ceviche with tobiko. it was nothing inventive, but very sweet & tasty.the 2nd course, cold pasta with mud crab, caviar & sea urchin, was heavenly, par excellence. it way surpassed gordon grill’s (no comparison really as gordon grill’s was for a S$48pax lunch) & according to my wife likewise c/w gunther’s. the 3rd course was a braised iberico pork cheek, with joselito proscuito, egg confit & winter truffle. sous vide low temperature poached egg is a regular feature in fine dining & i really loved the texture enhancement it gave to the dish, the proscuito was excellent, pork cheek so-so & i had already written about the excellent winter truffle here. the 4th course was a lightly breaded dover sole served with razor clam & clam emulsion. the dover sole was ok, tender, i guess considered good in a good restaurant, but really average dish by comparison to other courses. the razor clam was great. next we had the palate cleanser – a watermelon confit with sorbet & lime jelly. it was good.the grilled wagyu striploin MBS5 rare was excellent. this was much better than what i did at home. it was done rare & yet totally charred (for maillard reaction that gave flavour to the beef) & served with carrot & root vegetables and a tiny piece of black garlic. superb! for dessert, we had pistachio cake with raspberry sorbet. the cake was bland but when taken together with the slightly sour sorbet, it was good. my cappuccino was great. the petit fours though was miserable (same as they served for set lunches). mini macarons were too sweet, chocolate was ok.overall we had an excellent evening of food, wine & conversation. Jaan’s degustation gave far better value.nevertheless i enjoyed this dinner very much & would come back but regrettably they do not serve this in their regular menu. i may consider trying ala carte or their course menu. not sure for now!And before signing off, happy new year 2014 to all my friends, readers & everyone!see my full reviews & photos at = http://chefquak.com/2014/01/01/fabulous-new-year-eve-dinner-degustation-au-jardin-on-31dec2013/ continue reading

Setting: beautiful colonial house looking out to Botanic Garden's lush greenery. The perfect setting for a sizzling, romantic date. Also a good place for small group intimate wedding parties (the restaurant area sits about 50 pax)Service: impeccable. Meet restaurant manager, Mr Bernard Mak who is an interesting conversationist with much experience in the service industry locally and abroad and very hip for his age. Food: lovingly prepared and plated.I ordered the degustation menu which costed S$110 / pax:-Amuse bouche - a tiny serving of raw shell fish with alfalfa sprouts to whet the appetite.Blue fin tuna ceviche with trout roe, cucumber, citrus grapefruit, fruity olive oil, verjus air: Delicately put together, with a little hint of Heston Bluemental's signature "Song of the Sea" dish cos of the froth.Pan roasted frog leg - black garlic, creamy garlic aioli and violet beignet, Iberico ham, rocket salad and watercress coulis: Who would have thought ang mohs like frog legs as chinese do? A unique dish which I enjoyed much.Then came the main - you have a choice of either "Catch of the Day" Pan-seared (it was dory fish the day I went) with cauliflower, tomato confit, lettuce, sakura ebi, bonito glazed. Nothing too spectacular, didn't leave much of an impression as compared to the Lamb Shoulder (sous vide) with capsicum coulis, sauteed Provencal vegetables stuffed in tomato and black olive sauce. It was melt-in-your-mouth goodness, stewed to perfection.For dessert, "Man-Go-Pop" was such a well-thought out dessert, even its name was whimsical and fun. It was frozen curry mango curd with jelly, crispy rice cracker and fresh coconut sorbet. Sweet, sour, salty and spicy, all in one, yet it does not confuse the palate. Absolute magic. Coffee and tea served thereafter, with petit four - another dessert that is made to resemble a seaside - crushed cookies for the sandy beach and seashell madelines and lollypop sorbet. It does not come cheap, but well worth trying once in your lifetime. A truly unforgettable culinary experience. continue reading

For more photos, please visit Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow: http://rubbisheatrubbishgrow.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/au-jardin-les-amis-botanic-gardens-orchard-tanglin/Ever since a mediacorp gay actor said that his date brought him here and impressed the pants out of him a few years ago–ok he didn’t say pants–Au Jardin (translation: “at garden”) has been on my wish list. Recently, instead of just serving on weeknights and weekends, Au Jardin opens up weekday afternoon lunches for only $45++.Directions: If you enter by the Visitor Center, Au Jardin, on a small hill, is just directly in front the Vistor Center but it is obscured by trees. So if you’re heading north, you’re on the right track, baby, you are born this way.Decor/ Ambience: The setup is a dream. Nestled in lushness, the unassuming and secluded colonial bungalow stands quietly. The full-panaled windows allow natural sunlight to stream into the balcony of the second storey where the patrons dine. The surrounding verdure gives a sense of tranquillity and peace. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong were singing softly. The temperature was set to a comfortable degree. The menu came as a greeting card with a replica of watercolor painting of the colonial mansion. Side stools are available for bags. But the tables aren’t padded, and padded tables are essential for good restaurants. Another point: there were forest ants crawling all over the table–can’t be helped, I guess. But still, this place is pure class and sophistication.Even before the amuse bouche, we always believe that good gratis bread is one of signs of a good restaurant. It was crispy outside, soft and warm inside. Au Jardin started off with the right foot. The amuse bouche was tuna tartare with caviar. The tuna was sliced into almost rice-like bits. An elegant dish but nothing overly exciting.StartersChiobu had smoked duck breast salad, duck rillette mousse, gherkins, confit of tomato, oats and walnut dressing. She remarked that the smoked duck breast, usually tough, was particularly well-done, tender and not overly salty. The oats gave an extra, almost biscuity crunch. The balance of the salad–a mark of judging a salad–was spot-on, sweet, vinegary, salty and earthy. But to Wise Guy (me), there are bad salads and then there are salads. Salads are just salads. Very difficult to wow the eater.Wise Guy always picks the foie gras dish: fricassee of wild mushrooms, foie gras ravioli and mushroom broth. The mushroom broth itself tasted very Chinese, you know, Chinese mushroom soup. But wow, the ravioli–more like wanton–gave me a surprise. The translucent skin was as thin as gossamer. Bite into it and a sudden burst of foie gras oil and intense vinegar. I wasn’t prepared for the vinegar at all. This was a very smart move byChef Ng Wei Han who has worked for the Les Amis group for about 6 years. I suspect the foie gras wasn’t top quality–remember the lunch isn’t expensive–and so you can taste the iron-ness of it and to cover the iron-ness, Chef Ng used a strong condiment. When the vinegar and foie gras oil dripped into the mushroom soup, the favors interacted, changed and gave the soup a punchline. An intelligent and startling dish. Quite appetizing too.MainsPrawn a’la plancha with shell pasta, egg confit, seasonable vegetables with shellfish glaze. Note the trend here I think Chiobu is secretly on a diet! She was picking the low-calorie count food. The plating was gorgeous but when I asked how it was, she replied, “Pasta lor.” There was an overpowering shellfish taste, almost like the SIngaporean hae bee hiam (spicy dried shrimp paste) without the spiciness mixed with some shellfish, making the dish one-dimensional.I, however, like in life choices, always make the right decisions: roasted striploin & braised beef cheek with roasted potato, sweet corn puree and red wine sauce. I hate potato in general but this potato was amazing, roasted in such a way that brought out the natural sweetness. The braised beef cheek was so tender, and the red-wine sauce that stuck on it was so aromatic and sweet. The striploin was savory and complex, giving each bite a different taste, sometimes sweet, sometimes salty and sometimes peppery.However, a kvetch–which is the same complaint I have of the entree–is that the meat wasn’t of a better quality. That being said, the set menu only costs $45 and given the top-notch service and ambience and way of cooking, I really don’t think it’s fair for me to complain about the quality.DessertChocolate Ice Kacang consists of gula melaka ice cream, milk shavings, valrhona dark chocolate mousse, rose petal (bundong) foam, corn and grass jelly. We tried two ways of eating: the first way was to NOT to mix the ingredients up, but dig some of each onto the spoon and eat it. I preferred this way because you can taste each ingredient separately and distinctly and yet they are in a way combining to give new flavors. The second way is to mix everything up, like ice kacang. I didn’t like this way so much because I didn’t know what I was eating and it just became a big mess. Chiobu didn’t like this dessert but I loved it for its innovation and playfulness. The taste could be more refined–I don’t think bundong goes with chocolate–but with some fine-tuning, this could be a hit.Popcorn parfait. You’d think the yellow parts are popcorn but they are actually passionfruit. The passionfruit gave the dessert a face-scrunching sourness, which Chiobu didn’t like–man, she’s more difficult to please than I am. But I absolutely loved it. The “popcorn” appeared to be two pieces of chalk beneath the passionfruit mousse; they were ice cream and tasted exactly like sweet popcorn you eat at the movies. The foam was corn. Some mint leaves. The contrast of the sour passionfruit and sweet popcorn was palate-cleansing and invigorating. An awesome and brilliant finish to a great meal…Or were we finished We witnessed someone who had a souffle ($22) and so we ordered it too.It came with two scoops of almond-vanilla ice cream. I liked everything I ordered so far, but this was a mistake. It looked amazing but the texture was more like a sponge cake, without the airiness of souffle, and the orange liquor was an overkill, making it extremely and unbearably bitter.Luckily, the end of the meal was sweet to us. The petit four were incredible! The madeleine was hot from the oven, so eggy and delicious, while the chocolate was so rich, going so well with tea.Service: There were more servers than customers! Water was promptly refilled; bread was offered continuously. Thoughtful, considerate, friendly without being sycophantic. They might have station a server permanently at the balcony because sometimes when we wanted something, we had to wait for a server to come out to the balcony. But still, one of the best service.Another thing we love about the place is that some time lapsed between courses, so that we knew the kitchen was actually carefully preparing our food. Lunches are meant to be 3 hours long anyway.We spent $132 for two in total.At the end of the meal, we were very satisfied with the service, ambience and the value of the meal. Except for the souffle, the food was reasonably well executed and intelligent. My suggestion is pick the right food. Communicate with the servers what you like and ask for recommendations. Be prepared to read another review of Au Jardin; I think I’ll celebrate my birthday here and try the Sunday Brunch. We’d like to thank the director, Philippe Pau, for his hospitality and humor. continue reading