MY FAVORITE HAUNTS IN PARIS

A friend of mine asked me recently about restaurants in Paris. She wanted me to recommend a few places to try out while she visited Paris. My first advice to her was not to walk into a cafe or a restaurant that you happen to just walk by. I always plan ahead and decide where to eat my meals at the start of the day or sometimes a few days ahead if its hard to get a reservation in a restaurant. So here are some of my favorite places to eat in Paris.

Most hotels offer breakfast along with the room reservation. One can expect croissants, bread rolls, preserves, cereals, eggs to order, yogurt and fruits. If you step out of your hotel without eating breakfast, Paul is a good place to grab a quick bite on your way to a museum or other tourist destinations. Paul boulangeries are dotted all around Paris and you can easily find one in the neighborhood you are staying in.

Clockwise from top left: Seared scallops with string potatoes and XO sauce, Watercress soup with Sea Urchins, Aromatic broth with Oysters, Seabass with seaweed and Seared beef with Bok choy at Yamt'cha

For lunch, I highly recommend the restaurant Yamt'cha. It is a one-Michelin star restaurant and I would say the food and experience here is better than some of the 3-Michelin star restaurants. Chef Adeline Grattard draws inspiration from her culinary training in Hong Kong and the result is a delightful offering of French Cuisine with very subtle Asian influences. The lunch menu is a usually a 6 course tasting menu accompanied by teas or wine. The guests are asked about their meat preferences and allergies at the start of the meal. It is a surprise menu, you never know what you are getting until the plate is placed in front of you. I have eaten here twice and not a single dish has been disappointing. The desserts are also surprisingly light and refreshing and you won't feel stuffed when you walk out of the restaurant after lunch. It is the perfect place for lunch as the meal is light and you will be all set and ready with a good appetite for your dinner reservation at 8pm.

         Goat cheese with Honey and Olive oil & Meringue with passion fruit and plum puree, Almond sorbet at Yamt'cha

If you are in the Eiffel Tower neighborhood sight-seeing, a good place to stop by for lunch would be Cafe Constant. Chef Christian Constant owns 3 different restaurants, all of them on Rue Saint-Dominique, not far from the Eiffel Tower. They do not take reservations at Cafe Constant and if you plan to have an early lunch, it is easy to find a table at the start of lunch service.

Prawn tart & Guinea fowl with Cous cous at Cafe Constant

As you sight-see and shop around Paris, if you are looking for coffee and a light snack in the evening, Fauchon is a good place to stop by. After a cafe latte and a macaroon or one of their eclairs you are good to carry on shopping in Printemps, Lafayette or the stores on St. Honore street.

Sugary goodness at Fauchon

There are a few options for dinner and a lot depends on how adventurous you are. A great way to spend an evening in Paris with a friend or your spouse is to go to one of the wine bars. These bars serve good wine and cocktails along with delicious gourmet small plates. A few glasses of wine and small plates over an engaging conversation will definitely make for a fun night out in Paris. Some of the tried and tested bars are Le Mary Celeste, Frenchie Bar A Wins and Ver Jus Wine Bar.

Le Mary Celeste is run by Chef Hann who is originally from Canada and he has picked up a flare for International flavors, particularly Asian flavours during his stint in Korea and other places around the world. I recommend that you try the cocktail Rain dog and a couple of small plates from their ever-changing menu. Even the vegetarian small plates are surprisingly tasty and delightful.

Cocktails and small plates at Le Mary Celeste

The restaurant, Frenchie in Paris is one tough place to make a reservation. I almost got calluses in my fingers trying to dial their number to make a reservation, about 2 years ago. So a great option to taste renowned chef Gregory Marchand's culinary magic is to step into the Frenchie bar as they do not take reservations. It can be tough to get a table in the bar as well but you can order a glass of wine and hang around the bar counter while waiting for a table to free up. The food here is definitely worth the wait.

Cava, Crab and Avocado canneloni, Burrata & Cep mushrooms at Frenchie Bar a Vins

Ver Jus Wine Bar  is run by the American duo Braden and Laura, the couple behind the highly popular Hidden Kitchen. They have graduated from running a private kitchen out of their apartment into setting up a restaurant and a wine bar. The small plates menu here is also very interesting and eclectic. The duck meatballs were bursting with flavors and I still remember them very vividly from my visit here last year.

Cava, Hummus & Duck meatballs at Verjus Wine bar

If you are not feeling too adventurous and are looking for a quiet place to have a hearty meal, I recommend the Maison de la Truffe. There are a couple of locations and if you are a big fan of truffles as I am, look no further.

Pork Tenderloin with Mornay sauce, Ravioli with summer truffles and truffled cream & Baguette with the world's best Black Truffle Oil

If you have not made a reservation in any of the restaurants and you are not looking to walk or ride very far from your hotel, its a good idea to ask the Hotel concierge to recommend a good restaurant in the neighborhood. Their recommendations usually turn out good and they will be happy to make a reservation on your behalf as well.

From my personal experience, most of the restaurants I have walked into randomly for a meal have turned out rather disappointing. Especially on Champs-Elysees, if you have been out shopping all day and you are too tired to go looking for a restaurant, do not make the mistake of walking into one of the restaurants randomly. They may seem very crowded and popular but I think its full of tourists who are just looking to get a quick bite before calling it a day.

I hope my recommendations above help you in having a tasty and wonderful time in Paris, as I always do! Bon Appetite!

CULINARY OUTPOSTS IN KASHMIR

On a recent family holiday in Kashmir, I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Gulmarg and Srinagar. Like any foodie, trying out different dishes and picking up interesting ingredients to bring back home were on the top of my list. There was not much information available online for me to plan ahead before the trip. So hopefully, this post of mine helps some of the readers get an idea of what to expect and where to go for good food in Kashmir.

Before I say anything about the food in Kashmir, Kahwa (the Kashmiri tea) deserves a special mention. We drank innumerable cups of this tea throughout our trip. It is made from a brew of full-leaf tea, saffron, cardamom and sugar, topped with flaked almonds. The warm and delightful tea in the cold Kashmiri winter was soothing to the body and soul, especially in the evenings after a long day of sight-seeing and shopping.

A SIMPLE LUNCH AT A SKI SHACK IN GULMARG

First up, Gulmarg does not have many dining options. I ate most of my meals at the Khyber Resort during my stay in Gulmarg. I must say that I was very impressed with the quality of South Indian dishes, especially at breakfast. The dosas and sambhar were as good as what we get in some of the popular places in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. If you are the outdoor kind and out skiing during the winter months in Kashmir, your only dining option will be the shacks on the slopes for lunch. Piping hot tomato soup, aloo parathas with pickle, Maggi noogles and vegetable pulao are just about what you will find in these shacks. After a long morning on the slopes, anything hot (in temperature) will be well-appreciated.

When it comes to Srinagar, again the dining options are just a handful if you are looking for small local restaurants, not including the big hotels like the Lalit or the Taj. Our first stop for lunch in Srinagar was the 'Adhoos'. We were told that its the 'Annapoorna of Srinagar'. Annapoorna is a local chain of restaurants in Coimbatore (where I live) which is very popular among the locals for South Indian fare. The service at Adhoos was good and the quality of food was also good. The ground meatballs are popular in Kashmir and they generally come in a red (Rista) or white (Gustava - a yogurt base) gravy. The gustava with naan was very good at the Adhoos.

WAZWAN MEAL AT MUGHAL DURBAR

We tried the 'Mughal Durbar' for lunch the next day. This place was more crowded than Adhoos and seemed more popular with the locals. Although the waiter who was helping us was very friendly, we had a hard time figuring out what the 'Wazwan platter' was. We finally decided to take a chance and ordered the Wazwan platter for 2 which was for the adults and the usual butter naan and butter chicken for the kids. When the Wazwan platter finally arrived, it looked rather glorious with all the meat on top of the rice and the accompanying three gravies of Rogan Josh, Rista and Gustava. We quite enjoyed our Wazwan platter inspite of it being greasy. The children also enjoyed their naan and butter chicken gravy although I thought the butter chicken gravy tasted more like a desi-chinese dish. But I must confess that our friends in the table next to us thought the food was very greasy and some of them fell sick after eating at the Mughal Durbar.

MEMORABLE LUNCH AT DAR-ES-SALAM

Our lunch on the third day in Srinagar was the best meal of the entire trip. It was at the small boutique hotel, 'Dar-Es-Salam'. The hotel is set on the shore of Lake Nagin and the restaurant had a very beautiful view thorough the window. It was a buffet meal and almost every dish was flawless. The Shammi kebabs (minced lamb kebabs), Murgh Masalam (chicken gravy), Kashmiri Saag (greens) and the Kashmiri bread - Sheermal were outstanding. We were the only diners there that afternoon and we had a very memorable experience at Dar-Es-Salam.

I wanted to take back some of the flavours of Kashmir to experiment in own kitchen back home. During sight-seeing in Srinagar, I did not miss opportunities to try out some local flavours. For instance, just outside Hazrat bal, we found a small shop that sold some local sweets and savouries. I had a taste of a sweet that very much resembled the South Indian sweet - Kesari. My family and I were keen on taking back some food soveniours for our friends and family back home. The Taj Bakery came highly recommended. We knew we hit the jackpot when we tasted the macaroons at the Taj Bakery. Unlike the dainty French macaroons, these were huge and quite rugged in appearance. There was a hint of coconut in these macaroons and it only complimented the taste and texture of the macaroon. The Moonlight Bakery which was just behind the Taj Bakery was also another great find. The Walnut fudge squares were delicious and we picked up a few to bring back home.

Another must-visit store is the Amin-bin-Khalik (the dry fruit people; www.abk.co.in). This store was recommended to us by the hotel when we asked for a dry fruits store. This store is located in the busy polo view street and it is a treasure trove of all things dried in Kashmir. Some of the special finds were dried Morrel mushrooms that cost Rs. 40,000 for a kilo, green garlic, Kashmiri saffron, almonds, dried cherries and apricot kernel oil. They also have an online store and are meant to be very reliable with the quality of produce and delivery.

The over all Kashmiri food experience was enjoyable. But I must say that in my personal opinion, Kashmiri cuisine does not rank very high among the top cuisines of India. Any day, I would prefer Kerala, Mangalorean, Bengali, Rajasthani or Goan cuisine over Kashmiri Wazwan. But nevertheless, its a good one.

PINK CITY WALKING TOUR

Choosing to sign up for a walking tour in Jaipur was definitely a good idea. The main purpose of my trip to Rajasthan was to relax and enjoy the place and the food. On a rather laid back holiday, the walking tour was a genius idea. Fours hours of walking while tasting the staples of Jaipur was the best way to see and observe the sights and sounds of the Old city in Jaipur.

My friends and I signed up for a customised four hour walking tour that involved walking in 2 of the major segments of the old city. We observed the various craftsmen at work while getting to taste the popular snacks of Jaipur at regular intervals from the popular roadside establishments. In the initial part of our walk, we walked past various havelis of the Old city that played a prominent role in the city's history. Our first stop for a bite was by a roadside stall that was very popular for its Kachoris that were filled with a potato filling. In the same stall, I got to see a contraption that was fabricated to let out Sev batter in fine strands, in full action.

 As part of our walking tour, we got to visit a few havelis that are now places of worship, largely for Lord Krishna. Outside one of those religious havelis, I was fascinated to see a man making Ghewars using a ketchup squeeze bottle. We stood there watching him in awe for a few minutes until the heat of the wood burn stove got to us. It was in deed, a fascinating sight!!!

Along our walk we got a chance to see various snacks being prepared by street vendors and small establishments that catered to the neighbourhood. We were then lead to a small shop that was popular for its Kachoris served with Dahi. The Kachori had a spicy dal filling that had whole spices mixed in the filling. It was refreshing to eat these spicy Kachoris with the dahi by the side. The shop owner was a stern man who sat by a weighing scale and measured exact quantities of dahi to go with each Kachori. Midway during our walking tour, with the sharp sun belting on us, we decided to take a short tea break.

We were taken to a store that was in a basement for the best Chai in old city. The hot chai was light and refreshing and in a way helped cool off for a while. After our chai break we walked through a whole-sale market before heading to the area that specialised in Meenakari Jewelery work. The streets nearby were lined with Namkeen stores that seemed to have endless varieties of fried snacks in a mixture of colours and textures. On request, we were taken to a store that specialised in Supari (beetelnut) products. Like children in a candy store, we got very excited and tasted a huge array of suparis from the supari sample platter. Finally, we made up our minds and picked up a variety of flavoured suparis to brings back home for ourselves and our family. I also managed to pick up some Fini for my kids from another store that specialised in Fini. We decided to call it quits after a glass of cool and soothing lassi in mud glasses. While all of us wanted our lassi without the topping of cream from the yogurt, our guide decided to have his lassi with extra cream!!

We had a walked for a total of 4 hours through the narrow and busy street of the old city of Jaipur. There were a few moments when we wished that it had not rained the previous day. Apparently, the waste management system in the old city is not very efficient and it showed. According to statistics, 70,000 people lived in every sq.km of the old city. Speeding bikes and chilled out cows were the norm on the streets. It was a very insightful tour and our guide's passion for his city showed through. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone that wants to see and observe Jaipurians at close quarters. The opulent palaces of Jaipur and the surroundings are at one end of the spectrum and life in these narrow lanes of the old city show the other end of it.

MARCO PIERRE WHITE DINNER AT MEZZA9, SINGAPORE

Chef Marco Pierre white was the celebrity guest at the World Gourmet Summit 2012 held in Singapore. I have watched chef White cook and guide the contestants in the show - Masterchef Australia. I was intrigued by his personality and skills. He was the youngest chef to receive 3 Michelin stars at an age of 33 in the year 1994 (the current record is held by an Italian chef who received 3 stars at 28 in 2002). He has had famous chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Heston Bluementhol work under him.

Chef White was hosted at the Mezza9 restaurant of the Grand Hyatt on Scotts Road, Singapore. A gala dinner was organised as part of the World Gourmet Summit. This was the only dinner I had signed up for at the summit and looked forward to it eagerly. The day before the dinner, I got to watch chef White perform a cooking demonstration at the Universal Studios as part of the Gastronomic Jam Sessions. He demonstrated two simple recipes but gave valuable inputs on how to handle the ingredients, seasoning and heat. He is the brand ambassador for Knorr and seemed to use the Knorr products rampantly in his cooking.

I made friends with some of the other participants at the gastronomic sessions, who live in Singapore and are also ardent cooks. About 4 of us managed to secure seats in the same table at the gala dinner and had a very memorable and joyful evening together. There were over 300 guests at the dinner that night and chef White had prepared a splendid meal for us. None of the dishes were extravagant or over the top. The different courses were a fine example of what a chef of March Pierre White's standard can do to simple ingredients and turn them into spectacular dishes. Chef White was present in the kitchen through out the evening and oversaw the entire operations.

The evening started with a reception outside the grand ballroom at the Grand Hyatt. Gourmet hand-crafted canapes and Brut Rose were served while the guests waited for friends and mingled. Once the dinner was announced, we were led inside the grand ballroom and seated in our predetermined tables.

Our first course was a Pea and Ham Soup en Tasse. The soup was velvety smooth and the ham lent it a nice saltiness. Pea Soup from a British chef? Why am I not surprised? Like I mentioned earlier, every course was a fine example of how a very simple dish can be elevated to a totally new and refined level by how its handled.

The second course was a Brandade of Salmon with Fennel and Lemon Vinaigrette. The flavours of the fennel and lemon along with the Salmon was like marriage made in heaven. Also the quality of the Salmon was fresh and top-class. The quality of the ingredients available in Singapore is extremely fresh. Although it involves a lot of food miles I can be very biased when it comes to good seafood especially if its Salmon.

The third course was a truly spectacular dish, my favourite among all the courses. It was a Mousseline of Sole en Fleur de Courgette with sauce Jacqueline. The Sole mousse was absolutely smooth and delicious and was just melting in my mouth. The rich Jacqueline sauce complimented the dish perfectly. Here is a link (http://www.westernstarbutter.com.au/recipes/show/3/4/jacqueline-sauce/index.html) to a recipe for Jacqueline sauce. Give it try, if you are curious.

The fourth course was a Fillet of Beef with Cepes, Pomme Fondant & Jus Madere. My fillet was cooked to a medium and was perfect. I wonder if they got all (over 300) of the fillets cooked right! Two different red wines were paired with this dish. They were both equally good.

The final course - dessert was a bit of a let down for me. It was Red Fruits in Rose Wine Jelly and Raspberry Syrup. I anticipated a rich chocolate dessert or something unusual. But this dinner seemed to be all about getting the simple dishes done really well. Just the final course seemed like a glorified Jello with fruits. I am sorry, I love my desserts and I expected more from Chef March Pierre White!!

While I was still craving for some chocolate after eating most of the fruity dessert, we were served a platter of rich chocolate logs along with our coffee and tea after dinner. Its a good thing we were served that, else I would have personally walked up to Chef White and expressed my discontent about the dessert.

The entire evening was an enjoyable one. Everyone was all dressed up and the settings were very formal and suited the occasion. The wines paired with each of the courses were picked well and complimented the dishes very well. The skills of the celebrity chef and the quality of produce available in Singapore were the highlights of the evening.

http://www.marcopierrewhite.org

FRUGAL GOURMET, OOTACAMUND

Last year, I heard about the Frugal Gourmet through some friends that were staying at the Ooty club. Frugal Gourmet is a private kitchen in Ootacamund (Ooty) hosted by a lady named, Sharmila in her beautiful home, past Lovedale. She hosts guests in her home for lunch ,about 2 - 3 times a week. The entire operation is mostly run by just her and sometimes her son accompanies in serving the meal while he is visiting. I tried to book my family a lunch at the Frugal Gourmet last summer but Sharmila couldn't fit us in her busy schedule. Yes, she is very busy during the summer with all the travelers that go up the hills to get away from the heat in the plains. So this summer, a lunch at the Frugal Gourmet was one of the top priorities on my Ooty list.

I managed to secure a reservation at the Frugal Gourmet at the end of April. The Frugal Gourmet is a good 10 kilometers from the Charring Cross junction in Ooty. I received an sms with the directions to Frugal Gourmet and they were fairly easy to follow. If anyone is familiar with the Light and Life Academy in Ooty, Frugal Gourmet is right across from that.

We were greeted on our arrival and led in to a beautiful house. Not only is Sharmila a great cook but she is also a gifted painter. The walls of her home are adorned with beautiful canvases of her own artwork. The dining room is fairly large and seats 6 people comfortably. We were served Iced tea while we waited for the various courses to arrive. Taking one's own bottle of wine would be a good idea. There was also a menu placed on the table with details of our 5 course lunch.

Our first course was Flash fried Prawns on a bed of Rosti Potatoes. The quality of the prawns was fresh and good and I also liked the marinade used. The potato rosti was crisp and golden brown. This particular dish was a hit with the two young diners that were a part of our group.

The second course was a warm aromatic bowl of Pumpkin Soup with roasted garlic. The soup was velvetty smooth and flavours and seasoning were just right.

The third and main course was Grilled Bhasa fish in a herb butter sauce served on a bed of Tagliatelle tossed with red chillies and herbs. On the side we were served some fresh home-made Rosemary Foccacia along with crunchy Greek Salad and Batter-fried Courgettes. The fish was cooked just right and the sauce was mild and flavourful which went perfectly well with the pasta that had a bit of kick in it, from the red chillies. She was thoughtful enough to avoid red chillies in the pasta that were served to the children in our group. There was also some pickled onion and mustard that was served on the side that went well with the fish and the rosemary foccacia. I must add that the pasta was hand-rolled. In all the excitement, I forgot to take a picture of our main course!!! The fourth course was a platter of desserts. The chef specialises in home-made ice creams and gelato. So there was a scoop of Guava ice cream and a scoop of Plum Gelato. Along with it, there was also the Dark Chocolate Slice and Strawberry Mousse. The ice cream and gelato were both excellent, not too sweet. I enjoy cold desserts on a warm sunny afternoon in Ooty.

Finally, we were served coffee and green tea along with some Dates soaked in Grand Marnier and Mocha Cupcakes. I had a top quality Peach-flavoured French green tea which was a perfect end to a very fine and satisfying lunch.

I recommended a stop at the Frugal Gourmet to most of my friends and family who traveled up the hills this summer. Some of them managed to get a reservation but many of them were turned down before they were fully booked and could not be accommodated. So next time you plan a visit to the Frugal Gourmet, make sure you call well ahead. Sharmila cannot be reached very often on her mobile phone due to poor mobile network in her neighbourhood. It is best to send her an sms and wait for a reply or to e-mail her. Frugal Gourmet, un'acre, Lovedale , Nilgiris, below light and life academy, Ooty, Tamil nadu 643003 Hours of operation: 12 noon to 7pm Phone - +919487487250 Email address - darkchoclate@gmail.com, www.thefrugalgourmet.webs.com

WORLD GOURMET SUMMIT 2012 - GASTRONOMIC JAM SESSIONS

Every year, at the end of April, World Gourmet Summit is held in Singapore for food enthusiasts. It is a melting pot of world-renowned chefs and gourmands. The sharing of knowledge and the commrardarie is immense, all for the love of food. I had the privilege to attend a few events at the World Gourmet Summit 2012. The summit is an exciting mix of cooking demos, workshops and gala dinners at various local restaurants who collaborate with the visiting chefs. At the two day Gastronomic jam sessions, the chefs shed light on their areas of expertise. Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White and chef Ian Curly demonstrated dishes like Chateaubriand and Steak au poivre. It was interesting to note the different techniques used by these chefs to cook the same dish.

Local talent Chef Janice Wong shared her passion for desserts with the audience. She was very excited about fruit purees and demonstrated how she made fruit puree sheets and used them in colourful desserts.

Day 2 at the Gastronomic jam sessions began with a demonstration of an edible landscape by the Singapore Pastry team. The team skillfully demonstrated the techniques to form various shapes and put together a beautiful master piece made out of sugar and chocolate. The butterfly's glass-like wings and curly feelers were almost surreal.

The pastry demonstration was followed by a pleasant surprise for me, in my personal opinion. Indian chef, Vikas Khanna of the restaurant Junoon in New York city demonstrated a recipe for Sandalwood-smoked chicken with green peppercorns and Saffron. It was a very simple dish but the imaginative combination of the ingredients showcased the knowledge and talent of the young chef. I was very impressed by the chef's humbleness and his respect for Indian cuisine.

Next up was Michelin star chef Bruno Menard who took us through a slide show of his innovative dishes. It was interesting to note the Japanese influence in his Neo-French cuisine concept. Nordic cuisine has stormed the world gourmet scene since the inception of Norma as the world's best restaurant, 2 years ago. Following this trend, Chef Ronny Emborg from Denmark was one of the guest chefs at the World Gourmet summit 2012 and he did justice to the hype around Nordic cuisine. He and his Sous Chef demonstrated some spectacular dishes like Burnt Bread, Frozen Halibut, Potato Skin salad and a Malt Log Dessert.

Russian chef Anatoly Komm demonstrated dishes like a crab salad and Sushi-like rolls but made with typical Russian ingredients like beet root, potatoes, and mayonnaise. Chef Komm had a career in the world of Fashion before he became a chef and his culinary skills were rather eccentric and imaginative.

Another interesting segment at the Jam sessions was a cook off between two renowned chefs - chef Michel Sarran and Chef Susur Lee. They were both asked to cook Signature dishes using a theme ingredient - Truffles. Chef Sarran demonstrated a Truffle breakfast with Truffle Cappuccino and Truffle Yogurt while Chef Lee demonstrated Truffle-induced Squid ink and Sesame balls.

The final segment at the Jam sessions was a fun and exciting one by the celebrity Mixologist Javier De Las Muelas of the Dry Martini bar fame. He presented a slide of photos and videos of his bar and the innovative cocktails that the mixologist is famous for. His team demonstrated a drink called the Carnivore which is served in a pitcher plant placed in a martini glass. They also demonstrated a couple of beer-based cocktails.

The jam sessions were an eye-opener and was a truly rewarding experience. Although no written down recipes were shared by the visiting chefs, the sessions were informative and it was exhilarating to see the chefs at work, who showcased their skills and philosophies. This particular blog post is only part of a series of posts that I am going to be writing about the World Gourmet Summit 2012. Look forward to more news about the other events at the Summit.

LUNCH AT IGGY'S, SINGAPORE

As you all know, I do a lot of research before I embark on any trip, especially one that revolves around eating. One of the names that kept popping up while I was researching about restaurants in Singapore was the Iggy's at Hilton Hotel, Orchard Road, Singapore. Iggy's serves European cuisine with a Japanese influence. I was beyond tired when I landed in Singapore since I barely got 2 hours of sleep over the previous night at the airport and airplane. I realised I was staying very close to Iggy's and decided to give it a try for my very first meal in Singapore. Most websites recommend making a reservation at the Iggy's to ensure a table. I also realised if you don't want to splurge on your meals, lunch in restaurants like Iggy's makes a lot of sense. They offer very reasonably priced 4 and 6 course meals for lunch. Meals like these are a steal compared to the dinner prices.

I made a reservation for 1 person and reported on time for my lunch. Its a very formal setting and black is the predominant colour. I was led to a seating area at the back and seated in a corner. I was the first diner at the restaurant. The service is the very attentive and the staff are very knowledgeable and helped me pick the right dishes for different courses. I decided to go for the 4 course meal and made my selections for the various courses.

Before my actual lunch arrived, I was served a Amuse Bouche of Eel mousse with yuzu sauce and caviar, all enveloped in Hickory smoke in a glass dome. The acidity of the yuzu sauce and the creaminess of the mousee along with the smoky flavour made for a very well-rounded dish.

For the first course, I picked a Salad of marinated Salmon with Savoy cabbage and Blood Orange. All the elements of the dish were plated very delicately along with some micro herbs and finally the quick-frozen Blood Orange was sprinkled on top of the salad at the table. It was a very refreshing salad to start the meal with.

For the second course, I had picked Cappellini with tiny shrimps, seaweed and shellfish oil. It was one of the most flavourful pastas I have ever tasted. The tiny shrimps lent crunch to the dish while the seaweed and shellfish brought in subtle and delicate flavours. I liked the idea and flavour of the shell fish oil, I am going to try and make some at home with oil and prawn shells.

For the Main course, I picked Duck Confit with beetroot. I was a tough choice between Venison and Duck and I finally succumbed to the Duck. The Duck Confit was cooked to perfection and it went really well with the beetroot puree that was served along with it. Finally, for dessert, I picked the Spicy Mango. I was so engrossed in my meal that I forgot to click a picture of my dessert. It was a beautiful combination of Kiwi puree, sesame tuille, Meringue, coffee and Mango, all plated up in a very artistic manner. The service at Iggy's was impeccable and the food was even better. Iggy's is definitely on the top of my list of favourite restaurants in Singapore.