French Restaurant By Three-Michelin-Starred French Chef Anne-Sophie Pic.
It was a full house when we stepped into La Dame de Pic at Raffles Hotel Singapore to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary last December. It has been about a year since the renowned chef, Anne-Sophie Pic made her first foray in Asia by opening a branch of her popular La Dame de Pic restaurant in the Lion City.
The reception so far has been quite positive, judging from the crowd that I saw and the feedback from friends and colleagues who have already visited. Not only do you get the exquisite classical ambiance of the Raffles Hotel Singapore as a backdrop but you also gain an understanding of Chef Pic’s culinary philosophy without having to fly to France (an impossible feat in today’s times) – as collectively she has 7 Michelin stars under her belt!!
For dinner, there are two menus available – Experience (S$248++ per person) or the Elegance (S$348++ per person), and at S$158++ and S$218++ respectively for wine and sake pairing. The wine list, in particular, offers a curated selection that leans towards the French regions, with a particular focus on Anne-Sophie Pic’s birthplace, the Rhône Valley. We ended up choosing the Experience Menu with wine and sake pairing, which was simply fabulous and one we highly recommended.
When it comes to places like La Dame de Pic, the main consideration is perhaps the experience and the cuisine rather than being value-for-money but judging from the myriad of appetisers that came before the dinner properly started, I would have to say that when it comes to fine dining experiences in Singapore, you do get bang for your buck here as well. Small bites such as green yuzu spheres, Chinese crackers with smudges of mushroom jelly, fluffy muah-chee and mini tacos with mackerel and a “floral arrangement” on top are some of the treats to expect. They’re not only visually stunning but also provide that refreshing teaser to the palate.
The bread basket is another highlight at La Dame de Pic. I particularly enjoyed their cranberry-studded wholegrain bread. It went nicely with the house butter which had an unmistakable herbal blend.
Next up was brown crab from Brittany, seasoned with sobacha geranium and tarragon ice cream followed by a delicious helping of their famous Berlingots: Pasta parcels filled with french cheese fondue; beetroot kombu broth infused with pu-er tea, herb of grace and galangal! The texture was really delicate, and according to Chef de Cuisine Kevin Gatin at Raffles Singapore, this is one of the most technical dishes to execute.
We also had some Turbo from Brittany, a fish course served with wakame mashed potatoes and mushroom infused with samac and yuzu.
For the main dish, diners get to choose either the Saga Beef or Chicken from Bresse. The husband went with the beef and me with the chicken and it’s safe to say that both dishes were done to absolute perfection!! The beef which comes from its namesake prefecture in Japan had an almost melt-in-your mouth quality to it especially towards the center.
Most fine dining outlets come with the optional cheese trolley but at La Dame de Pic they go one step further by truly incorporating a cheese course into the dinner. There are at least three choices for desserts here. However if it is your first time at La Dame de Pic, the recommendation is to go for the White Mille Feuille. Despite the obvious cream base, the mille feuille carried a prominent plant-based flavor brought about by the intermingling of ginger mixed with the cream and the grapefruit confit found within the layers of the pastry. Other dessert options on the Summer menu which my husband ordered included the Alpaco Chocolate and it was exceptionally good too!
My dinner at La Dame de Pic was probably the longest dinner I have had in recent memory. We started at about 7PM and lasted well beyond 11PM. This was mainly due to the sheer number of courses that came with the dinner alongside the amazing wine and sake pairing which when combined created an unparalleled experience.
My only advice: Give this place a Shot!!
