Singapore, April 2016 – Our dinner at “Pascal Barbot at BLU” must be one of our best meals in Singapore so far this year. His 3-Michelin star restaurant- L’Astrance in Paris is #36 of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2015, and Chef Pascal  is known for his modern take on French cuisine.

Mr. King and I felt fortunate to secure our table on the last evening of Pascal’s brief 4-day stint in the Lion City. BLU is situated at the top of the luxurious Shangri-la Hotel, and has a breath-taking panoramic view.

How would I describe this amazing, yet seemingly uncomplicated menu? Perhaps “simple indulgence”. The 7-course menu was a compilation of Spring vegetables (asparagus, celeriac, spring cabbage), unusual choice of seafood such as the Toothfish from the waters off some remote French island and generous use of spices and herbs.  Our overall impression was that everything tasted light, yet so delicious!

Amuse Bouche – This duo is the sheer opposite of each other – with the parmesan cheese, pear and black truffle tarlet on the rich end, followed by an extremely fine almond crisp with a zesty green apple filling.

Menu

Roques-Hautes green asparagus, spinach, avocado and cumin – Chef Pascal’s interpretation of these vegetables – gorgeous presentation and simply refreshing.

Prawn ravioli, coconut milk and saffron bisque -Before we dug into the warm frothy bisque, we were told to take a bit of the crisp and peanuts – which sort of minty. The prawn ravioli was very delicate and the bisque reminded me of Thai flavours.

Steamed toothfish, leeks, brown butter and white miso paste – This was my favorite dish. The Légine or toothfish is a lighter version of the codfish, and is a cold water fish that is highly sought after and can only be found in certain waters such as Southern Atlantic seas. The miso paste was the perfect seasoning and each bite of fish just melted in my mouth.

Celeriac velouté with black truffle – This velouté was very velvety and was probably the heaviest course in the menu, though it was least expected.

Roasted duck, morello cherries, spring cabbage and juniper berries – The roasted duck was Mr. King’s favorite dish. The duck was very tender and the morello cherries and juniper berries really brought out the flavors.

Desserts

Mashed potatoes, vanilla ice cream and thyme – Who knew mashed potatoes could this decadent?!  We enjoyed the hot and cold elements of this dessert. The mashed potatoes blended in nicely with the gourmet vanilla ice cream.

White chocolate crémeux and red berries sorbet – The crémeux and sorbet was a splashy ending to an amazing dinner.

What made this meal particularly impressive – was the fact that Chef Pascal had the sensitivity to serve a light, yet impeccable menu which was just right for our appetites in Singapore’s hot tropical climate.

Chef Pascal was very gracious. He took the time to visit every table towards the end of service. During his stay in Singapore, he also ventured out to taste some of the local favorites including frog legs porridge.

Mr. King and I thought that this dinner was a nice prelude to a visit to L’Astrance, where we hope to try his signature dish – Mushroom and foie gras tart marinated in verjus.

All the photos were taken by Mrs. King, except the Menu by BLU of Shangri-la Hotel.