Julien Bompard – 2 Finlayson Green, 2nd Floor of The Ascott
Julien Bompard Restaurant is a fine example of dining that is as exquisite as it is practical. Its extensive a-la-carte menu includes fine-dining trademarks like foie gras but it also offers a no-nonsense daily breakfast catering to the needs of tenants at The Ascott serviced suites where it is situated. This final port of call on my restaurantweek journey put a spin on the hitherto ‘fixed menu’ concept by offering additional options at extra charge to both supplement and embellish the already seductive set. The meal came up to about $280 for a table of 3; the decision to go for a few more items and wine on top of the $55 per pax restaurantweek set was certainly one we did not regret.
I must state that the service was truly exceptional with staff going the extra mile and beyond. They generously accommodated our request for a table with good lighting by placing us in a semi-private room, gave in-depth wine recommendations tailored to our choice of mains and a blow-by-blow explanation of each course. The clincher was Edith Lai-Bompard herself lending a personal touch to the meal by visiting our table with anecdotal hints of how to best savour each dish. This made for a most wonderful evening and illustrates how service is such an integral part of the dining experience, something many establishments fail to realise.
The bread was served a little too cold in my opinion, even if it is not oven-fresh, I tend to like mine toasted to create the illusion that it is? That said, the cranberry bread was amazing with the glorious pat of French butter. I could sing the praises of French butter till the cows come home! Once you’ve had some, there is no going back to the old stuff; I always have some Echiré in my chilled drawer. The wholemeal or sourdough was good if less fantastic than the cranberry, it was in mopping up the sauce from subsequent courses that it truly shone.
We opted for a supplement of a Half Dozen Shucked French Oysters to be served first. Before they arrived, we were warned that French waters lend a strong mineral flavour to the shellfish and to brace ourselves for it. On sight, another French characteristic was evident: like the archetypal Frenchman, these were scrawny little buggers! They were not fantastic in my book flavour-wise for I prefer mine fat and creamy like the Canadians I favour. The mineral taste was not exactly off-putting and there was really nothing to complain about but by that same token there was nothing to shout about either.
The shallot vinegar they were served with was good if predictable but I absolutely adored their nifty little lemon press!
Next up was the eagerly anticipated Slow Cooked Egg with Black Truffle; this meticulously prepared dish involved the gradual poaching of an egg for 3 hours, napping it in a creamy bacon infusion and showering it with black truffle shavings. In a dramatic escape attempt (perhaps the eggs were free-range…), the yolk slipped free of the white, slid off my spoon and plopped back onto my plate, indicating that the eggs were extremely fresh as it retained its shape without breaking into a gooey mess. The bacon infusion was so delightfully strong that I half expected to feel the crunch of crispy rashers but was treated to silky-smooth cream instead. None of this unabashedly sinful nectar was wasted as we mopped up every last drop with our second basket of bread! The truffle shavings seemed superfluous as virtually no truffle notes were discernible amidst the smoky, porky flavour. It did make for a gorgeous raven contrast to the pale cream sauce and egg though!
A second supplement was in store for us before the mains arrived, Escargot in Red Wine and Garlic Butter. I found the unusually large invertebrates a little overcooked and chewy but in a lovely, sweet heady sauce that would have benefitted from a slightly stronger garlic flavour.
The Braised Lamb Rump with Ratatouille and Garlic & Rosemary Sauce was soft and moist without being yielding as lean rump cuts do not quite have the marbling to achieve the melt-in-your-mouth effect. My portion had not quite absorbed the flavour of the braising liquid as is evident from the pink tinge in the picture below. My friend’s on the other hand was a uniform rich brown and the piece she snuck onto my plate could only be described as having soaked up the rosemary herbiness and garlic pungency like a sponge, it was fantastic. When I mentioned this disparity to Edith when she dropped by, she explained that it could be attributed to separate sous-vide pouches. I had had my first sous-vide experience without even realising it!
For the uninitiated, sous-vide cooking involves exposing the ingredient to the eventual internal temperature you want it to be at for a long time as opposed to a far higher temperature for a short time. This has to be done under carefully controlled circumstances as the lower temperatures would allow any bacteria to multiply rapidly; the radical focus of this method is to bring out the flavours and textures in the ingredient and not simply cauterize it as in regular cooking. If done right, the almost horizontal temperature gradient results in perfectly cooked meats of virtually uniform texture and doneness. Imagine a steak that is completely, perfectly medium rare; sous-vide Wagyu is all the rage for good reason.
My other friend who had the Snapper with Provencal Escabêche, Basil Oil and Balsamic Vinegar described it as excellently seared though a little on the dry side. The vegetables it was served with also did not quite complement the fish apparently.
The Chilled Apple Tart with Olive Ice Cream and Caramelized Almond Coulis was a harmony of almond nuttiness and caramel richness refreshed with tartness from the surrounding berries. Oddly, any sourness and much of the flavour had been cooked out of the apples, rendering it a curious vessel for the other flavours instead. Indeed, this was a deliciously devious dessert in the guise of an apple tart! It was explained that the tart base was not a pastry of any kind but an ingenious paste of nuts and chocolate. The ice-cream was a rebel too, putting a spin on the traditional a-la-mode concept with an olive oil infusion. However, the mere smidgeon layered below the apples did not brook any investigation.
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