Jaan par André

Jaan par André - 2 Stamford Road, 70F Swissotel The Stamford

I have heard so many great things about Jaan that I just had to try it before Chef Andre Chiang left it earlier this month (yes, this post is a little overdue). The high expectations I harboured were inflated by the restaurant’s placing on both the Miele and S Pellegrino lists; and were perhaps partly to blame for the overall disappointment of my dining experience. The set lunch is priced at $58++ per pax.

The food seemed to focus a little too much on visual appeal, sacrificing flavour and practicality. Call me conventional but I dine to chiefly thrill my tongue and fill my belly, ogling at presentation is icing on the cake. I’d savour something that looks disgusting but tastes divine while the reverse would draw a very different reaction. However, that was not Jaan’s biggest failing. Service was aloof and excruciatingly slow; a real shocker at a fine dining establishment. The waitresses were so dismissive and condescending that I actually avoided drawing their attention as much as possible, something easily done as they were quite blur to boot: I had to fill my own cup after the initial pour from the bottle of still water (the snobs don’t serve tap either!).

The amuse bouche of Squid Ink and Parmesan Sticks with Eggplant Dip was intriguing to the eye but not the palate. The thin, hard sticks bore disconcerting texture and taste similarities to the cheap, bland dried angelhair pasta those without pasta-presses resort to. Furthermore, they lacked the necessary surface area to be an appropriate dipping instrument for what was essentially a typical baba ghanoush. This made for a bad first impression.

The selection of breads were offered just once so I only got round to trying two varieties. The Sourdough was typically crusty and comforting while the Mini-Baguette was rather dry, something more than remedied by the generous pat of French butter.

My dining partner opted for the Cailee Grilee Moutarde Etouffee as her starter; a baby Mache salad with grilled quail breast, chorizo ice cream, ratte potato confit and truffle-braised mustard seed. The earthy truffle flavours complemented mustard seed sharpness and pungency while the unusual chorizo ice cream lent flavour to an otherwise bland quail alongside the familiar caramel tones of a roast onion. This blend of flavours – while good – did not wow her overmuch.

I went for the Gelee de Foie Gras Chaise a la Forestiere instead; hot foie gras jelly topped with wild mushroom fricassee and black winter truffle coulis. This was probably the best dish of the spread with an explosive smokiness and earthiness from the truffles which went well with the creamy jelly. That said, the jelly was closer to egg tofu than foie gras which it hadn’t the slightest flavour of. Furthermore, a heavy-handed use of salt threatened to undermine everything and left me parched and drinking way too much water, perhaps a ruse to encourage buying another overpriced bottle?

My Short Rib Rosti Trente-Six Heurs au Chabon Aromatique (36 hour roast short rib coated with charcoal braised truffle polenta and cevenne onion) has been lauded by many but failed to deliver in my opinion. Surprisingly, it was not sous-vide. More than a little chewy though commendably soft, it felt somewhat like eating a marshmallow. The vibrantly green sauce was quite salty and had a strong, familiar grassy taste that I couldn’t quite place. The little creamy balls coated in sweetish breadcrumbs were rich enough to take on the salt of the sauce, more so than the meat. The mash was a little coarse but full of sweet, oniony flavour.

My dining partner had the ill fortune of choosing the Boudin Blanc de Mediterranee Fair Maison, a light smoked homemade boudin blanc of Mediterranean seafood with lobster emulsion and ginger scented William pear compote. The boiled seafood sausage comprised salmon, squid as well as lobster; it was a little fishy and rather bland though a pleasant tart pear puree balanced it off. The richly flavoured lobster foam went well with the wilted greens. Overall it was an impressive-sounding but ultimately underwhelming dish.

For dessert, I went for the Snickers Version 2010; I’m guessing that a 2010 version would mean it’s a popular signature? The really strong hazelnut flavour is the first thing to hit you once you get beyond the aesthetically-enthralling artful mess. The wafers in the melange were light and delicate, almost Japanese in spirit. Finally salty undercurrents accentuated the rich, sweet milk chocolate which – as always – would have been better if it were dark.

The Tarte Au Citron (lemon tart on mini churros, granite of pink campari and grapefruit) was similarly gorgeous in apperance but really difficult to photograph. A twist to the classical lemon-meringue concept, the lemon cream was almost faithfully meringue in spirit while the churros added an exciting, spicy flourish. Tragically, the grapefruit sorbet was way too subtle, seeming more like shaved ice.