Restaurant Andre - Singapore

Restaurant Andre, which serves Southern French nouvelle cuisine is currently ranked 37th on San Pellegrino's world's top 50 restaurants and 6th in Asia.

After spending time in the kitchens of many French Michelin starred restaurants,  Taiwanese born Andre Chiang opened his eponymous restaurant in Singapore in 2010. Behind the simple blue doors of a narrow and unassuming building, Andre challenges the very limits of his own creativity, where every dish is a form of artistic expression guided by his own Octaphilosophy.

The Octaphilosophy is Andre's own concept, which encapsulates his idea of the balance and fundamentals of taste. Instead of a menu, these 8 core principles are combined with artisanal ingredients to determine what is served each night. They are Unique, Pure, Texture, Memory, Salt, South, Artisan and Terroir. Within these 8 principles Andre finds infinite creation and ingenuity. It is artistic freedom with technique and discipline.

I found the whole experience to be truly enlightening. Every dish from our amuse bouche to the very last petit four was thought provoking, exciting and inspired; whether it was the Turnip ravioli of crab with pear snow and a cold leek broth for Pure or the Oyster Tartare with sea foam, sea lettuce and mushrooms for Salt.

Dining in such a beautiful space only enhanced the whole experience. Our dining room was intimate yet elegant. I enjoyed the use of sheep statues and antler chandeliers against the pristine white and grey tones of the room, it added a natural and whimsical feel to the space. Furthermore the whole restaurant itself is a testament to Andre's inner perfectionist and artist. Amongst his many accolades adorning the walls, the second floor features also carefully handmade ceramic figurines crafted by Andre himself.

Having spoken to him briefly after our meal and being shown the kitchen, I found Andre to be a very down to earth yet passionate individual in pursuit of perfection and innovation. His ability to tell a story or make us think through food is simply remarkable.