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Singapore, April 28, 2010 - HARBOUR Grill & Oyster Bar at the Hilton Singapore is set to close its doors on May 15. What I hate: anything too spicy. I like spice but not when it turns food into a gustative confusion.
But the 40-year-old establishment, the first here to introduce visiting Michelin-starred chefs, is going out with a bang.
From next Monday to Saturday, award-winning Burgundy- born chef Laurent Peugeot will be at the venue to offer dishes such as gingerbread duck burgundy escargots with garlic and milk; and wagyu beef with smoked vine shoot.
On Saturday, he will conduct a master class, sharing tips and recipes.
His imaginative Japanese-inspired French cuisine, served at his hometown restaurant, Le Charlemagne, has won him international fans, even those with more conservative palates.
my paper talks to him about food, his inspiration for recipes, and good old Singapore.
What is your cooking philosophy?
My leitmotiv has always been: passion, concentration, creation and progress.
Gingerbread duck sounds intriguing. What inspired this dish?
I am fond of duck. Its flesh is tender and full of character but I wanted to avoid doing a classic sliced fillet.
As for the gingerbread, it is a very traditional food item from Burgundy, eaten in thick slices. I wanted to focus on the flavour, not the texture of it.
Marrying the two, you get paper-thin gingerbread encasing a generous side of duck meat.
How would you compare tastebuds in Singapore to the ones in France?
If I cook for people in Singapore I have to reduce both the proportions and seasonings.
We do eat too much in France, don’t we?
What, in your experience, do diners expect from a Michelin- starred establishment or chef?
Are their expectations reasonable? They expect breathtaking sensations and emotions, which are also what I aim to offer.
I want guests to be awed when a dish is presented and speechless when they taste it.
What do you love and hate about Singapore food?
I once went to a restaurant in Singapore with an aquarium. Fish and seafood are my favourite products to eat and cook, so you can imagine my satisfaction when live fish are in front of me!
Who are your cooking idols, and why?
My Grandma was my first! She taught me how to garden and cook little potatoes in goose fat.
Chef Jacques Lameloise – who owned the eponymous three-star Michelin restaurant in Burgundy, taught me all about French gastronomy. He was also the one who first brought me to Singapore.
Chef Laurent Peugeot will be at the Harbour Grill at the Hilton Singapore from next Monday to Saturday.
For more information on the menu and master class, or to book, call 6730-3393.
More photos of Habour Grill & Oyster Bar
