“Classical French cuisine with a touch of Asian aesthetics,” is how Singapore’s Les Amis Group describes the approach at its original, flagship restaurant in the city’s Orchard Road district. Ex-Joël Rebuchon chef Sebastian Lepinoy is the man in the kitchen, combining “French techniques with elements of Japanese produce” in dishes such as foie gras custard served warm with a lightly smoked French eel and a touch of sesame.
His partner in the wine cellar, Les Amis Group wine director, Timothy Goh, has selected a long and engaging wine list that echoes Lepinoy’s approach in a collection that includes a number of surprises and cutting-edge producers.
The restaurant’s vinous ethos is succinctly conveyed in Goh’s “Sommelier’s Selection” of highlights: natural-minded producers from New Zealand (Pyramid Valley) and South Africa (Eben Sadie); restrained Californians (Littorai Roman Vineyard Pinot); lesser-spotted European appellations (Monte Cascas Malvasia Colares, Portugal); and top Burgundy (Ponsot, Leflaive, Roulot, Thibault Liger-Belair).