Jaan (Singapore) with Kirk Westaway

For the past years since Andre Chiang (of Restaurant Andre fame) came on board as chef de cuisine of Jaan in 2008, I’ve been making an annual pilgrimage to this temple of high cuisine at Swissotel The Stamford Singapore. If not to experience the evolving season, it would be to checkout a new chef, the likes of Ebb Vollmer, Julien Royer and now, Kirk Westaway.

 

Since Royer left to head up Odette last June, his former sous chef, Westaway, has stepped up to assume the position of chef de cuisine. A native of Devon, England, Westaway cut his teeth at restaurants like D.O.M. (Brazil) and Greenhouse (London) before he spent the last four years as sous chef of Jaan. In his final year as sous chef, he also emerged as the Southeast Asia winner in the inaugural San Pellegrino Young Chef 2015 competition.

With Westaway at the helm, the cuisine at Jaan remains rooted in artisan produce. Some signatures amassed during Royer’s time – to wit mushroom tea that now goes by truffle bouillon,hay roasted Bresse pigeon and slow-cooked egg with toasted buckwheat – continue to make an appearance on the various menus. There is now a 6 course Krug menu (S$498++ for 6 courses) in addition to the Menu Jardin Gourmand (S$S$168++ for 5 courses, S$198++ for 7 courses, both without wines), Menu Degustation (S$198++ for 5 courses without wines), Menu Prestige (S$238++ for 7 courses without wines) and Menu Epicure (S$298++ for 10 courses).

Over the course of the past half-year, Westaway has been hard at work in developing new dishes. One of his newly minted signatures is the tomato collection – heirloom tomato from France is cooked sous vide in tomato consommé, then stuffed with a mélange of ingredients including Oxheart tomatoes, gherkins, capers and oregano. After being restored to its original shape through a process of dehydration and rehydration, the now-plump and luscious fruit is served with dehydrated olive sugar alongside a dollop of light-as-air tomato consommé foam, a scoop of utterly refreshing basil sorbet and petit morsels of burrata. A highlight at dinner, it’s light, sweet, creamy and at the same time zesty. (4.25/5)

The roasted kinmedai with carrot puree is equally riveting, even if I’m not a big fan of carrots. The fish is cooked until the skin is crisp as paper; with its flesh still luscious, it’s served over a thin blanket of Heirloom carrot puree studded with tiny morsels of Irish clam slices and mussels. Bathed in just enough warm fish bone broth, the Gomashio (Japanese sesame-salt powder) flecked fish is simple and flavoursome without trying too hard. (4.25/5)

Oyster lovers take note – Westaway has brought in plump and succulent Irish rock oysters from Donegal, a coastal town of North Western Ireland. Remarkably, it is served raw (as fresh oysters should always be) and topped with a cloud of slightly creamy artichoke foam studded with Oscietra caviar and tapioca pearls. It’s unconventional pairing but it works. (4/5)

Lovers of shellfish will endear themselves to the plump Scottish scallop dish. Here, the mollusk is roasted until its surface reveals a golden-brown char without the insides going rubbery. Served with a leaf of savoy cabbage, a cone of Romanesco, a stalk of broccolini and a blade of burnt Cevennes onion, the dish is let down by an overly rich seaweed Hollandaise sauce that cloys - rather than refreshes - the palate. (3.5/5)

Westaway’s take on home-cured Japanese saba mackerel is a potentially strong contender. The fish is cured for three hours in Japanese vinegar, then served with Harissa-infused organic cous cous, English horseradish and pickled heirloom radish. It’s near perfect although the brilliance comes to a screeching halt at the prospect of clashing with buttery slices char-grilled avocadoes. (3.75/5)

Roasted New Zealand venison saddle is also a weak link at dinner. Teamed with celeriac puree and celeriac ribbon blanched in wholegrain mustard emulsion, the meat comes across just a tad gamey and its condiments somewhat rich. Even the sweetness and acidity from the accompanying pear chutney fails to work its charm. (3.5/5)

The desserts are more agreeable. There is a chocolate-loaded ivory caramel that I will not eat (but which cocoa lovers will adore) and therefore the roasted fig with balsamic vinegar, tonka bean ice cream and orange crème brulee rises to the occasion with a marvelous balance of sweetness and tart that speak to me. Pity the untouched fingers of sour dough that the dish can do without. (4/5)

While a handful of dishes will benefit from some tweaks, Westaway has shown remarkable finesse in his new role at one of Singapore’s most watched restaurants. It will be exciting to find out how the menu will evolve during my next expedition to Jaan. Perhaps it will offer, amongst other things, a discovery of bountiful British and Irish ingredients?