229 330
FRENCH DINING
229
November14
Rhubarb Le Restaurant
3 Duxton Hill
8127 5001
The Cuisine:
After their shared experience at the
popular Au Petit Salut in Dempsey,
executive chef Paul Longworth and
manager Jerome Desfonds are now
serving just seven tables – an opportunity
to advance in a “higher-end” direction,
they say. This complex, modern French
cuisine deserves deep and leisurely
appreciation, so don’t be in a hurry.
The Chef:
Paul Longworth is from London (“just
west of Paris”), and first started to
specialise in French cuisine at Racine
in Knightsbridge. Though he respects
classical French cuisine, his own ethos
is one of innovation and creativity,
without gimmickry. That said, you can
expect a fairly high foam quotient.
The Signatures:
Quinoa-stuffed squid
with squid-ink
aioli and piquillo pepper froth is a work
of art on a plate.
Japanese scallops
with confit of pork belly
come with
cauliflower and white chocolate sauce,
and topped with crispy chicken skin.
And the signature of signatures? Plump
breast and confit leg of pigeon
with sesame-crunch grapes and rose-
scented rhubarb purée.
The Others:
Our
smoked chestnut andmushroom
emulsion
with black truffle dressing
– “just give it a little stir” – is rich,
pungent, yet light as air. Save space
for the
chocolate and peanut butter
torte
served with hay-smoke-infused
ice cream. (Though Chef is a great fan
of hay, he insists that there’s no point in
coming up with something new just for
the sake of it; it has to taste good, too.)
The Outlay:
Starters range from $16 to $32, mains
from $28 to $64. We lunched à la carte,
but I’d opt for the appealing three-
course business lunch ($42) next time.
A few days later, we came back with a
party of 10 to christen the lovely private
dining room upstairs; at $138 per head,
neither the splendid five-course set
menu (including a generous chunk of
foie gras) nor the immaculate service
could be faulted.
Verne Maree
Palate-seducing chocolate and
peanut butter torte, served with
hay-smoke-infused ice cream
Breast and
confit leg of pigeon