Allons-y!

Lerouy; worthy visit, unworthy revisit.



I'm the kind of person who likes revisiting good places, so Lerouy had been on my list since my last visit. A starred-establishment serving an inspiring menu at an affordable price, it easily earns a spot on my pocket list that I share with friends who are looking for a fancy dinner spot/entry-level fine dining place etc. I figured it's a great chance to kill two birds with one stone and have Ehren's birthday dinner there.

But anyway, my title says it all. It wasn't a disappointing dinner; it's still good value for money, but no clear effort to woo return diners with its lack of innovation.

In short, 2021 Lerouy serves prettier dishes tainted with a taste of mediocrity.

Amuse-bouche #1: Ama Ebi / Nori Tart / Finger Lime

They definitely chose the right bite to start us off. That burst of tart finger lime cut through the sweet ebi perfectly. And who doesn't love the feeling of something bursting in your mouth? 10/10.

Amuse-bouche #2: Beaufort Cheese / Mango / Cumin

The cumin hits you first, followed by the lingering sweetness of Mango. 10/10 as well.

Amuse-bouche #3: Pissaladiere / Nardin Anchovies / Olive / Onion

All my anxiety of hating the dish (not a fan of olives) dissipated as soon as the savouriness of the anchovies hit my tongue. This gets a 9/10.

By this point, it was clear that they were playing on the five basic tastes; we've had sour, sweet, savoury. Here's a joke: the Singaporean me got my five basic tastes wrong-

Me: omg they are serving us something spicy next

* silence *

Ehren: probably something bitter

Amuse-bouche #4: Ham Stock / Smoked Oil

Surprise! It's neither bitter nor spicy. It's umami.

It's a clever quartet of amuse-bouches that whetted our appetite and got us excited for the night.

Sourdough with Compound Butter 

(L - R: Charcoal, Spinach, Beetroot, Salted Butter)

The salted butter got our unanimous vote for the best one. Pretty disappointing that their butters aren't exactly seasonal. All but one of the flavour are the same as offered in 2019.

2021 Lerouy has shifted to a new location along Amoy street. The warm, wavy wooden table is now replaced with an industrial, wavy stone table. 

First Dish: David Herve Oyster / Foie Gras / Green Apple / Kaviari Caviar / Miso Crumb

I opted for the salmon version of it instead. This was my favourite dish of the night.

Second Dish: Hokkaido Scallop / Sauerkraut / Chive / Pancetta

Third Dish: Salt Baked Cabbage / Anchoiade / Lardo / Lime

My verdict on this dish remains unchanged from 2019. I still don't understand how this dish is a signature. By no means a bad dish, just nothing stellar. No tweaks were made to this dish apart from a bigger portion size. 

(Note: Notice that lime gel under the red garnish)

Fourth Dish: Spanish Carabinero /  Plantin White Asparagus / Cecina de León / Morel / Verjus

A dish that wow-ed us not by flavour, but its generosity. That's three ingredients there that could be stars of their own dish - Shrimp, White Asparagus, Cured Beef. 

(Note: There's also a hidden lime gel somewhere)

Fifth Dish: Kimedai / Berre Rouge / Petit Pois / Squid

SQUID NOODLES AGAIN! Stop this trend right now! 

(Note: LOOK AT THE LIME GEL STARING RIGHT AT YOU ON THE RIGHT)

Sixth Dish: F1 Wagyu Hanging Tender / Yuzu Kosho / Soubise

Lucky me had two servings of this because Ehren found it unpalatably gamey. I didn't find it gamey, so we don't know what's wrong where. 

Also-

I laughed when they served this dish because HOW MANY DOLLOPS OF LIME GEL DO THEY WANT TO FEED US WITH? LIKE HEY HERE'S A LIME GEL ENCORE.

But anyway, they turned out to be parsnip puree and not lime gel. The reason for my apprehension is due to my mistake of putting the entire dollop of lime gel into my mouth at dish three when it made its first appearance. Not only my tastebuds were awakened, but my soul as well. 

Seventh Dish: Beetroot / Raspberry / Muscatel Wine Vinegar Orange Blossom Honey

A myriad of flavours that didn't blend well together, and lacked texture and substance. 

Petit four #1: Hawthorn Berry lookalike Ice Cream Sandwich

I made that up. Left no impression.

Petit four #2, 3, 4: Hazelnut Canale, Dark Chocolate Bonbon, Green Apple Pate Fruit

The Green Apple Pate Fruit tasted like a waste of calories. Even a store-bought turkish delight would make a better petit four than that (if we are comparing things that look alike). Chocolate Bonbon was mehhhh too. 

Conclusion: Chef's Table by Chef Stephan remains unrivaled.