Chinoiserie

ABOUT

Nothing is as you’ll expect when you come for a meal at Chinoiserie. A scallop har gow, for instance, is not just a plump sliver of scallop wrapped in a starchy white parcel. Instead, you’ll find your ‘dim sum’ presented as a light, fluffy scallop mousse, piped onto a hotate shell with a layer o ...More

Nothing is as you’ll expect when you come for a meal at Chinoiserie. A scallop har gow, for instance, is not just a plump sliver of scallop wrapped in a starchy white parcel. Instead, you’ll find your ‘dim sum’ presented as a light, fluffy scallop mousse, piped onto a hotate shell with a layer of crab bisque. There’s something new to discover each time you have dinner at Chinoiserie. Chef Justin Quek is no stranger to fine dining cooking, and he’s taken his knowledge of French techniques and married it with his penchant for Asian flavours.

Menus here are prix fixe or a la carte, and you’ll find seasonal ingredients like French Challan ducks and Manjimup black truffles. But rather than roasted in their own fat, the gamey ducks, are tossed in a wok and cooked over roaring flames to medium rare. Vegetables like artichokes and asparagus are stir-fried Asian-style, rather than served as a Western salad.

Popular favourites here include a wild coral cod fillet, seared till the scales are crispy and served in a sweet-sour sauce, as well as French poussin stuffed with claypot rice. Leave room for the desserts — the banana flambé in rum and salted gula java ice cream is a great way to end an ever interesting meal. (Feb 2019)

DISHES WE LOVE

Duck Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao, Steamed Scallop and Sea Urchin Har Gow, Crispy Scales Wild Coral Cod Fillet, Claypot Rice, Banana Flambe in Rum with Salted Gula Java Ice Cream

THE BUZZ

“(Justin Quek) adopts an unorthodox approach: cooking ingredients that are not typically associated with Chinese cuisine with Chinese cooking methods.” -Michelin Guide SG, July 2018.