JAAN may have retained its Michelin two-star standing but Chef Kirk Westaway still isn't resting on his laurels. His annual summer menu revamp is an anticipated affair and his new menu is about the ensnaring of summer's vibrancy; the inclusion of ingredients that exemplify that Outkast "So Fresh, So Clean" vibe.
We begin with the amuse-bouche—a series of British-inspired snacks. A Smoked Ocean Trout, which is a baked bread roll stuffed with smoked trout and topped with pike roe and crème fraîche; the Baby Tomato Tart showcases tomberries—tiny, carefully skinned tomatoes (I'd imagine the commis chef hunched over, eyes narrowed and gently peeling off the skins)—nestled on a tartlet with burrata, basil pesto and a crisp fried basil leaf. There's the signature Cheddar Pancake, a buckwheat pancake orb filled with smoked cheddar that was sourced from a farm, a stone thrown away (if you have strong arms) from Chef's Westaway's childhood home. No notes there.
It's the Goose Mousse that we wanna call attention to. It's a combo of chicken liver parfait with onion marmalade, layered chestnut mushrooms and alyssum flowers. It looks unassuming but on the first bite, there are flavours that fulminate into joyous chewing; I was forlorn that it was over.
We continue with our perennial favourite, JAAN's Charred Leek and Potato Soup. It's a hearty broth that transports you to a fireplace in the winter, even though I've experienced sitting by the hearth during a snowstorm; that's how potent this dish is. (As a sidenote, if they even remove this dish from the menu, I. WILL. RIOT.)
The bread course (of course, there's a bread course) has a twin offering of homemade dark rye bâtard loaf (bâtard is French for oval-shaped, you child) and crispy sourdough brioche and served with butter accented with lemon thyme leaves.
King Crab is the first main. Shredded crab meat with diced baby cucumbers and a quenelle of yoghurt sorbet with dehydrated tomato skin underneath them. Chilled tomato sauce is poured onto the dish. There's a nuttiness to the Wild Turbot dish. Cooked in brown butter, the turbot is presented with a barbecued capsicum purée and garnished with cured lemon and capers. The Langoustine is another delight; it's served with a courgette violin, which we discovered is a kind of marrow. There's also courgette risotto, a lemon purée and finished with parsley, chives and chervil, which we also discover is a kind of parsley; a French parsley. The learning never stops at JAAN.
The Guinea Fowl is... something. From the name of the dish, we expected something bird-like. What we are presented with is... is a terrine. There are layers of brined guinea fowl, confit and minced mushrooms. It took a while to get used to this because as I'm parsing through the dish, my monkey brain thinks "bird" but I'm getting a gelatinous mouthfeel.
Coincidentally, an Earl Grey Palate Cleanser was next. Made of pomelo, sweet clementine and pink grapefruit and capped with an Earl Grey sorbet and bay leaf-infused frozen milk, it cleared the way for either a decadent Chocolate—layers of roasted hazelnuts, chocolate and a caramel parfait—and Summer Peach, a mix of fresh peaches and nectarines, verbena and peach sorbet. As usual, this lovely lunchtime concludes with the Final Sweets, a line of Apple Jam, Coffee Chocolate, Strawberry Custard Tart and Chef Westaway's rendition of the classic Devon Cream Tea.
Were we satiated? Very much so. We took in as much of the sky-high view as of the new lunch menu. With an expanded waistline and an elevated mood, our heads were filled with Chef Westaway's summer... even in this Singapore heat.
JAAN is located at Swissôtel The Stamford Singapore, 2 Stamford Rd, Level 70, Singapore 178882
