Food for Thought: Iggy's

Iggy's needs no introduction.  It ranked as Asia's Number One restaurant in the 2011/2012 Miele Guide; and 27 in the S Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2010/2011.

The restaurant takes its name after its founder, award-winning Sommelier and restauranteur, Ignatius Chan.  It first opened its door as an intimate 28-seater at The Regent Hotel in 2004.  In March 2007, Iggy's expanded its seating capacity by double at its new outlet at The Hilton Hotel.

The cuisine at Iggy's is not entirely Continental although it has heavy European accents.  It is actually a combination of the best ingredients from Europe, Asia and Australia.  The Chef's Lunch Tasting Menu offered when we visited consisted of 6 exquisie dishes.

A very well presented dish of Hamachi was served as the starter.  We enjoyed the gratinated yellowtail (or Japanese amberjack) topped with slices of radish, fine herb salad and sesame lime dressing.  The slight tanginess of the lime dressing went well with the raw fish while the hint of sesame enhanced the taste of the radish.

A salad was served straight after the starter.  The salad was an interesting mix of mesclun, avocado, pomodoro and fragrant floral petals.  The floral petals really made the difference.  It also added colour to the dish.

For soup, the chef had chosen mushroom cappucino.  This dish, to me, is quite obviously inspired by the ultimate culinary genius, Ferran Adria.   The soup is topped with foam and we know that food-foaming is a technique that Chef Ferran has given to the world of haute cuisine.

Ocean clams on flavoured rice was served as entree before the main dish. The meat of the ocean clam is firmer in texture than other clams with a somewhat stronger taste. They are usually minced, chopped or cut into strips before they are suitable for the table.  Iggy's was very brave indeed to have served these ocean clams whole.  Surprisingly, they were still good in spite of my initial apprehension that it might be too chewy. 

My much anticipated main dish was the confit of duck, one of my all-time favourite meat dishes.     The traditional method of preparing duck confit involves a centuries-old process of preservation consisting of salt curing and then poaching it in its own fat.  The poaching itself, normally over very low temperature, can take anything between four to ten hours until the meat is completely cooked.  It is then left to cool before it is preserved either in a can or jar in its fat for up to six months.  The preservation process is what gives this dish its uniquely rich taste.  Just before serving, the meat is fried or grilled in its fat until well-browned and crisp.  Iggy's version served with rosemary potato and mesclun was good but I cannot be too sure that it followed the traditional method of preparation.

The German chocolate was a befitting end to the meal.  Although I must say that it's presentation was quite similar to the deconstructed Black Forest Cake served at a different restaurant.  Food deconstruction, by the way, is another revolutionary method introduced to the culinary world by Chef Ferran.

Iggy's
Level 3
The Hilton Hotel
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 238883

Ambiance:  9
Food:  8.5
Service:  9
Pricing: $$$$$
Recommended dishes: The menu is seasonal and there are 3 fixed menus (with different pricing ranging from S$85 upwards) to choose from.