Bino

The newest concept to open from the Les Amis Group is elan – an outlet serving modern French cuisine with a touch of Asian influence. Located in the same row as Les Amis, Mui Kee and other Les Amis concepts; the 48-seater restaurant is led by Philippe Pau who acts as the Restaurant Director as well as Chef de Cuisine Peter Teo. Chef Peter has had a colorful career with the group, having worked at the flagship Les Amis Restaurant and Bistro du Vin previously. 

elan offers a set menu for lunch and an ala carte and tasting menu for dinner. The tasting menu consists of 5 courses and is priced at S$135++. During this particular occasion, I tried highlights from elan’s ala carte menu.

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The Chinese Mitten Crab or the Hairy Crab is one of the top autumn delicacies in China. Hairy crab season starts from late September up to the beginning of early December. The crabs originated as a delicacy among the Shanghainese community but has gained popularity in Hong Kong, Singapore and other Chinese communities as well. Crabs caught from Yang Cheng Lake are the most prized. The crustaceans are noted for their golden roe, despite not possessing a particularly sizeable portion of meat. They are typically eaten with vinegar. 

The crabs are obviously alive year-round but the reason why they are an autumn delicacy is because the hairy crabs typically have their sexual awakening in late August and the autumn period is when they breed. It is during this time when the amount of golden roe inside their bodies will be at their peak.

Do note that the Chinese Hairy Crab is different from Japanese Hairy Crab or Horsehair Crab (Kegani).

In Singapore, hairy crab is popular especially in Chinese restaurants where each outlet would roll out its own version of a hairy crab menu. Among households that prepare their own meals, hairy crabs are very popular as well. This particular list shows you how you can have raw or live hairy crab delivered right to your doorstep – often with free delivery. I will also try to present restaurants’ hairy crab menus once they become available. This list is not arranged in any particular order so feel free to compare for the establishment that best suits your needs.

Should You Buy Male or Female Hairy Crabs ?

When purchasing these crustaceans, you may wonder whether to get male or female hairy crabs. Both male and female crabs are filled with roe but the texture and consistency differ. Female hairy crabs tend to have firmer roe – not too different from the texture of salted egg yolk – while male hairy crabs tend to have a creamier and delicate texture. To get the best of both worlds, it is advisable to buy a mix of both genders and most vendors below sell such bundles as well.

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Gaggan Anand, the man behind the eponymous Gaggan, has opened a new casual dining concept in Singapore called Ms. Maria and Mr. Singh in collaboration with The Proper Concepts Collective. This is the Singapore outpost of the said Mexican-Indian concept, with a similar restaurant in Bangkok. Craig Road is no stranger to trendy Indian concept restaurants, with Firangi Superstar just a few steps away. 

The food and drinks at Ms. Maria and Mr. Singh are examples of fantasy cuisine, with the story and inspiration of the dishes coming from a fictional cross-cultural couple of Mexican and Indian origin. 

The venue is a relatively small and narrow shophouse space that can sit up to 40 people, with a mix of table and bar seats. The space can feel a bit cramped, especially for the table seating. You may run out of space if you are ordering a number of dishes. The bar seats actually have more space but you’d have to sit side-by-side your dining companions.

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Entering Restaurant Jag for the first time, it wouldn’t occur to folks at the first instance that this is actually a Michelin-starred restaurant. The relatively cozy setting, free from snazzy interiors, looks more like one of those small family-run restaurants that one finds in Europe. Going strong since 2018, Restaurant Jag, which stands for “Jeremy Anant Gastronomy,” notably received its Michelin star within the first year of its opening. The focus here (and rightly so) is on the food which is similarly less theatrical than what one would find in other fine dining establishments in Singapore.

At Restaurant Jag, Chef Jeremy Gillon makes clever use of seasonal vegetables. The establishment has this distinct focus to the point that the theme of most courses have greens as the primary consideration before Chef Jeremy decides on the type of proteins to build in to complete the course. 

Indeed, even as someone who loves his vegetables, I have to admit there were quite a number of varieties here that I’ve never had before. The basket of fresh produce presented to us before the start of the meal as well as the herb jars at the end of the meal shows just how diverse the selection is. 

At Restaurant Jag, dietary restrictions are taken very seriously and I was quite impressed at how the servers were able to remember all my food limitations during the course of the meal. For those who don’t take meat, vegetarian set menus are also offered here.  

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