Food Review: Restaurant Jag – Reimagined Botany in Robertson Quay

Visiting Restaurant Jag after 3 years, in its current space at the second floor of STPI, I could not help but immediately make the comparisons with its previous Duxton Road incarnation. The previous one was cozy, even tiny and as it was in a heritage shophouse, it was also rather dim. That is such a contrast from the Restaurant Jag of today. After moving to Robertson Quay in 2023, the new space – while still in a heritage shophouse, takes up the corner unit with plenty of windows for diners to gaze out and admire views of the Singapore River. 

As a Michelin-starred restaurant, the venue has all the trappings that this title suggests – beautiful interiors, a well thought-out menu by Executive Chef Laurence Tan and superb service. The latter is especially admirable and I have to say, even within the sphere of Michelin-starred restaurants, Jag is probably at another level when it comes to anticipating guests’ needs. Again, I was impressed by how the staff remembered all my dietary restrictions during the course of the meal. They’d also notice how I devoured (or didn’t) each course and would ask for my feedback whenever there was a dish that I did not seem to like as much as the others. No words from me but they had an uncanny way of telling. 

During this particular dinner at Restaurant Jag, I had their Grand Dinner Tasting Menu which had 14 “experiences” in all – consisting of full-fledge courses plus palate cleansers along the way. Restaurant Jag’s Autumn Tasting Menu is an elegant journey through seasonal produce, executed with finesse and a sense of storytelling.

The evening begins with a quartet of canapés that highlight autumn’s earthiness and brightness. An apple and celery pearl bursts with crisp freshness under a dusting of smoked rice powder, while the mushroom tartelette layers pickled shimeji, mushroom cream, and raw Swiss brown over an earthy mushroom-based shell. A vibrant pumpkin and sea buckthorn sip, lifted with white balsamic and cinnamon oil, provides tangy warmth, and the parsley root biscuit—topped with purée, pine nut praline, and ribbons of pickled root—finishes the opening with nutty depth.

Bread and butter is anything but ordinary here. The red cabbage bread, its crumb stained purple with cabbage purée and perfumed with bak kut teh spices, is paired with house-churned butter enriched by a woodruff-infused buttermilk reduction. The familiar pairing becomes a sensory highlight, bridging nostalgia with refinement.

A delicate amuse bouche of caramelized leek consommé with creamy potato foam follows, the bowl crowned with leek oil, puffed buckwheat, and cress. The result is simultaneously comforting and refined, a gentle prelude to the seafood courses.

Japanese hamachi and sea bream arrive next, paired with salt-dough baked kohlrabi and a sorrel ice cream that sings with vegetal brightness. Oyster cream adds briny richness, while citrus caviar and mint coulis punctuate the dish with acidity and freshness—a lively contrast to the mellow fish.

Brittany langoustine, or scallop depending on the evening, is presented alongside an orchestration of savoy cabbage and celeriac. Pickled leaves and confit cubes highlight both crunch and tenderness, while a lively cabbage and horseradish juice infused with yuzu ponzu lifts the sweetness of the shellfish beautifully.

A seasonal consommé of carrot and dill offers a moment of clarity. Carrots roasted with caraway create a delicate tea, finished with a vivid green oil pressed from carrot tops, dill and spinach—a fragrant, minimalist interlude.

The Boston lobster dish expands on root vegetable pairings, with pearls of turnip and rutabaga glazed in verjus and butter, braised chervil root, and a vibrant coulis of the herb itself. Depending on the menu variation, accompaniments may also feature lamb tongue, sweetbread, or foie gras, each providing an intriguing foil to the lobster’s sweetness.

From there, turbot brings earthy autumn flavors to the fore. A silky chestnut purée forms the base, with notes of coffee and five-spice infused into oil and stock. Finished with truffle shavings, the dish is as indulgent as it is aromatic, a meeting of richness and restraint. Other than the main, this was one of the highlights for me. 

The transition to desserts is marked by a refreshing palate cleanser: guava sorbet coated in ruby chocolate and dusted with sour plum powder, balancing sweet, tart, and tangy notes.

The main meat course, duck, is a star of the evening. Possessing an almost steak-like texture compounded by a thick layer of fat on top, the bird is enriched with a sweet-savory banana shallot marmalade, supported by a concentrated shallot jus. Alternative preparations with beef or pigeon are offered, each equally layered in flavor.

A traditional cheese trolley makes its appearance before the sweets, with several types for diners to choose from —typically spanning soft, semi-firm, hard, blue, and goat or sheep’s cheeses—served alongside crackers, mixed nuts, and a rotation of jams such as fig, blueberry, or cherry. I selected just 3 to try but the server was nice enough to give me a small slice of each cheese they had. 

My dessert was offered in a trio. The pre-dessert is a theatrical composition of peach tartare, oolong syrup, peach sorbet, and oolong foam, a delicate interplay of fruit and tea. The Sollies fig course contrasts the fresh and caramelized fruit with sable biscuit, dark chocolate ice cream, and glossy chocolate sauce, an interplay of rusticity and indulgence. Sensing I was not really into chocolate, they served me the third dessert without me expecting – a pear dessert followed, its fruit braised in sage, reimagined into sorbet and gel, and set against the spiced crunch of Biscoff crumble.

The meal concludes with whimsical mignardises: choux au craquelin filled with vanilla custard, jewel-toned pâte de fruit, glossy chocolate bonbons and a buckwheat ice cream encased in white chocolate glaze. 

In the end, Restaurant Jag continues to stand out in its inviting new space with its proposition in bringing out thoughtful celebrations of seasonal produce, executed with precision and creativity. Each course tells a story of restraint and refinement, proving that fine dining in Singapore can still be inspired rather than routine – quite a feat given that Jag has been at it for a number of years. For diners seeking craftsmanship over spectacle, Jag remains a destination worth returning to.

Restaurant Jag
41 Robertson Quay
#02-02
STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery
Singapore 238236

Tuesday to Saturday, 12PM to 3PM, 6PM to 10:30PM