Me@OUE, Collyer Quay

By Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow on September 16, 2013 • ( 8 Comments )

Me@OUE serves Japanese, French and Chinese cuisine. I would usually claim, “Too many cooks spoil the broth,” but the stellar cast of award-winning chefs ensure the standards are high. Chef Justin Hor, in charge of the Chinese menu, is the Vice-President of the International Exchange Association of Renowned Chinese Cuisine; while Michelin-starred chefs Laurent Peugot and Masayasu Yonemura are in charge of the French and Japanese cuisine respectively.

An exclusive elevator will bring you to a classy restaurant with ambient lighting and tall ceiling – the beginning of an amazing experience. Great for romantic dates and groups afterwork. The al fresco bar offers a spectacular panoramic view of Marina Bay. Me@OUE set lunch price is $48+ (2 courses) and $58+ (3 courses), rather good value considering some of the best dishes we had were from the lunch menu. (Note: photos show tasting portions.)

French Menu

For starters, both the Normandy oysters (pictured above) and seabass carpaccio ($25) were excellent. The oysters were fresh and fleshy, with a firm bite and a tinge of sea but not overwhelmingly salty. The carpaccio had a bit of a Singaporean influence, like yusheng, with shredded crunchy vegetables and citrus segments–sourish, vinegary, and invigorating. If I were forced to choose at gun-point, go for the oysters.

The main, lamb rack ($52), was accomplished, tender and devoid of lamby stench. But my dad wasn’t impressed; he said there was nothing special.

“Kalingo 65” Moelleux ($16) is a lava cake made from 65% dark Valrhona chocolate, paired interestingly with Sichuan pepper ice cream. The gold flake was a touch of decadence–I loved it! This was definitely one of the best lava cakes I had. It was rich but not excessive, so one person could finish it.

Chinese Menu

Baked cod in whole orange ($24), a starter, is a must-order. Marinated in a honey mixture and then slow-baked, the fish was oralgasmic and gave a feeling of bliss.

Japanese Menu

Ingredients are imported three times a week from Japan. Among the three menus, I found the Japanese cuisine to be the best. It was not as traditional as the French or as mind-blowing as the Chinese cod fish, but there was a respectful, sensitive, careful balance in handling the food.

The Hokkaido hairy crab meat–“just arrived today!” said Chef Yoshida–was extracted and topped with crab roe and a jelly made from sake, vinegar and soy sauce. It tasted sourish but was balanced with the sweetest and juiciest Daikon raddish. Available as starter on lunch menu.

Grilled Japanese eel & pan seared foie gras ($55) were stacked on a braised Daikon radish. The foie gras was perfect – caramelized on the surface, mushy within. Although each item was good by itself, you should take a bite with all 3 items, producing an umami-ness.

The Sakura poached pear, on the lunch menu, was a better dessert than the lava cake because it was more refreshing. The combination of the pear, burnt sugared waffle, and pear sorbet was light and had layers of textures.

Not only were the food and decor excellent, my dad and I were quite impressed with the service, well trained and managed by Loic Esposito, formerly from New York’s Daniel Boulud restaurant. Our server’s name for the night was Hai, a Singapore PR who speaks with BBC accent because he learnt English from listening to BBC news. (My dad listens to BBC 88.9fm too!) My dad said, “There are so many waiters.”

I replied, “The more attentive the service.”