In the bustle of the Orchard belt, a new vibrant culinary experience unfolds on the mezzanine of the revamped Grand Hyatt hotel.
When discussing dining, what often makes or breaks one’s perception of any space is the “experience.” This entails the whole package, from the absolute start to end; and not just when a spoonful of well-crafted morsels gets lifted into one’s palate. Complementing the buzzy Orchard district’s tempo is the latest hotspot in town, Le Pristine, where experience is an art form that it proves itself to be exemplary at.
A multi-sensory journey is henceforth proposed in the upper chambers of the revamped Grand Hyatt Hotel. Contemporary in design, menu and philosophy, Le Pristine’s ethos of experience reveals itself way before one takes their first step into the casual fine-dining restaurant. Even on the ascent up — via the famed spiral staircase that once led to the hotel’s prior dining restaurants — a bright burst of red glows from the space’s entrance; serving as a precursor to the electric energy that abounds in the courses to follow. Of course, for those familiar with the restaurant group, this is something to be expected from the mind of founder-chef Sergio Herman. The third Le Pristine culinary concept from Antwerp-hailing Sergio Herman Group that has been renowned for its novelty, Le Pristine Singapore matches its international counterparts in both cadence and flavour.
The experience laid out by the Singapore outpost is a prime example of when one’s bark matches its bite. In the main dining hall, guests are daringly sat directly in view of the open-concept kitchen, where ingredients are meticulously tweezed, layered, and fused to become decadent bites. Think, Carmy’s CDC experiences at prime fine dining establishments on The Bear, only far less intimidating. True to its commitment to design, artful interiors materialise not just in the Dutch art pieces that span the space, but also in over-the-top annexes that include a boldly-inventive wine tunnel space where one can immerses themselves in the forward cocktail programme developed by their in-house mixologists.
Image courtesy of Chantal Arnts
Elsewhere, private rooms; scaling anywhere from a 12-seater boardroom-style space to the Sergio Suite experience that comes full-packaged with a kitchenette, lounging area and a full-length dining table — welcome diners for more intimate encounters with Chef Sergio’s creations.
Combining Chef Herman’s Zeeland heritage, morsel-sized odes to local fare, and the purity of traditional Italian food, all three international elements of cuisine meld to create offerings that seem downright defiant, but also downright delicious. Take the amalgamation of Langoustine, foie gras, soursop, and caviar ($45, $30 for 10g caviar) for instance. It would seem almost sacrilegious to impune the purity of black gold, especially when so many other elements are at play (see the dish’s name for reference!) Harmoniously, though, when scooped up by one of the toast soldiers provided, these elements work overtime, and in unity, to elevate caviar to heights beyond its existing gold status. While an indulgent foie gras crème layer kicks in for a rush of richness, soursop and radish brunoise notes cut through like a knife, wherein any flavour gaps get wholly filled by the brine of Kaviari caviar. On another occasion, the Pizzette Chilli King crab with basil and zucchini involves a hyper-sensorial journey of consumption. Child’s play is played up, as finger food evolves to an adult-centric experience — because, well, prime king crab and luscious stracciatella are involved. From the seaside evocation from the oceanic aromatics of its king crab components and the heartily Italian base ingredients of stracciatella, parmesan and tomato, diners are resituated to the present upon the localised chilli crab and deep-fried bok choy hits the palate.
All at once, diners are immersed in a transcendental experience that eventually grounds them back to the present reality — where they are dining in one of the most internationally emblematic restaurant chains, at one of Singapore’s most iconic havens of hospitality.
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