Celebrity Chefs' Restaurants (Part I) @ Marina Bay Sands

It's every foodie's dream to dine at some of the worlds' best Celebrity Chefs' restaurants at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. After all for a Malaysian like me, the nearest destination for such a culinary indulgence would be just an hour flight away. I can forget about breakfast in London and lunch in Paris but lunch in KL and dinner in Singapore is not impossible.

From Left: Mario Batali, Daniel Boulud, Wolfgang Puck, Justin Quek, Guy Savoy and Tetsuya Wakuda.

There's not just one but six celebrity chefs restaurants available in MBS for my picky palate! I think it must have been my lucky day as I get to tour some of these restaurants as well as sample some of the best dishes with some of the Malaysian media members.

Waku Ghin

This is the only establishment by Chef Tetsuya Wakuda outside his world-famous Sydney restaurant on Kent St. How lucky we are to be able to sample Tetsuya's culinary brillance without having to fly to down under for a seat at his restaurant.

Located on the Level 2 of the casino building, Waku Ghin is accessible from both the casino and the mall. I first heard about Waku Ghin from Leon and he told me that I should really pay this place a visit. This 8,000 sqf restaurant has a capacity of 25 people at only one time, offering you the most exclusive and luxurious dining experience. Huh only 25 people?!! No wonder he couldn't make a reservation for both of us even when it's two weeks in advance.

The restaurant has a sake bar and a caviar lounge, private dining rooms and a drawing room which serves desserts, coffee & teas and cognacs. It's truly a bespoke experience as the guests will get to move from the bar to the dining room where there are 3 enclosed rooms helmed by a chef each to cook your meal in front of you and then to the drawing room to relax over dessert.

Chef de Partie, is none other than our Malaccan born Chef Sia Kok Hong. We all know about Chef Tetsuya's quest for perfection and I was quite proud that a Malaysian is part of the "World's 50 Best Restaurants" list where Waku Ghin @ Marina Bay Sands is ranked 39th among the industry's best. He was there to demonstrate how a Braised Canadian Lobster is done and then we all were given a chance to taste it as well. The dish truly brings out Tetsuya's culinary philosophy which centres on pure, clean flavours that are decisive, yet completely refined.

I liked the idea of having a chef to cook in front of you and here they do it right from the raw ingredients. It is also where you can see the culminated discipline towards cleanliness of the kitchen and all I saw was their obsession towards clean and sparkly kitchen utensils. The hot plate was probably the cleanest I've seen anywhere and I'm sure if you run your finger across it, it wouldn't be more oily than your face.

One of the signature dishes include this Marinated Botan Shrimp with Sea-Urchin and Caviar. Isn't it a pretty sight? There's also a mother-of-pearl spoon too. Wow... just by looking at this sends me to cloud 9. The good news is, Waku Ghin is now open for Lunch but only on Fridays where guests will be served a 6-course degustation menu priced at S$250++/person and it's available from 12 noon to 2pm. For dinners, 2 seatings are available at 6pm and 8.30pm with a 10-course degustation menu priced at S$400 not inclusive of drinks.

Waku Ghin also has an impressive range of wine and sake in its cellar. The wine list was probably 1-inch thick and I guess there will be no wine aficionado that they can't satisfy here. They are also currently building its cocktail bar concept with a focus on Japanese-styled cocktails which are lighter and more delicate.

Looking at these pictures make me hungry again. I told them that I.WILL.BE.BACK! For now, I just have to live with bread and water for sometime.

For my personal visit to Waku Ghin, full review here.

For reservations : 

Tel: +65 6688 8507

wakughinreservation@marinabaysands.com

 
GUY SAVOY

This is the 5th restaurant by one of France's most celebrated chefs - Chef Guy Savoy (pronounced as 'ghee sah-vwah'). He believes that "Cooking is the art of instantly transforming historical products into pleasure". His eponymous restaurant in Paris has garnered 3 Michelin Stars while the other restaurant in Las Vegas has 2 Michelin Stars. 

I liked the exterior of the restaurant where there are 2 see-through windows that allow guests to peer into them and see all the action going on in the kitchen. Well, I can truly say that their kitchen is spanking clean!

The restaurant epitomises a sexy, opulent and yet warm dining area has a seating capacity of up to 80 people and there are also 2 private rooms available to cater to small events and intimate dinners. I love the colourful glass ornaments on the tables. Their table cloth somehow resembles my egyptian cotton bed sheets. Hmm...

Chef Savoy has profound respect for his carefully selected ingredients. We can truly see that as the restaurant even have more than 7-8 types of tomatoes for its ingredients. To some people,they only knew 1 type of tomato in the world and that's the one we can find at the supermarkets! 

Chef Charles-Benoit Lacour was there to show us how he created such a wonderful entree using tomatoes and creating a dish that not only appeals to the palate but the eyes as well. This dish is presented in 3 ways - Heirloom Tomato Facon Tartare, Seeds & Leaves, Tomato Tarte and a Granita. He's actually quite a shy chef!

Chef Savoy is said to have a profound respect towards ingredients as the flavours he creates are gently coaxed so that every bite of his dish is a statement.

We put his philosophy to a test simply by tasting one of his signature soup - the Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup with Brioche. See the thick black truffle slices and parmesan cheese shavings? This is the one you will get for a full entree but of course for sampling purposes, we were served a mini-version of it. AlaCarte @ S$70

The proof of the pudding is in the eating! The black-truffle artichoke soup was a layered with earthy and nutty flavours and creamy texture. It's smooth and not too overpowering while the black-truffle brioche slathered in truffle butter was buttery, flaky and heavenly. I don't mind having another 3 more servings of this, thank you! Chef Guy Savoy proves that he is a master in creating a interesting mix of aromas and flavours that will tantalise our tastebuds.

 

 Virgin Blue Lagoon

Guy Savoy is opened for lunch on Fridays and Saturdays from 12noon to 2.30pm. From Tuiesdays to Saturdays, it is available for bar dining and dinner from 6pm to 10.30pm. Prices are around S$375/pax (set menu) or S$1,000 for 2, incl drinks & taxes. For a price like that, one should be prepared to be swept off the feet by even their pre-dinner aperitif at the champagne bar before proceeding to the dinner table.

For reservations:

Tel : +65 6688 8513

guy.savoy@marinabaysands.com

P/S: You know how I felt after all these Celebrity Chefs Kitchen tours?!! Hmm.. how can I put this? You know, this is like foreplay and it leaves you wanting more! Or a striptease with no touching allowed. This is just terrible!

Marina Bay Sands

Casino Level 2

10 Bayfront Avenue, 

Singapore 018956

Tel: +65-6688 8868

Website