Les Amis: Singapore's grandest table

A forerunner of fine dining in Singapore, 17-year-old Les Amis has long been considered one of Singapore’s best -- if not the best -- fine dining establishment.

This was reinforced by its 2011 induction into the Les Grandes Tables du Monde (also known as “Les Grandes”) -- considered by some to be the most prestigious gastronomic fraternity after the Michelin Guide -- list of restaurants.

Joining this gastronomic club is a complicated process.

“You need to be recommended by other chefs in Les Grandes to join this association,” says Armin Leitgeb, Les Amis’ Chef de Cuisine since November 2008 and the restaurant's third resident chef since it opened.

“Every restaurant being considered should already have Michelin stars and in countries -- like Singapore -- where Michelin is absent, the Les Grandes board will assess the restaurant’s history, philosophy and contribution to gastronomic tradition and quality.”

In addition to the thorough inspection, the chef of the recommended restaurant has to invite three patrons to write letters of recommendation to the association’s president and the committee, after which all 145 members of Les Grandes have to decide on admission during the general assembly.

Leitgeb’s culinary reputation did help to ease the process.

Thomas Keller of the lauded French Laundry restaurant in London, Hans Haas of Munich’s Restaurant Tantris –- where Leitgeb once trained -- and Marc Haeberlin, the president of the association, have all dined at Les Amis.

“The induction of Les Amis into Les Grandes is a major achievement in my culinary career,” says Leitgeb, as he gestures at the Traditions & Qualité golden rooster plaque -- an emblem of the association -- at the restaurant’s glass entrance.

“I am honored that we are being named alongside big boys in the culinary world such as The Fat Duck in England and French Laundry in the United States.”

Leitgeb’s culinary network may have helped Les Amis win the accolade, but his discipline and hands-on approach keeps Les Amis reputation growing. Unlike celebrity chef restaurants where star-studded chefs make occasional guest appearances, Leitgeb remains firmly rooted in the kitchen.

“I am always here and my customers appreciate that,” says Leitgeb, “Sometimes, my customers call me directly on my mobile phone to check on the fresh produce I have. My guests like the interaction, they want the chef to show face.”

True to his word, Chef Leitgeb quickly sprung into action after taking us on a quick spin around the kitchen before the busy lunch service began, deftly plating every single dish that left the kitchen.

While the menu changes daily, among Chef Leitgeb’s most requested gastronomic creations are a lightly smoked eel served warm and crowned with a wafer-thin crispy pork crouton dusted with horseradish shavings; a whole roasted baby monkfish-on-the-bone basking in a fragrant pool of mushroom ragout and topped with an mushroom emulsion; a pink tile of fork-tender Wagyu chargrilled on Alsace-imported hay with truffle-flavored sauce; and cone-ensconced apple strudel with a scoop of refreshing yogurt ice cream.

With divine creations like these and a pool of high-powered regulars, Leitgeb is not too fussed about competition posed by the island’s crop of celebrity chef restaurants.

“I will continue to raise the bar on the level of cuisine at Les Amis, we don’t have to dramatically change the food here as a knee-jerk reaction to the opening of celebrity chef restaurants in Singapore.

"We don’t need to ‘look up’ to these restaurants, I think we can look over them.”