It was a bittersweet moment when chef Christophe Lerouy graced the stage last July to receive the one-star accolade for Alma by Juan Amador. The head chef of the Spanish restaurant was serving the last of his notice, having handed in his resignation just months earlier.
Back then, Alma was slated to change its direction towards more casual fare, a route that Lerouy, who sharpened his knives in some of France’s three-Michelin-starred restaurants, felt did not suit his culinary identity.
While Alma continued with its fine dining route after receiving its star under the stewardship of executive chef Haikal Johari, Lerouy all but disappeared from the Singapore restaurant scene – until January.
Back then, Alma was slated to change its direction towards more casual fare, a route that Lerouy, who sharpened his knives in some of France’s three-Michelin-starred restaurants, felt did not suit his culinary identity.
While Alma continued with its fine dining route after receiving its star under the stewardship of executive chef Haikal Johari, Lerouy all but disappeared from the Singapore restaurant scene – until January.
Chef Christophe Lerouy accepting the award at the 2016 Michelin Guide Singapore Gala Event
That’s when he opened Dstllry par Christophe Lerouy – an intimate 21 seater where diners sit on counter stools which ring an open kitchen. The walls and floors are painted black and lounge music with a deep throbbing bass plays overhead. The space is cosy just as operations are lean. Here, just six staff – a chef de cuisine who followed him from Alma, two chef de partie, a commis and a sommelier who doubles up as a maître d' bustle about.
Carrying On His Ethos
The difference in identity apparently ends there, for the chef’s approach to cooking is exactly the same at Alma: a solid French base lightened with touches of Asian ingredients and the occasional spice.
“[At Alma], Mr Amador let me do what I wanted but of course, we kept some of his signature dishes,” says Lerouy, “Here it’s easier for me because we have fewer covers. I just have one menu and guests choose between six or eight courses.”
But that doesn’t mean life is easy. For starters, the restaurant sees very few walk-ins, being at the ground floor of Infinite Studios. Most who make reservations are his regulars from Alma, while others come thanks to word of mouth recommendations.
Carrying On His Ethos
The difference in identity apparently ends there, for the chef’s approach to cooking is exactly the same at Alma: a solid French base lightened with touches of Asian ingredients and the occasional spice.
“[At Alma], Mr Amador let me do what I wanted but of course, we kept some of his signature dishes,” says Lerouy, “Here it’s easier for me because we have fewer covers. I just have one menu and guests choose between six or eight courses.”
But that doesn’t mean life is easy. For starters, the restaurant sees very few walk-ins, being at the ground floor of Infinite Studios. Most who make reservations are his regulars from Alma, while others come thanks to word of mouth recommendations.
The interiors of Dstllry par Christophe Lerouy
He’s also set a formidable challenge for himself – those six or eight courses are slated to change once a month. “I don’t like routine,” he confesses with a chuckle. “We have a different menu every month but it’s challenging, yes. Just take eight courses every month and multiply it by 12 – that’s over 100 dishes to create.”
It’s a culinary feat in itself, but the 34-year-old chef brings with him a myriad of food cultures from countries he's worked at. He spent his formative years receiving a strong foundation in classical French techniques at Parisian Michelin-starred restaurants Ledoyen Pavillion and Le Grand Vefour. In the years after, he worked in Los Angeles, Shanghai, Marrakech, Abu Dhabi and a year in Singapore in 2008 where he was sous chef for The Lighthouse Restaurant.
This French foundation met the modernist leanings at Amador Restaurant and Cellar at the Park Rotana Abu Dhabi as well as Alma by Juan Amador.
The Rotating Menu
Even so, he’s quick to point out that the dishes served here are not solely his ideas and are the result of frequent brainstorming sessions.
It’s a culinary feat in itself, but the 34-year-old chef brings with him a myriad of food cultures from countries he's worked at. He spent his formative years receiving a strong foundation in classical French techniques at Parisian Michelin-starred restaurants Ledoyen Pavillion and Le Grand Vefour. In the years after, he worked in Los Angeles, Shanghai, Marrakech, Abu Dhabi and a year in Singapore in 2008 where he was sous chef for The Lighthouse Restaurant.
This French foundation met the modernist leanings at Amador Restaurant and Cellar at the Park Rotana Abu Dhabi as well as Alma by Juan Amador.
The Rotating Menu
Even so, he’s quick to point out that the dishes served here are not solely his ideas and are the result of frequent brainstorming sessions.
“It comes from all of us,” he says, “So for example, right now we have one cabbage, and I tell my chef de cuisine: What can we do with it? So everybody gives their ideas and we do it together.”
The result is a cabbage baked in a salt dough laced with herbs. It’s a classic technique redolent of the rustic French countryside. To serve, the crust is split lengthwise. Thin strips of lardo are then placed over the steaming cabbage, torched and lathered with an umami anchioade sauce. This is plated with lemon puree, egg yolk and sesame emulsion.
Another dish that showcases his culinary approach is the foie gras poached in red wine spiced with orange, white pepper, star anise and a surprising ingredient: lemongrass. At the side, a passion fruit gelee, coffee gel, coffee candy and aerated foie gras.
The result is a cabbage baked in a salt dough laced with herbs. It’s a classic technique redolent of the rustic French countryside. To serve, the crust is split lengthwise. Thin strips of lardo are then placed over the steaming cabbage, torched and lathered with an umami anchioade sauce. This is plated with lemon puree, egg yolk and sesame emulsion.
Another dish that showcases his culinary approach is the foie gras poached in red wine spiced with orange, white pepper, star anise and a surprising ingredient: lemongrass. At the side, a passion fruit gelee, coffee gel, coffee candy and aerated foie gras.
Such combinations go through a rigorous taste test by the team where it is improved upon before the menu is finalised. “The bulk of our customers are Asian, and I’m the only Westerner in the kitchen so it’s very important that I get feedback from my team,” he says.
When asked about the experience he’d like his guests to enjoy, he says: “I want it to feel a bit like a secret place. The door is closed at night and all they will see is a white wall. But once they open the door, they’ll see the bar with everyone moving everywhere. I want them to come in, feel relaxed and laugh loudly if they want.”
It’s a fresh start for the chef, and one without the accolade he earned for Alma. “I feel sad because I worked hard for one and half years there,” he says on a reflective note. “But [at the same time] I’m happy because I left while accomplishing something.”
Dstllry par Christophe Lerouy is at #01-01, 21 Media Circle.
When asked about the experience he’d like his guests to enjoy, he says: “I want it to feel a bit like a secret place. The door is closed at night and all they will see is a white wall. But once they open the door, they’ll see the bar with everyone moving everywhere. I want them to come in, feel relaxed and laugh loudly if they want.”
It’s a fresh start for the chef, and one without the accolade he earned for Alma. “I feel sad because I worked hard for one and half years there,” he says on a reflective note. “But [at the same time] I’m happy because I left while accomplishing something.”
Dstllry par Christophe Lerouy is at #01-01, 21 Media Circle.
