Growing up close to nature in the French countryside, sustainability is second nature to chef Sebastien Lepinoy of three-MICHELIN-starred Les Amis in Singapore. Five years ago, he spearheaded a kitchen revamp to incorporate eco-friendly practices and green equipment such as water-saving dishwashers, full LED lights, UV-light exhaust filters and an electric degreaser that made sure all waste water is filtered of grease before it goes down the drain. His care for the environment extends to the way he sources the produce for the restaurant, working with ethical producers and fishermen with sustainable practices.
For the gala dinner, Lepinoy presented a warm starter of Navarre lobster mousse encased in baby spinach and served with a classic fish bone sauce.
For the gala dinner I prepared a Warm Navarre Lobster Mousse Wrapped in Baby Spinach Served with Classic Fish Bone Sauce, which is lobster mousse and a piece of lobster wrapped into a ball with some spinach to give a nice colour and contrast.
What was the inspiration for your dish?
It’s a bit inspired by Asian cuisine and its meat and fish balls, but of course, a very French version with very French ingredients. When the diners eat the lobster rouelle, I want to give them the feeling like they’ve travelled to France because the blue lobster is a very typical French ingredient.
How does this dish embody sustainability?
I use a very special lobster that we get from a fisherman named Alexandre Navarre who practices, what we call in France, “pêche responsable” (responsible fishing). They will just catch what they need and not overfish and they use very small boats that do not damage the environment where the lobsters live.
Why is sustainability important to you?
The earth is not ours, we must think for the future generation. For me, I think about my daughter, how she will find the earth when she is my age, in 40 or 50 years. I think more people are realising that and taking initiative to be more and more green. We have a lot to do, but we are on the way, and together we can make a big difference.
