Lunch at Iggy's Singapore

Squid ink risotto with charcoal-grilled baby octopus

It was with much pride that I told the Hub about Iggy's, fancy Singapore boasting a restaurant that is classed 60th best in the world! We were therefore much obliged to try it out and made a reservation a month in advance for lunch when we were in Singapore last month.

It was however quite a pain getting there as it had to be situated in a ulu hotel like The Regent, quite inaccessible via public transportation as it is at the wrong end of Orchard Road.

The decoration is simple and sober and it is a small/intimate restaurant with a few tables in a side room. Most clients apparently prefer to eat at the L-shaped counter where they could see the kitchen (like at Robuchon's L'Atelier). We reserved 2 seats at the counter, but arrived late and ended up sitting at a table.

Cold Tomato Soup (Amuse-bouche)

Hub and I both took the 4-course lunch menu at S$75++ pax exclusive of wine and water. I started with a Risotto followed by Cappellini and Iggy's Burger and ended with a Moelleux that was good but if I may say so, I have made better ones myself. Hub started with grilled Bonito followed by a Quail & Foie Gras terrine, the same Burger and then the Custard Apple dessert.

Sakura ebi cappellini with konbu and home-made scampi oil

My Squid Ink Risotto was really exquisite, the best I've tasted so far. The rice was flavourful and al dente, the octopus grilled yet juicy and tender. But the rest of the dishes, while good, was nothing exceptional. For such a good restaurant, we felt that they lacked the frills that one would normally find (and maybe come to expect) in any good restaurant in France, from imaginative amuse-bouches to mignardises with your tea or coffee. 12 bucks++ for a bottle of sparkling water was also pushing things a little, though the wine wasn't bad at all.

Home-made Wagyu beef burger with white truffle sabayon

We also felt that the service was a little too rapid for a restaurant of standing. Eating in a good restaurant is also about enjoying your meal at a good pace. They were just nice and efficient and seemed to have missed the real picture.

Baked Chocolate Molten cake with Java vanilla ice-cream

Still it is worth at least a visit and we have enjoyed our meal very much. I will have to work on my own squid ink risotto and hope to come up with a comparable version one of these days.

Iggy's

The Regent Singapore

1 Cuscaden Road

Singapore 249715

Tel : +65 6732 2234

http://www.iggys.com.sg