The Gen XY Lifestyle
Restaurant JAG introduces new menu featuring Savoie herbs and vegetables
Fresh from winning their first Michelin Star in September 2019, Restaurant JAG, a French Fine Dining establishment, has launched their new menu, celebrating seasonality and ingredients of the day.
In the new menu, Chef Jeremy Gillon uses Savoie herbs and vegetables in every single course. He can also curate his menus on the day, without any advance notice, for diners with either lifestyle-led diets or allergy driven requests.
We speak with Chef Jeremy to understand more about his restaurant and style.
The Active Age (AA): What inspired you to start Restaurant JAG in Singapore?
Chef Jeremy (JG): Singapore is a big platform for gastronomy. I had the chance to come here as Consulting Chef few years ago and I could immediately see the limitless potential of Singapore dining scene and specifically how adventurous the foodies were. Because of this reputation, it also attracts gourmands from all corners of the globe – specifically to indulge in great food here.
I worked very closely with Anant Tyagi, who is my business partner here at JAG. We have been long-time friends and always talked about setting up an establishment together. When a serious opportunity presented itself and after three years of planning, designing, conceptualising, JAG was born!
AA: How does it feel achieving a Michelin Star within a year from starting?
JG: We are very proud, grateful and for a restaurant less than year old, a MICHELIN Star is the perfect start – there is no denying that! But our sole goal has always been to make our diners happy. Give them a reason to return and to secure their trust. This remains very important to us.
The MICHELIN Star is a recognition of our commitment and we are working continuously to ensure our regular diners and new guests are excited about our Savoie Herb led dining concept.
AA: What have you observed about the Singapore palate?
JG: In the seven years I have been in Singapore, I have seen an
evolution in palate. The Singapore diner is curious, they are
adventurous and they are hungry to learn and experiment. They are also well-travelled and are exposed to sophisticated and classic dishes from around the world.
This means, we, as Singapore based restaurants, need to be constantly innovating. It’s a great opportunity for us to present new ideas, get the Singapore diner to think, experiment and appreciate their ingredients more fully – not just the taste but textures, the temperatures and more!
AA: As you are aware, more people are turning to plant-based diets, how will your new menu support their quest for a healthier food experience?
JG: For me personally, this is not new. I have always been more inspired by the vegetables and my culinary philosophy has been built around plants, herbs and root vegetables.
I have very strong respect for animal protein, beautiful seafood, but this also presents a great opportunity for us to showcase the versatility of vegetables, how it pairs with protein and how it can even be a hero in some dishes.
Given it’s a trend today, be it health or ethical reasons, we as chefs have great influence on how we consume our food. I get excited when we have diners who want to explore our vegetarian/vegan dishes more. This is what makes us truly unique at JAG – we are able to tailor a multi-expression menu to suit the diner without advance notice and showcase the textures and unique ways to enjoy vegetables in a fine-dining setting.
AA: How does the French food seasonality work into your new menu?
JG: In Singapore we have the great privilege of accessing ingredients and pro-duce from around the world with ease. The most unique French ingredients are available to us if we know how and where to source it.
We, at JAG, showcase all four French seasonal ingredients and our menus are wholly influenced by the products we get. This also helps us with the omakase element of our concept and taking our diners on a journey of discovery.
We have not overlooked the Singapore farms and small-batch
producers here as well. We are constantly learning and evolving on how to incorporate the best of local flavours with our French ingredients.
AA: What do you hope to achieve with Restaurant JAG in 2020?
JG: Consistency and delivering high-quality dining are very important. This means sourcing right ingredients sustainably, constantly learning, experimenting, collaborating with Chefs here in Singapore and around the world. Most importantly, bringing joy to our diners through food.
Ultimately, that’s what food is – it has the unique power to bring people together from all walks of life to create an unforgettable memory!
