In October 2010 the super talented Chef Patron André Chiang opened up his own restaurant and launched his own food philosophy that he calls octaphilosophy and which is based on eight primary characteristics. The Chef’s aim with his philosophy is to offer his guests a holistic gourmet experience and for his guests to better understand his view on cooking and food. Considering how good André Chiang’s food tastes and how beautifully presented it is, is it just to bow to the upcoming master chef and adopt his octaphilosophy.

Chef André Chiang spent 14 years in France before he returned to Singapore where he became the Executive Chef of Swissôtel and the Stamford’s signature restaurant Jaan par André (the restaurant is just called Jaan today when André Chiang left). All the years at some of the best French restaurants, such as Le Jardin de Sens, Pierre Gagnaire, L’Atelier Joël Robuchon and Maison Troisgros really gave André Chiang the best possible training to master the French cooking techniques to perfection.

There are only 30 seats, so make a reservation well in advance for your dinner in one of Singapore’s most beautiful dining rooms filled with beige suede seats. The waiters silently walk across the hard-wood floors and offer an impeccable service and the feeling of the restaurant is cool and atmospheric with soft jazz playing in the background.

You can forget about any menu. Just inform the waiters if you have any allergy or dislikes and after that you will leave with confidence your taste buds for the evening in the hands of André Chiang and his octaphilosphy menu. The different courses are based on the Chef’s eight primary characteristics: unique, texture, memory, pure, terroir, salt, south and artisan.

As an example a dish based on the characteristic salt can be a fresh oyster with clear sea flavours, but only natural flavours, no seasoning. Another can be south and the Chef refers to south of France where he once worked and he makes a dish based on flavours from that region. It goes on and on until you have had all eight characteristics and they are all presented in the most genius and beautiful way. A lot of the cuisine is French inspired, but there are heavy influences from Japan as well.

Restaurant André has just been around since October 2010, but the restaurant has already proven to be one of the best and if the restaurant continues in the same fashion and evolves even further, then it will be something really amazing.

Written by Andy