IF YOU have been a fan of chef Nicolas Joanny when he cooked here from the late 1990s until 2004, here's good news. He is back.

The French chef, who used to cook at the L'aigle d'Or, Intermezzo and Les Saisons restaurants here, left to be executive chef of The Four Seasons Bangkok four years ago. He later opened a restaurant called Le Vendome in the Sukhumvit area in the Thai capital with a partner.

Chef Nicolas Joanny

Last year, he decided to return to Singapore and last month saw the opening of his eponymous restaurant in Keong Saik Road.

Nicolas Le Restaurant is a simple place with white walls covered with modern Thai paintings. But it looks smart with its starched white table cloths and a team of well-trained waiters clad in black.

When he was last here, Joanny had impressed with his delicious contemporary French dishes that were light interpretations of the classics.

His current offerings at Nicolas are just as good but show more maturity in the way he plays with textures and flavours. The 33-year-old chef has moved to a level where he creates dishes that are uniquely his.

He also has a stronger penchant for using Asian ingredients. For example, his pan-roasted duck foie gras ($34) comes with a lemongrass-infused green apple caramel and among the desserts is a chilled pomelo and berry soup ($12).

The menu at Nicolas changes every month, so what you like at one dinner may not be available the next time you are there. But it doesn't matter.

Joanny is one of those chefs who seems to do everything well. At least, that has been my experience every time I tasted his cooking and last week's visit to Nicolas was no exception.

Every dish was worthy of praise.

The pan-fried duck foie gras was melt-in-the-mouth magic, with just enough sweetness in the caramel to balance its richness.

And the light green pea soup with Parma ham foam ($22) lived up to its name in its lightness. But it was the foam with its smokey taste that made it special, turning what would have been an ordinary pea soup into an interesting melange of flavours.

Pan-fried duck foie gras

It came with a crispy pastilla of blue prawn and basil that was a worthy companion: a succulent prawn rolled in a paper-thin sheet that was deep-fried to uber crispiness.

My only complaint is that there wasn't very much soup. It didn't fill even half the bowl, and since it was ordered by my dining companion, all I could do was steal two spoonfuls of it.

I've learnt my lesson though; next time I'll order my own and I won't be sharing.

I'm not likely to let anyone pinch the langoustine hot/cold ($36) either. If the price looks high for a starter, that's because it's a generous dish that comes in two parts.

First up is the cold serving, with the shellfish served tartare-style with kaffir lime and ikura (salmon roe). The kaffir lime, with its distinctive fragrance, did a perfect job in lifting the raw langoustine.

The second serving had the shellfish deep-fried and, curiously, served in a jar with crispy lard and beetroot chips. This provided a totally different sensation with the crisp textures and oil-fragrant flavours.

My main course, roasted Tasmanian rack of lamb ($42), was tender and juicy with a hint of herb on the crust. It went well with the rosemary jus and if you wanted a stronger taste of the herb, you could just take a bit of the fresh sprig on the plate.

The meat came with a ewe cheese ravioli that was good enough to be a star attraction on its own. The pasta was thin and smooth, and the cheese inside was creamy and delicious.

My companion's confit of wild ocean trout ($37) was cooked at 48 deg C, a heat low enough to leave the fish delightfully undercooked and with a silky, melt-in-the-mouth texture.

It was served with green lentils, which although not a favourite of mine, worked with the fish with its contrast in textures. There was also a pork belly 'petit sale' which was like a crispy piece of bacon.

Dessert time brought another wonder in the white ivory chocolate soup ($14) served with a quenelle of soft jivara chocolate and a drop of white truffle oil. The mix of white and dark chocolates was perfect, making me savour every spoonful of the 'soup'.

Nicolas may not be very well known yet but I have a feeling that is going to change very soon. The other top French restaurants in town had better sit up and take note: They have strong competition in this newcomer.

NICOLAS LE RESTAURANT
35 Keong Saik Road, Tel: 6224-2404
Open: Noon to 2pm (Mondays to Fridays), 6.30 to 10pm (Mondays to Saturdays)
Food: ****
Service: ****
Ambience: ***
Price: Budget from $90 per person for dinner, three-course set lunch is $38

This article was first published in The Sunday Times on Feb 24 2008.

Is this article useful to you? Rate this restaurant:    Poor Excellent