Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet in Shanghai remains one of those meals I still remember quite vividly.
The three Michelin-starred restaurant was super expensive (started at RMB 4,800!), and the meal was a full production where food arrived with projections, sound, lighting and all sorts of sensory cues.
Now that Ultraviolet is permanently closed, you can try the famous French chef’s food at Moutarde in Singapore. But both couldn’t be more different.
Located at WEAVE, Resorts World Sentosa, Moutarde is also MICHELIN Selected, though takes a much more casual approach.
Rather than another high-concept dining experience, it is positioned as a casual French restaurant built around familiar bistro food, sharing plates, charcuterie, oysters and meats from the carvery.
The name means “mustard” in French, though the restaurant itself is considerably more glam than that sounds, with soaring ceilings, chandeliers, large mirrors, dark green leather seating and an open kitchen running along one side.
It is posh enough for a special dinner, yet the menu itself is quite approachable.
The food moves from Eggs Mayo ($12), French Onion Soup ($18) and Beef Tartare Tradition ($30) to Duck Confit with Mushrooms ($32), Pork Chop Grenobloise ($36) and larger cuts from the carvery.
Eggs Mayo ($12) does not sound like the most exciting thing to order on the menu, but this is also one of those deceptively simple French dishes where the details matter.
Pairet’s version keeps the familiar boiled eggs and creamy dressing, while the soy and sherry take it slightly away from the usual bistro template.
Not necessarily the dish I would rush back for, though it was a pleasant enough way to start.
The French Onion Soup ($18) was more immediately comforting, with a deeply savoury beef and onion broth beneath a thick layer of browned cheese.
The little twist here was that the gratinated topping used you tiao (deep-fried dough sticks) instead of the usual bread, giving it a denser, chewier bite once it soaked up the broth.
What was totally unexpected, though, was the “Buntut” Indonesian Oxtail Soup ($35), which caught my attention much more and came served with Mandarin Rice, Sambal and Emping Crackers.
The Indonesian reference is not as random as it first appears, as Chef Pairet spent part of his earlier career working in Jakarta, and the dish draws from that period.
The soup came with substantial pieces of oxtail in a clear brown broth, finished with herbs and tomatoes.
I liked that the broth tasted clean and not overly greasy, yet still had enough beefy depth, especially once some sambal was worked in on the side.
Rather than trying too hard to turn the dish too French, it looked and tasted much closer to something you would actually recognise as an Indonesian oxtail soup.
For the main, I had the Duck Confit with Mushrooms ($32), which was probably the dish closest to what I had imagined ordering before coming here.
The duck leg had crisped skin with tender meat underneath, sitting over mushrooms and jus. A safe, classic choice.
If you are dining in a bigger group, you can probably have more fun with the carvery, where larger cuts such as Wood Oven Roasted Prime Rib are designed for sharing.
Moutarde by Paul Pairet
WEAVE, Resorts World Sentosa, 26 Sentosa Gateway, #B1-219 to 221, Singapore 098138
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 11:30am – 10pm (Sat – Sun)
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