As a retail adage goes, you know you’ve made it when you cracked into a prime Orchard Road shopping mall. That’s what chef-owner Mohamed Al-Matin has done with the latest bricks-and-mortar reincarnation of Le Matin Patisserie close to three years after his French pastry boxes became a social media hit.
Opening on 1st February, Le Matin Patisserie is calling ION Orchard home after two brief pop-up stints in Paragon and Robinson Road. Matin, who was the pastry chef at the now-defunct Restaurant Andre and pastry sous chef at the acclaimed Noma restaurant in Copenhagen, has bigger plans.
More than turning out viennoiseries, the homegrown chef is expanding his repertoire to bistro fare and desserts. The 30-seat restaurant will serve brunch and dinner, on top of pastries and cakes. His signature pastries such as kouign-amann, canele and wagyu and bone marrow sausage roll will be on the menu too.
With all hands on deck on Le Matin Patisserie, his online shop, where it all started, will cease its operations. He is also in the midst of looking for a larger central kitchen space to replace his current one at Raeburn Park.
Photo: Le Matin Patisserie
Taking pride of place at Le Matin Patisserie is a counter that houses more than 20 types of pastries and cakes. New to the pastry menu is the mango & macadamia pain suisse, a sourdough-based croissant filled with macadamia paste, mango, yuzu and caramelised white chocolate. New confections include a roasted hay and pecan tart and sake lees and macadamia choux bun. Prices of the pastries remain largely similar to those on the online store.
Ahead of its opening, The Peak attended a preview of Le Matin Patisserie and picked our favourites.
1. Chutoro Brioche Feuilletee
Who knew chutoro (tuna belly) would pair well with these crisp buttery brioche feuilletee filled with flaky layers of meticulously marinated dough? Our favourite dish of the lot is this Japanese-French creation ($38), which is screaming to be plundered messily. The fat from the juicy tamari-cured chutoro slabs are almost as buttery as the brioche feuilletee. Also sandwiched in between are edamame mash, pickled red onions and wasabi yuzu mayonnaise, which could have been stronger to give the dish a stronger kick.
2. Black truffle scrambled eggs croissant
If the Egg McMuffin has undergone a posh makeover, we imagine it would look like this: a stunning-looking black truffle-crowned (8g to be exact) croissant ‘burger buns’ lavished with a rash of scrambled eggs. The eggs are perfectly done: warm, silky and creamy. There is so much scrambled eggs spilling out of the buns that it can be a side dish. The heady addition of truffle is just right with the truffle paste and black truffle aioli in this sunshiney concoction ($34). Going back to a McMuffin after this would be difficult.
3. Moules Marinières
Le Matin is branching out to serve dinner, which comprises bistro fare. A quintessential bistro dish ($24) is the blue mussels served with toasted brioche for one’s dipping pleasure. The bright orange mussels have a boozy touch from being poached in chardonnay, which imparts oak-like buttery notes. Sticking out of the bowl of mussels are enoki fritters that add some crunch, and the curious sighting of white fungus draped on the mussel shells is a plus if you enjoy a variety of textures.
Other dinner dishes include a roast chicken leg with truffle mushroom orzo and seared red snapper with rum sauce and watercress. The dishes and pastries are paired with a selection of 13 tipples that are curated by Matin and Romain Cousot, the former restaurant manager of Restaurant Andre, who runs his wine distribution firm. Tipples include Col Tamarie Vino Bianco Frizzante and La Cidrerie du Golfe Cider, which pair well with the buttery pastries.
4. Sake lees and macadamia choux bun
Savoury desserts have been making their rounds in restaurants here so we weren’t surprised to find sake lees on the menu. A byproduct of the sake brewing process, sake lees have a mellow mixture of sweet and umami flavours. A choux bun is filled with feathery light sake lees mousse and crowned with more mousse and jelly made from the fermented product. The dome sits on a plate of macadamia yuzu crunch that carries hints of citrus notes. This cake ($14) is meant for those who prefer subtle flavours.