The Place The newest restaurant addition to Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Singapore, I checked out the newly opened Maison Boulud by celebrity chef Daniel Boulud. The elegant restaurant spans two levels in the iconic mall in Singapore and is artfully designed by pre-eminent interior designer Joyce Wang, where the level one space overlooks the waterfront promenade with plenty of natural lighting in the day, while the dining room on basement one is more intimate and romantic with cosy seating booths.
My meal happened on the dining room in the basement, where the dining ambience is not too casual or formal as the restaurant takes on a fine-casual positioning.
This is also the only restaurant by Chef Daniel Boulud in MBS for now, after the closure of DB Bistro & Oyster Bar by Daniel Boulud.
The Food The menu is a soulful reinterpretation of French classics, inspired by Chef Daniel’s childhood memories growing up in Lyon and a reinterpretation of home-cooked meals. Signature dishes on the menu include the Hamachi Betterave, yellowtail kingfish cured in gin & beetroot served with hibiscus & raspberry dressing, and Porc Chou Farci, a 120-day acorn-fed Ibérico pork rack roasted in porchetta lechon style served with beetroot & cabbage.
Otherwise, it is quite a diverse menu where I am sure there is something for everyone, spanning across appetisers, mains, sharing plates, sides and desserts. For a start, I was served complimentary amuse-bouche and freshly baked sourdough bread.
For starters, I had the Crustaces, Nicoise (S$36), a beautifully plated Seafood Salad with Haricots Verts, Tomato, Crudités Basil Pesto, Black Olive and Anchovy Garlic Dressing.
I love the Champignons, Chataigne (S$26), a hearty bowl of Seasonal Mushroom Velouté with Onion Royale, Chestnut and Chive. You get a creamy, rich and fresh flavours of the soup here made from three types of mushrooms, including king oyster mushroom. A must order if you are a shroom type of eater like I am.
For mains, I enjoyed my protein of Saumon, Asperge (S$48) which features a Ora King Salmon with Asparagus, Watercress, Buckwheat Beurre Blanc & Salmon Roe. The texture of the salmon is just right for me, with a really fresh flavour as evident from the beautiful orange hue of the fish. The Buckwheat Beurre Blanc sauce is not too buttery as well and it lends a good touch to the salmon.
If you love chicken, go for the Poulet, Spatzle (S$48) which showcases Free Range Chicken ‘Rotisserie’ with Carrot Confit, Mustard Seed, Wild Mushroom with Alsatian Pasta and Vadouvan Jus. You get a mix of tender chicken thigh and breast meat here, and I must say the Alsatian Pasta is quite unique in texture and I literally scoop the pasta up and have it together with the wild mushroom which is delicious.
For desserts, the Pamplemousse, Litchi (S$18) is great as a palate cleanser as the flavours are quite light where you get Grapefruit Sorbet, Caramelised Puffed Rice and topped it off with Lychee Espuma.
A more sinful treat which I would recommend is the Chocolate, Café (S$18) where you get an intense flavour of Grand Cru Dark Chocolate Crémeux, Glenfiddich, Caramel Foam and Coffee Ice Cream. The chocolate and coffee elements blend quite well together, and it is also not overly sweet for me.
Rants Not a rant per se but something to note about the allocation of the tables. The level one space overlooks the waterfront, where I understood from the staff that they will allocate this space for groups with children and try to keep the basement dining space for adults only.
Will I Return Again? I think Maison Boulud is a great addition to the vibrant dining scene in MBS, and in a climate where French dining is often seen as haute cuisine, this is a less formal dining setting to enjoy French dishes. The dining space is elegant as well, where I like that you can choose from the different dining vibes on either level one or the basement dining room.
This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.
TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5
Maison Boulud
2 Bayfront Avenue
B1-15 & L1-83 The Shoppes
Singapore 018972
Tel: +65 6688 6088
Opening Hours
Monday to Thursday: 12pm to 10pm
Friday: 12pm to 10:30pm
Saturday: 11:30am to 10:30pm
Sunday: 11:30am to 10pm
Ranted by The Ranter