Giving up a restaurant that garnered a coveted Michelin star for 10 consecutive years was a tough decision chef-owner Paul Longworth had to make. In June, he converted Rhubarb, a contemporary French fine dining restaurant, which opened in 2014 in Duxton Hill, to a more casual, no-frills concept, Encore.
The 47-year-old Brit says: “It is hard to relinquish (the star) that is so hard-earned and something that we have built up over 11 years. It is one of the greatest culinary achievements, but I need to think about the next 10 years and the sustainability of the restaurant.”
In the lead-up to this year’s announcement of this year’s Michelin Guide results in Singapore, Longworth informed the red guide on the change in restaurant concept, which will result in the omission of its one-starred accolade.
He foresaw this a while back. In early 2024, Longworth started noticing headwinds in the restaurant industry. There was a slowdown in business due to a melange of reasons, including diners becoming more cautious about spending and mounting operational costs.
He was faced with two options: “Brute force our way through the status quo or reinvest”.
Banquette seats in Encore are designed for convivial conversations. (Photo: Encore by Rhubarb)
Biting the bullet, he chose the latter and switched gears to better target the “middle ground” of the diners here, including the business crowd that formed the bulk of Rhubarb’s long-time customers.
He explains: “I wanted to move into an attractive price point area, where diners can take a step up without being overwhelmed. Although prices are lower, they are assured that quality is retained. It is about redefining what a good restaurant is.”
Enter Encore, which, like its name suggests, is designed for repeat visits with a more relaxed ambience and an accessibly priced menu. The three-course lunch set ($48++) comes with four options for starters, main and desserts each, while the four-course dinner set is priced at $88++.
Flexibility is also offered to diners with à la carte options that sit alongside set menus. After a two-month renovation, tables with white tablecloths were replaced with bright green banquette seats for a more convivial communal dining experience in the 32-seat restaurant. The seating capacity has increased by about 40 percent, from the original 20-plus seats.
Starters in the three-course set lunch. (Photo: Encore by Rhubarb)
Longworth, who has 27 years of culinary experience, retains the soul of Rhubab, bringing creativity and an eye for detail. He also designed a set lunch menu with flair, avoiding the use of supplements that can add to the bill. To rein in costs, he has deftly used more value-for-money ingredients like chicken, beef cheeks and lamb.
He says: “Restaurants have to be clever about it in order to survive. We don’t have to use (high-end) ingredients – it is up to the skill of the chef to elevate the ingredients and turn them into something wonderful.”
Longworth shares that he is adapting to the shifts in dining habits and formats. He explains: “It is not a case of me slashing my prices to attract the masses, because we were already very fairy-priced (at Rhubarb). It is about being more accessible and a bit less intimidating, where people can make spontaneous dining decisions.” A set lunch at Rhubarb started from $68++, while a set dinner was $138++.
“It is hard to relinquish (the star) that is so hard-earned and something that we have built up over 11 years. It is one of the greatest culinary achievements, but I need to think about the next 10 years and the sustainability of the restaurant.”
Paul Longworth
Canadian pork belly. (Photo: Encore by Rhubarb)
The lunch set opens with starters such as New Zealand salmon cured in beetroot and koji that has its umami factor brightened up with orange, buttermilk, and parsley oil, and is topped with salmon roe for a briny finish. Other starters include duck rillettes and pear, and stracciatella and coriander.
Mains include the slow-cooked Canadian pork belly, shredded and stuffed into a crispy fried block wrapped in pastry skin. The crisp factor is upped with puffed pork skin, while grilled green apples and celeriac puree provide textural contrast.
Other dishes include poached chicken leg and snapper with passionfruit and miso. Conclude the meal with desserts such as the chocolate pot, a rich chocolate and caramel dessert with crème fraiche.
Lamb with confit garlic. (Photo: Encore by Rhubarb)
Highlights from the à la carte menu include the Ballotine, a terrine-style dish made with chicken, confit duck leg, and minced pork wrapped in Parma ham and poached. The starter is served filled with pear gel, apples, and truffle honey.
There’s also the hulking lamb shoulder that has been slow-cooked overnight in duck fat and served shredded tableside with confit garlic.
Longworth has entrusted most of the cooking to head chef Ryan Tok, who worked with him at Au Petit Salut. Now, Longworth doubles up as part of the front of house team — chatting and serving diners, and sending them off at the door after a meal.
A slice of Rhubarb’s history is retained with its beloved signature dish, white onion emulsion, brought forward to Encore’s menu. The warm and silky smooth white onion espuma blankets a savoury hit of black truffle puree and fermented shimeji mushrooms.
Will he return to the fine-dining world one day? Longworth doesn’t rule that out. He says: “Cooking is cooking. Whatever level you are pitching at, you should always be giving your best.”
He adds: “I believe in what I do. Looking back at the achievement of Rhubarb over the past 10 years, if we can make that restaurant work, we can make Encore work as well.”
Dining and Cooking