Les Amis
Considering Les Amis has recently been voted as Asia’s 14th best restaurant in the S. Pellegrino awards, you might expect the desserts at this renowned Modern-European restaurant to be totally mind-blowing. Well, you won’t be disappointed. Cooked up by Pastry Chef Cheryl Koh, our favourite is the weird and wonderful Mikan Dessert – a citrus yet sweet treat made from the Japanese Mikan orange. With this stunning dessert, nothing goes to waste, because the skin of the Mikan is not only edible, it has been slowly cooked in a sweet syrup until soft and tender. When you nibble off this candied shell, you discover even more luscious flavours and textures concealed inside.
The shells have been stuffed with a Mikan and panna cotta sorbet that sits on a light and refreshing Earl Grey jelly. The different temperatures and the merging of sweet and citrus is impressive to say the least, but more than just contrasting flavours, each bite assures you that these ingredients are of the highest quality, and it really comes across in the taste. (www.lesamis.com.sg)
Chef Story: Cheryl Koh
“I love working with seasonal fruits and always wanted to create a dessert that is both sweet and refreshing. So using a Mikan orange as the base ingredient seemed like the perfect choice – it is citrusy but still maintains a delicate sweetness. On top of this, I knew I wanted this dessert to be one that people would take a second look at. At first, it looks like a simple orange, but my Mikan Dessert has multiple layers to it with a number of different textures and flavours.
Then before I finalise a dessert, my philosophy for pastry comes down to three words: “Is it delicious?” At the end of the day, that is the main thing I think about – am I making something that is really good to eat? For the Mikan Dessert, I believe the answer is yes.”
