This is a personal review of my dining experience at the award-winning Raffles Grill, by Jacques and Laurent Pourcel. This restaurant is located at the lobby of the Raffles Hotel, Singapore.

Raffles Grill offers a 7 course degustation menu for $180+++ SGD without the wine pairings, which costs an additional $100. In contrast, other restaurants' degustation menus such as Au Jardin's is priced at $150 for 7 courses, Les Amis at $105 for 6 courses, and Saint Pierre at $90 for 9 courses. It is also worth noting that none of them charge more than $60 for the wine pairings. This officially makes the Raffles Grill the restaurant with the MOST expensive degustation menu in Singapore. Chef Jean-Charles Dubois must be extremely confident of his capability.

Needless to say, expectations were high. I decided to bring my family to the Raffles Grill for a night of celebration and to enjoy the gastronomical experience that magazines were raving about. Here are the pictures of the courses:

Lobster Medallion-Vegetable Terrine
Duck Ham with Mango-Melon, Vanilla Bean Flavored Oil

The very first course and already a slight disappointment. Two tiny pieces of cold lobster accompanied by sweet mango-melon proved to be an odd combination. The duck ham, however, was tasty.

Pan-Fried Duck Liver, Open Face Lasagna, Wild Mushroom and Fine Zucchini Mash

Foie gras was small but cooked nicely, slightly crispy on the outside but tender on the inside. I always enjoy foie gras and this one was no exception.

Velouté of Green Asparagus and Basil Olive Oil Emulsion

The soup course - extremely rich but also very salty. Nothing truly remarkable.

Slow Oven Baked Filet of Codfish, Oyster Ravioli and Thyme Jus

The only course that I could not find fault with. Cod was excellent and the sauce was a heavenly combination.

Wagyu Beef, Truffle Macaroni Gratin, Sweet Potato Pancake and Licorice Juice

I was surprised to find the beef slightly overdone, despite my request for 'medium-rare', but still tasty nonetheless. The accompaniments matched the flavor of the meat well. Decent main course but I expected much more.

Selection of Fresh and Aged Farmhouse Cheeses

A very sad excuse for a 'course', in fact, this was the most disappointing one of them all. With the restaurant putting the cheese board on display for all to see, I wondered why we weren't offered the 'selection of fresh and aged farmhouse cheeses' as mentioned in the menu. Instead, what appeared to be a very simple melted gruyere on some sort of cracker was served. I finished this in 2 bites and swore I could prepare this at home myself.

Grand Dessert

The warm chocolate cake was particularly tasty, and unfortunately, I cannot remember what the other desserts consisted of. And enjoyable course no doubt, but bear in mind that for a restaurant to be screwing up on the dessert, something must seriously be wrong.

General comments:

I was extremely disappointed with the Raffles Grill. Previous experiences at Les Amis, L'aigle D'or, the Lighthouse (now closed) and Saint Pierre had set high standards for French cuisine in Singapore. I was expecting the Raffles Grill to surpass them all - especially since it is the only restaurant to be 'Michelin-star' rated - yet it failed miserably. The food itself, in terms of quality and portions, was far shy of the standards set by Les Amis and Saint Pierre. I found myself eating an excessive number of bread rolls to ensure that my appetite was satisfied. Even my disappointing encounter at L'aigle D'or in 2003, another top French restaurant (supposedly), was not half as bad as this. The ONLY positive thing I can say about the Raffles Grill is the extensive wine list, but even then, it is merely on par with the offerings of the other leading restaurants.

To make matters worse, they had completely forgotten to surprise my parents despite promising me, over the phone, that they'd 'take care of it'. Both my parents were celebrating their birthdays that night, it was a very special occasion, and yet this so-called 'award-winning' restaurant failed to remember a simple request. Service throughout dinner was mediocre at best, and with the restaurant only about 1/3 occupied, imagine how it would have been it were full (although I doubt that's ever possible). Sometimes, we have to take all the awards and accolades with a pinch of salt. In the case of the Raffles Grill, the Michelin-star rating is utter rubbish. To prove my point, I wrote a formal complaint letter to the manager but received no reply whatsoever.

UOB Platinum card holders are supposed to get discounts when dining at the Raffles Grill, but surprise surprise, the ignorant waiters did not know about this offer. I was on the verge of telling them off but luckily, my brother happened to have a Raffles card which entitled us to the same discount. For those of you who don't know, the discount is rather attractive - 50% off for 2 diners, 33% off for 3 diners, 25$ off for 4 and so on. Now, if this restaurant is so fantastic, why they need to offer such a discount is beyond me. You don't see the other top French restaurants resorting to such tactics. In essence, Raffles Grill is an over-priced, over-hyped, and under-staffed establishment that is best avoided.

For the true connoisseurs of French food out there, I strongly suggest you stop believing biased reviews that praise Raffles Grill and have the audacity to call it the best French restaurant in Singapore. The 'Raffles' brand does not always imply excellence, although many seem to believe so. If you really want to sample fine French cuisine, enjoy a formal atmosphere with top-notch service, I recommend Les Amis located in Shaw Centre. It is expensive but a worthwhile experience - unlike the Raffles Grill. Another restaurant I strongly recommend is Saint Pierre, located in Central Mall, which offers an excellent yet affordable dining experience. In fact, I will post a review of Saint Pierre shortly.

L'aigle D'or in Duxton hotel consistently gets rave reviews but I found the food to be above average at best. Still, the service is impeccable and the ambience is pleasant - especially with the restaurant located in a quieter part of town.

Oh did I forget? AVOID the Raffles Grill at all costs (pun intended) or you will be sorely disappointed. You've been warned.

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