Chef Andre Chiang returns to Singapore for pop-up event

IT’S been some six years since chef Andre Chiang closed his namesake restaurant in Singapore and headed back to Taiwan, where he now helms the highly successful two-Michelin-starred Raw restaurant in Taipei.

But any thoughts that he might return to Singapore for a new, permanent project should be put to rest. In the meantime, fans can catch him at Raffles Hotel Singapore from Mar 13 to 24 (except Mar 18), where he will be taking up residency at La Dame de Pic with his team from Raw. 

“This residency is (a cumulation of) many things that came together at the right time,” says the chef on a whirlwind stopover in Singapore. “Our whole team will be here, both front and back of house. We are ‘moving’ Raw here and this is the first time we are doing this.” Chiang adds that Raw turns 10 this year, and a celebration of sorts is in order.

“There are many guests who have been to either Raw in Taipei or Restaurant Andre in Singapore, but have not had the chance to dine at both restaurants. I have heard from many guests who tell me they miss Restaurant Andre or guests at Raw who missed the chance to dine at Restaurant Andre. Now, I get to turn back the clock and guests can experience both.”

Chiang, who says he misses Singapore, notes that when Raffles Hotel wanted a name for the residency, “Andre’s Homecoming” was his reply. “I don’t know what else would be better than that.” 

The menu will feature a “good selection of signature dishes” from Raw and from Restaurant Andre, probably in equal parts. One dish he’s including is Poussin en Vessie (unfashionably translated as “baby chicken in pig’s bladder”).

He describes it as “one of the most groundbreaking, timeless dishes in France” that requires patience, as “it has to be constantly bathed with hot water for three to four hours, non-stop”, and “only a handful of chefs still do this”. For him, the dish pays homage to his French background, and is a commitment of his determination to “pass on my passion to the new generation in Asia”.

Asked if he has any plans to expand or open new restaurants, his reply is: “I do get asked that a lot. But, no, no plans for now.”

Since closing Restaurant Andre in 2018, Taiwan-born Chiang spends the bulk of his time at Raw in Taipei, but also devotes time to teach in universities in Taipei, Taichung and Tainan, and work on his books (to date, he has three books to his name, and a Raw book is in the pipeline).

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“As you get older, you start to realise what you really like, and what you want to do. You want to make sure that all your time is well spent. Do the things that serve a purpose, and make you happy,” says Chiang, who turns 48 this year. 

“I want to share my knowledge and experience with the younger generation. That is important. When I create dishes at Raw, it is not for my sake or my dining pleasure. I will always think about what I have yet to teach them – be it technique or how to work with certain ingredients.” 

It’s also important for him to “keep working in the kitchen”, says Chiang, “Through cooking, you can do so many other things. As a curator, you can condense everything that you see and hear into a show of 2 1/2 hours. It’s wonderful. At Raw, we have no boundaries or restrictions. It is a restaurant that is breathing and evolving. We change the menu six times a year. It is a total change each time, and nothing stays. It has been so since we opened in 2014.”  

And people love it, he adds. “I think that’s why we got so much support for the past 10 years. Diners never feel like, ‘oh yeah, I’ve been to Raw twice. I don’t have to go again.’”

The constant renewal and rejuvenation must be some secret sauce, as the vibrant restaurant is as popular as ever. These days, Raw is open for bookings only four days a year. On each day, reservations are open for the next 90 days, and seats are usually snapped up, after which, diners have to wait for the next season to open. 

Or, you can mark Feb 6 down on your calendars, when bookings open for “Andre’s Homecoming”.