Dutch chef Sergio Herman opens Le Pristine in Singapore

If the zing of kaffir lime in the mussel antipasti, or the chilli king crab on the pizzette, or the soursop in the gambero rosso seem somewhat familiar, that would be Dutch chef Sergio Herman putting a little bit of Singapore into his food.

- Tan Hsueh Yun

The chef-patron of Le Pristine, which opened at the revamped Grand Hyatt in Scotts Road on Oct 8, first came to Singapore 18 years ago for a week-long, four-hands collaboration at a Sentosa hotel.

He says: "Singapore is my first love in Asia. It was my first time in Asia, something really new to me. That first night, at 11pm, eating stingray at Newton hawker centre, I thought, what is this, where am I? It was amazing to feel that vibe.

"When I come to Singapore, I want to eat in hawker centres; to explore, see and feel. I love the quality of the hawker centres. That's the real Singapore."

The 120-seat restaurant, which takes the space that Mezza9 used to occupy, is the third Le Pristine restaurant.

The original opened in 2020 in Antwerp, where the 54-year-old chef is based. It has one Michelin star. In December 2023, he opened Le Pristine in Tokyo, at Hotel Toranomon Hills, a Hyatt brand.

Chef Herman is known for transforming his parents' seafood restaurant, Oud Sluis in Sluis in The Netherlands, into a three-Michelin-starred establishment. He kept those stars from 2006 until 2013, when he decided to close the restaurant.

He went on to open others, including The Jane Antwerp, with fellow Dutch chef and Oud Sluis alumnus Nick Bril. Housed in a former military chapel, it has two Michelin stars. Chef Bril took over the restaurant in 2017.

Chef Herman focused on growing the brands in his Sergio Herman Group - Le Pristine; Le Pristine Cafe; Frites Atelier, a fast casual fries chain; and PrivePrivee, his 24-seat private kitchen in Antwerp, where he cooks.

Restaurateurs go to great lengths to transport diners away from the humdrum. To enter Le Pristine Singapore is to be immersed in Herman world.