Restaurant JAG's La Balade du Végétal - The Vegetable Journey

Restaurant JAG’s La Balade du Végétal (The Vegetable Journey) is a culinary lesson in the versatility of vegetables from its provenance to the plate it is served on.

- Bryan Goh

Since its inception in 2018, Restaurant JAG has consistently been called a contemporary establishment that reflects Singapore’s quickly developing role as the crossroads of cuisine. It takes the old-world charm of la grande cuisine française — a steadfast insistence on freshness, crisp white tablecloths, and balancing the elegance and edible — and propels it into the future. To entertain is to educate about an ingredient’s provenance (the wait staff are as eloquent as ever) and to feed is simply, to fill one’s stomach in a carefully calibrated manner.

With its spring menu titled La Balade du Végétal (The Vegetable Journey), chef and co-owner Jeremy Gillon has nailed the seasonal menu philosophy that has held sway for over four years. The menu is as simple as it is carefully prepared — start with a plant-based elixir shot, warm one’s appetite with a protein-filled plate, and end with a piece of cheese from a seasonal trolley. As it requires almost no tableside service, distractions are reduced based on how one likes to dine.

I'm always very excited when spring arrives as it's the beginning of a new cycle for the year that brings us a wonderful selection of vegetables. The most popular spring-time harvests are green pea, green asparagus, and other various peas we can find. There is the first growth of greens and flowers such as fiddlehead, fava, ail des ours (wild garlic), wild asparagus, and celtuce as well. Together, these vegetables make this season so special.