Chef Armin Leitgeb joins the many haute cuisine chefs that are now venturing into the world of casual cuisine.
It's always exciting to see something done that is out of the norm. Locally, we are seeing more fine dining chefs creating options for foodies who don't necessarily want to pay top dime every time they dine. This refreshing, unstuffy attitude has been adopted by culinary masters like Jason Atherton and Bruno Menard. Now, Armin Leitgeb is following suit at Amuse.
Slightly over two months ago, Chef Leitgeb, the former head chef of Les Amis, teamed up with the Esmirada Group to create Amuse. The restaurant took over the space of the now defunct Bodega Y Tapas. Amuse carries a lot of the same charm that Bodega Y Tapas had - an energetic eatery with an open kitchen that serves sharing plates, cocktails and wines. The difference is that Chef Leitgeb's creations are not just simple, down-to-earth tapas. You can notice his artistic hand and attention to detail as he brings many of his haute cuisine techniques to the food at Amuse.
The beef tartare cone is a great way to start off your evening. The beef tartare is given texture with a crisp filo pastry and is lifted with a subtle horseradish mousse. The grilled Spanish octopus is a terrific interpretation of the traditional Spanish tapas of pulpo. Chef Leitgeb updates the dish with sweet heirloom tomatoes from France, tapioca flour and nutty pumpkin oil.
There are heaps more of terrific dishes that will keep you coming back, plus the unbeatable buy-one-get-one happy hour will further incentivize you to visit.
442 Orchard Road, #01-29 Orchard Hotel. Tel: 6735 3476
