Cover Daniel Boulud
Daniel Boulud
1 / 1
The two-storey space is the French chef’s home away from home, where he serves unpretentious yet refined dishes inspired by his roots and global travels
“Welcome to my home,” beams French chef Daniel Boulud, as we step inside his newly opened restaurant, Maison Boulud, at Marina Bay Sands. As he gives us a brief tour of the two-storey space overlooking the waterfront promenade, it is easy to get a sense of being transported to the French Riviera. Designed by famed designer Joyce Wang, it is indeed cosy and inviting with warm wood tones, sleek lines and ambient lighting enveloping the space that is also decked out with lush greenery and furnished with comfortable seats in the main dining room on the basement floor, bar area and al fresco dining on the first level.
Like Maison Boulud’s flagship restaurant in Montreal, Canada, the restaurant serves soulful French cuisine grounded in the rhythm of the seasons. Boulud shares: “It is my home away from home where [my] guests can savour delicious and unpretentious cuisine” that takes cues from his global travels and influences. Don’t expect the same menu as the Montreal outlet though, as Boulud and executive chef Rémy Carmignani created brand-new dishes that are noticeably lighter and more refined than what Boulud offered at Db Bistro & Bar, his first dining concept at Marina Bay Sands which shuttered its doors in January 2024.
In case you missed it: 5 Minutes With… Mandy Pan, Db Bistro & Bar’s Executive Pastry Chef
Above Lobster pastilla
Above Seafood salad with lobster
Lobster pastilla
1 / 2
Boulud muses that he enjoys the simple pleasures of life, and his appetisers of seafood salad, and hamachi reflect that. Fresh and light, the refreshing salad is a medley of crisp haricots verts, juicy tomatoes and seafood that is lifted by a mixture of basil pesto and anchovy-garlic dressing, while the vibrant red hamachi cured in gin and beetroot is showered with a raspberry vinegar dressing for an acerbic finish. Also part of the current menu is the seafood platter, a former signature at Db Bistro & Bar, which comprises the freshest treasures of the sea.
The main courses show Boulud’s mastery of French cooking techniques. After all, the 68-year-old Lyon native, who trained under some of the best chefs in France, has built a restaurant empire of his own with award-winning concepts such as two-Michelin-starred Daniel in New York, Boulud Sud in Miami and Brasserie Boulud in Dubai.
Don’t miss: What’s next for Tristin Farmer after helming Zén for 5 years?
Above The dining room at Maison Boulud
The dining room at Maison Boulud
1 / 1
For mains, we dig into the likes of free-range rotisserie chicken that recalls weekend family meals in the countryside. Boulud elevates this with a blend of curry spices, then plates it beautifully with sweet carrot confit and vadouvan jus. Meanwhile, the agnolotti is the definition of rustic yet refined cooking with al dente pasta stuffed with sweet butternut squash and drenched in a creamy and hearty sauce of sage, parmesan, aged balsamico and amaretti.
Mandy Pan, the former pastry chef of Db Bistro, has also returned to Maison Boulud to helm the pastry kitchen. And, to much of our enjoyment, she has brought back her signature mini madeleines which are served warm and with a light dusting of confectioners sugar. These are only the icing on top of an inspired dessert menu, which also includes original creations such as Pamplemousse, an invigorating grapefruit sorbet dotted with caramelised puffed rice, and Glenfiddich grand cru dark chocolate cremeux with a punchy coffee ice cream.
After the meal, we come to the conclusion that Maison Boulud is the French Riviera-inspired restaurant that we never thought we needed—and one that we would return to with friends and family over and over again. Striking interiors, good food and great company; what more can we ask for?
Credits
Images: Marina Bay Sands
Dudi Aureus is the senior dining and travel editor at Tatler Singapore, covering the city’s most exciting restaurants, global travel trends, and the personalities shaping the culinary and lifestyle scenes. She also serves as co-jury chair for the Tatler Best awards in Singapore, celebrating the very best in hospitality. When she’s off duty, she can often be found at a favourite hole-in-the-wall Thai spot, savouring a perfectly balanced pad thai.
