Cover 2023 Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow Mohamed Al-Matin opened the doors to his first dine-in pastry shop in February 2023 at Ion Orchard (Photo: Le Matin Patisserie)
2023 Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow Mohamed Al-Matin opened the doors to his first dine-in pastry shop in February 2023 at Ion Orchard (Photo: Le Matin Patisserie)
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The dessert-focused concept will draw on the Le Matin founder and executive chef’s fine dining experience
On February 23, Le Matin Patisserie announced on Instagram that it would shut the doors of its Ion Orchard shop on the 29th. This was met with mixed emotions, with one follower commenting, “Too fast!! Where am I gonna get my croissants now?!” Others shared their best wishes to founder and executive chef Mohamed Al-Matin and his team.
On the decision to close the outlet, Al-Matin says, “There were several factors to consider, including rental and labour, and ultimately, my then-partners and I decided to close. There were a lot of emotions, but it was more for me to look forward to the exciting future. I looked at it as more of a break to rest and reset, after the crazy few years after Covid.”
Read more: Le Matin Patisserie to close its doors for good at Ion Orchard this month
Although Le Matin Patisserie no longer exists as a physical pastry shop, the brand lives on.
Al-Matin and his team have participated in four-hand collaborations and events. On November 15, it will start its residency at Air CCCC at Dempsey. There, it will launch a new breakfast spread that includes fresh pastries such as its signature Kouign Amann and Pain No Chocolat, as well as coffee and tea, every Friday to Sunday.
A few days before that, on November 6, Al-Matin will also launch another new brand concept called Après. Its first manifestation is a dessert-focused tasting menu that draws on the former Noma pastry sous chef’s fine dining training. “Everyone knows Le Matin for pastries, but a larger part of my career was in fine dining and I believe that Singapore has room to grow in the dessert scene, apart from your Bingsus or waffles,” says the 2023 Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow. He adds that the menu is “experiential”, featuring both sweet and savoury desserts.
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Derived from the French word for “after,” Après is “the calm that follows, the sweet ending that brings fulfilment and the elegant moment where flavours linger long after the last bite,” Al-Matin says.
The Après menu will be open for public tasting on November 7 and 8 during an event with Los Angeles-based ceramics brand OWIU (Only Way Is Up) Goods. Reservations are now open on SevenRooms.
Al-Matin first met OWIU Goods co-founder Amanda Gunawan in 2018, when she dined at Noma. The pair instantly connected, says Al-Matin, over their shared Singaporean roots as Gunawan was raised in the city.
“The synergy between our visions became clear: a collaboration where both the plate and the menu serve as vehicles for storytelling,” says Al-Matin. “This unique dining experience merges the natural relationship between food and place, memory and nature, transporting diners through the power of a thoughtfully curated meal and a dash of Singaporean spice for good measure.”
The Après launch will be held at the former space of Goho, above Rappu along Duxton Road. If the launch goes well, Al-Matin says there may be more iterations of Après. “Hopefully it catches on and becomes more consistent, definitely with changes every season, flavours, locations and the experience. Who knows?”
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Chong Seow Wei is a regional senior editor covering business, innovation, impact and people. Based in Singapore, she oversees content for Gen.T, Tatler’s platform for promising entrepreneurs and new-generation leaders, and its Power & Purpose vertical.
