The chef-owner of the Michelin-starred French restaurant tells us how greens are at the centre of his omakase menus, with proteins as the second act
With an illustrious history within gastronomy, 40-year-old French chef Jeremy Gillon is highly lauded for his impeccable standards and unwavering dedication to his craft. To Gillon, food is deeply personal. His mother was a consummate cook and she was pivotal in cultivating his love for the culinary arts. One of his earliest childhood memories in Deauville he recalls, was of his mother cooking big Brittany artichokes. There was always an enormous artichoke on his kitchen table and whenever he was bored, he would pluck out the leaves, leaving only the heart.
This natural curiosity towards food led to an apprenticeship at a traditional brasserie when he was 14. Within a year, he fortuitously ascended from apprentice kitchen-hand to a pastry cook. Then came the string of Michelin Stars which led to his meteoric rise to fame. Gillon has since expanded his influence on Singapore’s bustling culinary scene with his four-year-old Restaurant Jag. In that space, Gillon draws techniques from cooking traditions around his country and weaves them artfully into a personal mosaic of narratives.
The heart of the French Alps has always been a key inspiration for the chef and at Restaurant Jag, he transports his diners to the unique region through his encyclopaedic library of meticulously sourced herbs. In places where herbs are largely relegated to garnish, Gillon uses them with gleeful relish to their fullest potential, transforming them into textual masterpieces. And at Restaurant Jag, he is also directly educating restaurant patrons about the intricacies of French cuisine. In time, he hopes to elevate diners’ vocabulary of indigenous French herbs and ingredients. With Restaurant Jag, Gillon aims to change the way people see luxury. While he has made his name in the upper echelons of fine dining, his concept of luxury is devoid of pretension. “Luxury is not about the cost of a product but of the time and effort that has been put into it,” he concludes. As the year draws to a close, the French restaurateur discusses his gastronomical theories, finding inspiration, and what the future holds.
Read more: What inspired chefs Jeremy Gillon and Kenji Yamanaka’s exclusive menu for Off Menu Luxe
Tell us what your favourite herbs from your edible “herb library” are and why they are particularly meaningful to you?
Jeremy Gillon (JG): I don’t really have a favourite herb. If I had to choose one, it would probably be reine de prés for its rich character and complex flavour and aroma.
Restaurant Jag is a vegetable-centric establishment, where vegetables take the centre stage. How would you inspire diners who dislike their greens to come and try the food at your restaurant?
JG: We want to showcase the beauty of mother earth for every French season. I try to express these products in our menu, focusing on one to two vegetables per dish. We explore the characteristics and see how to bring out the best flavour of each vegetable. The selected vegetable will lead the curation of flavours for the dish, wild-foraged herbs from the alps of Savoie will support and accentuate the flavours, while the protein will complete the dish. For diners who are not keen on vegetables, we’ll offer the same menu and adjust the dishes with proteins that complement the vegetables. We want our guests to trust us and try to rediscover the flavours of vegetables.
In case you missed it: What went down at Tatler Dining Singapore’s Off Menu Luxe, organised in partnership with UOB Private Bank
