Chef André Chiang is Taiwanese, but lives and works in Singapore. He has worked under various French masters, such as Joël Robuchon, Michel Troisgros and Jacques and Laurent Pourcel. After 14 years in France, he returned to Singapore where he was Executive Chef of restaurant Jaan par André, at the Swissotel.

André opened his own restaurant named Andre in October 2010 and it has his personality, and selection of fresh produce he uses every day. His philosophy is Octa-philosophy, drawing on eight elements; purity, salt, creation, freshness, texture, unique quality, memory of the past and terroir. The focus is Southern French nouvelle cuisine with a vibrant Mediterranean feel and taste.

The restaurant’s cellar features small-production boutique wineries in France and we were fortunate enough to drink well last night.

His restaurant is worth a visit and his wife helps add the charm to the restaurant. I really like the chef, he is a wonderful person and very talented – don’t miss it!