LÈ Restaurant – An Asian Tapas and Chinese Fine Dining Concept by Paradise Group (CLOSED)

Setting their sight on raising the bar for contemporary Chinese dining, the well-established Paradise Group of restaurants unveils LÈ Restaurant and Bar, a new tapas bar and fine dining concept that makes its grand debut at the revamped Suntec City.

Many of us have the perception that Chinese cuisine is conventional and dated. At LÈ Restaurant and Bar, they hope to redefine modern Chinese fine dining as an exciting and voguish affair, evocative of a night out at a swank New York or London venue. This is the first Paradise Group brand to incorporate a bar lounge which also offers extensive cocktail and wine pairings.

I started the night with a glass of LÈ Special ($22); the local dessert of Ice Kacang is spiked with curaçao, crème de menthe, pomegranate syrup and spiced rum, sweetened with gula melaka. The is good for people with a sweet tooth but not for me.

The carefully-curated list of tapas offers light bites with an intriguing Asian spin. I love love love thier Braised Cherry Foie Gras with Red Wine ($26) which is a whimsical visual treat of foie gras terrine poached in red wine and cherry jus artfully plated to resemble luscious cherry globules.

Mantou Burger with Braised USDA Prime Beef ($16) The traditional braised pork belly with steamed buns snack is given a quirky makeover with Mantou Burger with Braised USDA Prime Beef ($16). Tender braised Angus beef wrapped in pillow-soft mantou burger buns – very precious for every bite!

From the lounge, an intimately-lit passage crafted of lava stone leads into the grand dining area which is characterised by warm hues, wood elements and plush purple accents. A magnificent centrepiece – a 1.2metre-tall Buddha statue sculpted from glass resin by an emerging Hong Kong artist and custom made exclusively for LÈ – overlooks the Paradise Group’s trademark show kitchen which has been furnished entirely in stainless steel.

LÈ’s extensive seafood menu includes novel creations like Alaskan Crab ($10, min. 2 orders); a zesty mix of crab meat, tangy grapefruit cubes and cherry tomatoes in a sesame dressing.

Given Paradise Group’s excellent reputation for its apple wood-roasted Peking duck, the Dirty Duck ($38 for a half duck, $68 for a whole duck) is LÈ’s rendition with duck that has been stewed in a special blend of Italian spices for 6 hours and flash-fried till crispy. Unfortunately I cannot really taste the Italian spices and it tastes just like a roast duck. Shredded tableside by the service staff, the duck is wrapped with cucumber, Hoisin sauce and basil in homemade scallion crêpes. The scallion crepes were lovely and it was a joy to bite into it.

Coral Trout Poached in Lobster Broth ($16 per 100g, $28 for the broth) is served with a whole filleted coral trout lightly poached tableside. This is highly recommended! Fresh fish and the broth is super rich and aromatic. The fish melts in my mouth.

Other highly-recommended dishes are Pan-Seared Grade 9 Australian Wagyu ($160 for 200g / $240 for 300g) with truffle oil and lemon zest sea salt. The beef has a great texture and be sure to pair it with some lemon zest sea salt which helps to give a refreshing taste.

Stir-Fried Angel Hair with Japanese Dried Ebi ($28 / $42) is our last main course. The noodles are stir fried in lobster broth and paired with some truffle oil to give it the aroma.

Dessert is a sampling platter of mango sago, avocado cream, yakult and sesame pudding ($13).

Dining at LÈ Restaurant is a grand affair, good ambience and good food. Besides the ala carte dishes, the restaurant offers weekly-changing degustation menus which are meticulously designed to offer a multi-faceted culinary journey. I am happy to know that the restaurant also offers daily dim sum lunch which encompasses classic and contemporary picks ranging from time-honoured dishes.

LÈ Restaurant
Address: #02-314, Suntec City Mall, 3 Temasek Boulevard
Tel: 6338 8775