Chef Andre Chiang brings the history of Raffles Hotel Singapore to life at 1887 by Andre with stories and silverware

If Raffles Hotel Singapore’s historic silver dinnerware could speak, they might be screaming with joy for being polished, showcased and used at the hotel’s new flagship restaurant, 1887 by Andre, which opens today (March 31).

Upon entering the 42-seat restaurant, which is helmed by Taiwan-born celebrity chef Andre Chiang, diners are greeted by a glass case. It is immaculately decked out in gleaming silverware, from chafing dishes, tea sets, ice buckets to trays.

They can also dine with original silver utensils, which are produced by British tableware manufacturer Gainsborough and embossed with early logos of Raffles Hotel. In true Victorian-era dining tradition, a restored silver beef wagon, which was buried in the hotel’s grounds to safeguard it from looting during World War II, is rolled out to carve meats tableside.

The opening of 1887 by Andre, one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in Singapore this year, occupies the space vacated by contemporary French restaurant La Dame de Pic in Raffles Hotel. It also marks Chiang’s fine dining comeback in Singapore eight years after the closure of the two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Andre.

The grand dame of Singapore, which was founded in 1887, is putting its storied heritage front and centre in 1887 by Andre, which is fashioned after a colonial greenhouse. Panels of lush tropical greenery on the ceiling and walls, towering silver-foiled faux palm trees, and arresting chandeliers inspired by the electric light bulbs of the 19th century add to the grandeur of the dining space that once housed Raffles Grill and Elizabethan Grill.

What’s on the menu at 1887 by Andre?

With chef-patron Andre Chiang at the helm, 1887 by Andre is a French-rooted restaurant that tries to pleases two camps — local and overseas fans of Raffles Hotel, who revere its heritage hotel status and followers of Chiang, who have been waiting for signature dishes from his Raw and Restaurant Andre days.

The menu serves a bit of everything — modern riffs on Raffles Hotel’s historic dishes imbued with Chiang’s French sensibilities; elevated, creative versions of local dishes that tourists would want to tick off their to-eat lists (laksa paella, chicken rice and lobster ‘heh mee’ served Al Ajillo-style) and new modern French dishes with Asian touches.

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The menu is mainly a la carte (from $50 to $128 for sharing dishes for two), giving diners the flexibility of ordering what they want. There are also four or five-course set menus (from $198) that they can build from the a la carte options.

What are the historic dishes of Raffles Hotel?

Chiang spent about a year developing the 1887 by Andre menu, after studying the hotel’s menus that date back to the 1930s and speaking to the hotel’s resident historian, Mr Leslie Danker.

One time-honoured dish is the Boeuf Aux Sept Poivres 1887 ($238 for two). The dish has hunks of roast wagyu shortrib, perfumed by rosemary, served in a Raffles beef silver wagon, that proudly rolled out tableside.

The perfectly cooked beef chunks are drenched in a spectacular seven-pepper sauce dotted with orbs of kampot and Sarawak pepper. The aromatic sauce, tantalisingly spiced with hints of acidity, floral and citrus notes, is the show-stopping highlight of this dish. 

Chiang’s modern French sensibilities are evident in the immaculately plated sides that accompany the beef: elegant coils of pickled pink guava and asparagus and cous cous and garden salads deliver acidity and freshness to cut through the heaviness of the beef.

Another dish, the “Turtle Soup” from 1887 ($38), was inspired by a soup served at a coronation dinner in honour of Queen Elizabeth I. Turtle soup was regarded as a luxury dish in European-influenced fine dining. No turtles were harmed in re-imagining this dish from a century-old recipe — Chiang has recreated the collagen-rich soup by double-boiling chicken, grouper and sea cucumber. Like turtle soup, this herbal soup leaves a lip-smacking layer of gelatin after sipping on it.

A taste of chef Andre Chiang’s career-making dishes

Chiang knows that diners are hankering for a taste of signature dishes from his former restaurants and he delivers some of them at 1887 by Andre. Five of them are on the menu.

The Black Truffle Pain Perdu ($22), served at Raw in Taipei, is a towering sight to behold. A fluffy cloud of earthy shaved mushrooms and truffles resides on a crispy block of French toast, with egg custard piped into it. The Royale of Foie Gras - Memory ($38), a stalwart dish at Restaurant Andre, is a luscious combination of truffle-topped foie gras custard. Pair the dish with the “Flaky Toast” Feuillete, which is baked in-house and boasts 32 layers, symbolising the age that Chiang started Restaurant Andre in 2010.

Not all dishes are from the past. New creations include The Green Curry King Crab ($38), a nod to his Thai wife’s roots, has tangy and mildly spicy green curry sorbet and king crab raita on a bed of sourdough tapenade.  

Appetisers from the Grand Platrau de 1887 ($98) sharing plate, served on a silver bread stand, carry Singaporean and Taiwanese influences. The hors d’oeuvres are hae bee hiam roll with sweet and spicy dried shrimp sambal, a very tasty ox tongue pissaladiere loaded with onion marmalade — a take on the popular oval-shaped biscuits from Taiwan.

The “Bone & Flesh”, cured wagyu draped over puffed beef tendon, is incredibly crunchy, with the cured meat melting into the shards of tendon. A pretty platter of pickled daikon, melon and olives provide the right amount of acidity to balance this opening course.

Who’s in the 1887 by Andre team?

Chiang, who splits his time between Singapore and Taiwan, has brought about 80 percent of his kitchen team from Raw in Taipei to run the kitchen at 1887 by Andre. Chef de Cuisine Ben Wang and Sous Chef Roy Kuo, both risen the ranks at Raw and have been working with Chiang for close to 10 years, are tasked to lead the day-to-day operations at 1887 by Andre. Besides launching 1887 by Andre, Chiang, who also runs Bon Broth restaurant at Raffles City, plans to open a culinary academy in Taipei by the end of this year.