薄霧森林 Into the Woods of André

ㄧ位廚師想要以料理所訴說的故事, 遠在食客入座餐桌前便已開始… 記憶裏最深刻的兩家餐廳, 位於山巔水湄的El Bulli, 從蒐尋, 訂位, 啟程, 赴宴, 漫漫朝聖之旅本身就是則傳奇, 更不用說品嚐Ferran Adria瘋狂偏執帶點童心的手法. 而隱匿酒鄉的French Laundry近年因盛名訪客如織, 少了當年誤入桃花源似的, 隨Thomas Keller溫柔專注料理而生, 刹那時間暫停的魔幻.

Cuisine is the storytelling art close to heart. The creation involves and invites all senses. Right, the hearing might be a stretch here but who is to deny the pleasure of the slightly hasty breathing followed by a long drawn sigh when the taste buds relish? Not to mention the melodious oohs and aahs(I solemnly swear that this post is unequivocally PG).
Among the culinary maestros whom I have the fortune to taste from and dwell in, El Bulli of Ferran Adria and French Laundry of Thomas Keller surge in my deep well of savoy memories for both express beyond a physical feast, their banquet for the minds the chef's philosophy manifested indeed.


真沒想到… 於新加坡的七月艷夏, 穿越華洋雜處的歐南園曲折窄巷, 豁然眼前連排懷舊店屋, 夾著獨棟雪白三層樓洋房, 繞過門前單株橄欖, 踏進了ㄧ座薄霧瀰漫的森林, 森林的主人是新世代法國料理名廚André Chiang 江政誠先生. 於正廳用午餐, 炎炎的熱帶陽光透過亞麻布簾暖暖的映照窗櫺的雪白蘭花, 整面牆的樺木樹林, 幾隻鋁銀的小黑羊錯落其中替女士們挽手袋, ㄧ派沁涼寧靜, 來客自自然然平心玩賞盤中風景, 器皿別緻, 不規則邊緣純色質樸的白瓷, 也像流動的詩句.

A younger talent sharing the same passion has settled in Singapore! Our Friday dejeuner at André began with a lost taxi ride meandering up and down the narrow streets of the ethnic neighborhood. At last, the little white mansion sandwiched between Peranakan shophouses came into view to the hungry overgrown Hansel and Gretel. With better luck than the Grimm characters, we were greeted by a beautiful hostess and lead to the entrancing forest of Chef André. A sophisticated palette of neutrals, the wall of black and white birch peppered with polished aluminum black sheep, and organic raw porcelain tablescape transformed the 2nd floor dining room into a sensual retreat.


兩盞波浪蘑菇燈罩原是洋蔥脆餅, 有趣是我總覺得洋蔥是很甜的蔬菜, 這脆洋蔥飛碟卻像載滿洋蔥香氣幻化的鹽花, ㄧ口撞上舌尖.

The noguchi lamp x flying saucer amuse bouche … these were onion crisps retaining the vegetable's distinct aroma without its fibrous texture.


番茄沙拉的意境很直接, 微辛的蘿蔔嬰, 甜而多汁的白桃, 夏日風情融若香氣襲人的羅勒冰沙. 番茄上披綴絲緞般柔嫩微燻鮭魚片, 襯細段膠韌海藻絲… 口感雖獨特, 這道冷蔬少此兩味不見得失色, 添了倍增奇異的華麗感, 或許蔭綠的果園旁是鮭羣迴溯的清澈溪流?

The utterly summer triad of tomato, basil, and nectarine… it seemed that the jumping salmon and seaweed from a nearby crystalline creek had joined the procession in jubilee.


海鮮清湯性感優雅, 不知為什麼讓我想起進門時迎客的那位… 深色皮膚的她梳烏亮的長馬尾, 杏眼沈沈五官深邃如雕像, 直覺南洋美女是大廚的夫人? 湯底是南國特產的小個頭綠檸檬, 我猜是用葉子的部份熬取, 香酸均衡, 有點泰式經典冬蔭的味道. 擺盤則見法式細緻, 烘托淺炙過的海扇貝, 白魚, 魷捲… 纖秀質感視覺. 幾瓣平淡的青蔥袖珍麵餃令我不解, 索性ㄧ池春水吹皺到底, 當是大廚寫給夫人的數頁神秘情書 :)

Sexy yet elegant duet of the kaffir lime consomme and seafood carpaccio sent my mind rippling back to the belle we met at the entrance. Could she be his muse? The soup enthused hints of the Thai tom yum while its composition impeccably French. Baby raviolis was rendered pale like a hidden ode to The One, not for everyone.


黑松露鵝肝慕絲乃André招牌菜, 像是嚐著熱騰騰的蛋奶酪, 悠然夏日已過, 要踏入秋天了.

André signature dish: foie gras mousse infused with perigord black truffle and fleur de sel. What else could be said… ooh!


結尾之作簡單豐美前後呼應, 香稠的燴野菇, 穠纖合度的慢焗牛肋排, 填了糖餡似的燒馬鈴薯抹洋蔥泥… 此刻遠離森林, 卻是獵人回到小木屋, 靜坐壁爐前邊喝酒邊對著熊熊火光出神.

As the feast coming to an end, fragrant wild mushrooms, tenderly slow roasted beef, and mellifluous potato fondant coaxed us into the heart of autumn where the proud hunter returned to his log cabin for a shot of brandy in front of the crackling fire.


那洋蔥泥馬鈴薯燒幾可當甜點, 所以正式的甜點上來是黑巧克力塔配燉奶冰淇淋有幾分啜苦回甘的味道, 也像是SPA療程結束時那由兩只小銅鈸敲出的聲響, 示意該回到現實世界.

The "tart au chocolate" had a sleek, urban undertone with a provincial twist of the milk marmalade - kind of like a bridge connecting the two worlds: the one inside our heads and the one outside the windows.


離開時, André大廚正在門口送兩位熟客, 轉頭向我們微笑道謝. 細覽他耀眼的履歷, 不可否認命運大神的眷顧, 更多的是他個人的努力和毅力, 不驕矜成功, 也不將失敗的傷痕掛在臉上, 只是默默的把挫折轉化成長的養分, 懷才不遇的感嘆留給心智不堅的人吧! 江振誠先生是不折不扣的臺灣之子, 因緣際會立足新加坡放眼國際舞臺, 如登上時代雜誌人物榜, 善行十年如ㄧ日的陳樹菊女士與證嚴法師, 才華洋溢的李安導演… 官方媒體總是迫不及待稱為臺灣之光. 想想自己少年時期的教育體系, 不讀書的孩子(不愛唸書或受限環境, 無法接受正規教育的孩子)往往承載種種壓力和岐見, 就算是會讀書的孩子選項仍不廣闊, 來去是醫生, 律師, 工程師… 等符合父母師長期盼的金飯碗鐵飯碗. 我們的社會生態是助養多元人才的搖籃還是黑暗更能激發有志者'自燈明, 法燈明'的使命感? 是臺灣之光? 還是臺灣沾了這些不屈不撓世界公民的光?


意猶未盡回望, 藍天, 白色洋樓, 橄欖樹, 門後靜謐的森林… 如定格的明信片, ㄧ張張飛入記憶深處的收藏匣.

While Chef André's résumé is cascaded with illustrious names like Jacques&Laurent Pourcel, Pierre Gagnaire... reading between the lines one will find solid determination and relentless hardwork(the Taiwanese born Chiang did not know a word of French when he interned with the Pourcel twins in his early twenties and the rest, history!) Talent inspires, compassion inspires, a scientific breakthrough inspires… André's life comes to life in his cuisine and it is inspiring.