Justin Quek - Passion & Inspiration By Justin Quek with Tan Su-lyn
It's a sign of the quality of his cuisine that early in his career, Justin Quek was chef at the French Embassy in Singapore. He went on to open the fine-dining Les Amis, also in Singapore (although he's no longer with the restaurant) and establishments in Shanghai and Taipei. He's the consultant chef to The French Window in IFC Mall and the excellent Whisk, at the Mira, in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Some of the dishes in Passion & Inspiration are pure (although upscale) Chinese or Singaporean - there's rice porridge with sliced ocean so mei fish; lobster laksa; and chicken rice salad. Others are as European as they can get: escargot with herb crust; tartare of langoustines with smoked caviar and vodka cream; and warm salad of pan-fried duck foie gras with sauteed wild mushroom and raisin sauce. There are also dishes in which he uses his European culinary training and adds Asian touches. But it's not a forced fusion cuisine: the melding of the different cultures is natural and appetising. Rather than using Italian bottarga in a pasta dish, Quek substitutes a similar delicacy from Taiwan - dried mullet roe; and he uses Shanghainese hairy crab for yet another pasta dish.