Bond With Bollinger, St Pierre (Singapore)

I was invited to this 7 course dinner at St Pierre's to commemorate the launch of the new Bond movie. I was looking forward it; here it was, a French restaurant tackling dishes and different champagne associated with past and present Bond movies.

My first vodka martini greeted me 10 minutes after I arrived and that was all that came my way during the reception. According to the invite and the brochure, I was supposed to 4 appetizers before dinner (low temperature poaches quail egg with oscertra cavier, mini conch chowder with dashi stock, little neck clams with chardonnay and miso with french chicken croquette maryland and organic green asparagus with yuzu scented hollandaise sauce with scottish lamb sutlet crusted with nori viennoise) but they never came my way during the course of my 2 vodka martinis. I saw waiters carrying trays of said appetizers but they reached every table except mine.

The main dinner consisted of 6 courses and they were mediocre at best. The tastiest dish being the Beef Tournedoes With Bearnaise Sauce & Pommes Souffles; it was cooked well and it was the dish I enjoyed the most. The rest were interesting yet forgettable and the service didn't make up for the rest.

5 different Bollinger (the brand Bond prefers in the movies) champagne were served as compliment to the main courses. My champagne glass was topped up constantly but when it came to my dinner guest; he was ignored; 3 times. It got to the point where he felt both ignored and invisible. A talk with the hostess improved that and both our champagne glasses were equally filled after. But in an establishment such as this, I would not think that there would be a need to even bring this up to the hostess.

The plain grilled veal kidney dish; I dare say, was the least of a hit. I overhead the next table complaining how raw the kidney was and I got the feeling that it really was a mere prop to sync with the whole past and present Bond theme.

My dinner guest expressed his allergy to dairy and nuts before dinner started but when it came time for dessert, the regular vanilla custard with wild raspberry and cream was served and I just felt that there was no need to put something on someone's plate when you knew firsthand that they were allergic to the content.

All in all, this event was a disappointment. My guest felt ignored, the food didn't hit the right notes and it was all in all an underwhelming, disappointing experience. 

St Pierre, Singapore.