Whitegrass Restaurant - Michelin Star Restaurant Review

Location: Chijmes
Price: £££
Value for Money: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Perfect for: Michelin Star, Special Occasions, Fine Dining

Although I’ve eaten at a fair few Michelin Star restaurants, I was yet to try a Michelin Star Japanese restaurant. As a result I was excited to sample the delights of Whitegrass restaurant, which under the helm of Head Chef Takuya Yamashita, showcases classic French fare with a contemporary Japanese twist. I’m pleased to say I wasn’t disappointed.

The Restaurant:

Like Braci in Boat Quay, Whitegrass is a Michelin star restaurant that prides itself on being accessible to the masses. Not self indulgent or pretentious, but laid back and relaxed. In fact, the friendly manager, Vincent, informed us that his and the restaurant's motto is 'fun-dining,' a space where diners can experience excellent food and impeccable service without the stuffy shirtedness that such restaurants are associated with. The service was indeed excellent and water was topped up ninja style, in and out before you knew it, but at no point did it feel overbearing.

The restaurant itself is spacious and inviting. There is a circular dining room adorned with a beautiful floral centrepiece and chandelier, as well as a more relaxed room for larger groups.

The Chef:

Head Chef Takuya Yamashita brings creativity and innovation to Whitegrass. His passion for French fare with a Japanese touch has won the restaurant a Michelin Star for 2 years running.

Chef Takuya builds the menus around showcasing nature, sustainability, and the journey of fresh ingredients. He does this by creating modest but beautiful dishes that reflect both Japanese and French culinary tradition.
He also greets guests during the meal and I was impressed to see Chef’s respectful and humble nature as he spoke to us about his food and skills.

The Menu:

We tried the Gastronomic menu for dinner on a Saturday evening, which includes approximately 9 curated dishes.

The menu moves expertly between hot and cold dishes and is paired back in the presentation and number of ingredients used. There is nowhere to hide in this menu and and each of the elements on the plate deliver.

Our menu commenced with a scintillating amuse bouche made up of four bite-sized pieces of joy. My favourites were the Amera Tomato, which was similar to a gazpacho and served with a slice of black truffle on top. I also enjoyed the grilled octopus with kampot pepper which had a delicately smoked flavour to it.

We were then presented with a delightfully crispy focaccia bread, the likes of which I had never seen before. Instead of a stodgy and thick bread, this focaccia was light, flaky and had the most enjoyable crunch to it. The salted and smoked butter added an even more enticing layer to it.

We were already impressed with what we had tried so far even though he had only tried a few small bites.

Our next course was pan-fried Jerusalem artichoke filled with cream cheese. The artichoke had a satisfying bite to it, a texture which paired well with the soft cream cheese. We then moved onto the Carabinero, a dish with few ingredients, simple presentation but an explosion of flavour. The Spanish prawns was expertly cooked and they were delicate and soft rather than tough and chewy. It almost melted in the mouth whilst releasing flavours of the Mediterranean.

Next was yellowtail sashimi with daikon radish, another expertly crafted dish in which all the delicate flavours married well together without overpowering each other.

We were enamoured by the next dish, composed of quail, fois gras and daikon. The aroma evoked childhood memories of a delicious chicken pie and gravy and the flavours were very similar too.

Next was abalone and it was my first time trying it. Served with abalone liver sauce, a Japanese speciality, the abalone itself was delicious with an almost chewy creaminess to it.

This was followed by poisson served with pomme puree and a sun-dried tomato sauce, mushroom and fish stock. The fish had the most incredibly crispy skin due to being cooked at a high heat and this added the perfect crunchy texture to the dish.

We were finally onto our main courses, and I opted for the venison with chestnut puree and my husband tried the wagyu with king shitake mushroom. The wagyu is A4 graded, the highest grade of wagyu, and was served simply and cooked by an expert hand, as it quite literally melted in the mouth. Both dishes were exquisite and we enjoyed the contrast of red meat following a menu which had so far showcased mostly fish and white meat.

After a much needed palate cleanser we moved onto the last dish of the night, a gluten free crumble with Japanese pear, black truffle and a rum infusion. This dessert housed subtle flavours and was enjoyably light, which was exactly what was needed after the many dishes we had sampled.

Although at first glance it seems like there are a lot of dishes on the menu, the pacing of the meal, as well as the portion sizes meant that I wasn’t overly stuffed at the end of the meal, but still very much satisfied. It is evident that a lot of thought has gone into the plating, to ensure not to overwhelm diners.

The menu itself changes regularly, yet to ensure you don’t have to eat the same menu twice, the restaurant will offer guests the choice of a different menu if you happen to dine there before the menu has changed since your last visit. This is a fantastic touch and not one I have heard of before.

The Drinks:

We opted for the Sommeliers pairing experience and Vincent explained that the pairing experience didn't just include wine but also rare sakes, gin, and even rum.

Our first two courses were paired with a unique mushroom sake with a distinctly umami flavour. Made in Japan the restaurant is only able to import 90 bottles which demonstrates just how unique it is.

The pairing moved expertly from sakes, wines and even spiced rum. Each pairing was exquisite and certainly enhanced the flavours of the dish as well as the whole experience.

I was pleased to that the wine list includes at least 80% biodynamic, natural and sustainable wine, and they are aiming to increase this number over time.

Price:

Our Gastronic set menu cost $298 per person, with $198 for the Sommelier’s pairing experience. There is also a Degustation menu available with approximately 6-7 dishes for $129 per person. There is also a set lunch menu available too., but no a la carte option.

Overall:

Whitegrass has a strong number of loyal guests who regularly dine at the restaurant and I can see why.

The menu we sampled was exquisite. The ingredients of the land and sea are treated with precision and care, their delicate flavours and textures allowed to be the star of the show. Dishes, looking like small works of art, are somehow packed with flavour and of the kind that transport you on warming food memories of yesteryear whilst also introducing you to new and unique ingredients. Chef Takuya is most certainly deserving of his Michelin star.

Vincent mentioned that the staff working at the restaurant are all like family to him, and he also makes his guests feel like too. The service is genuinely friendly with staff who are keen to talk about their food, and experience working at the restaurant.

Put this all together and you have a memorable dining experience for all the right reasons.