What happens when two famous Michelin star chefs come together? In the case of Saint Pierre and Restaurant Allen, an exclusive four-hands dinner.
For only two days in September, chef-owner Emmanuel Stroobant of two-Michelin-starred Saint Pierre in Singapore and Chef Allen Suh of two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Allen in Seoul will have a special cross-city collaboration, according to a press release on Wednesday (Aug 6).
This kicks off on Sept 11 at Saint Pierre, which is located at One Fullerton, and will continue on Sept 20 at Restaurant Allen.
On the menu is Chef Emmanuel's Jerusalem Artichoke with black truffle, Leek with nori and soy, and Shimeji Mushroom with miso and sudachi.
This is followed by Chef Allen's Korean Caviar with smoked sturgeon and rice, Uni Custard with pickled cucumber and brioche toast, and Confit Cuttlefish with perilla seed and nori seaweed chip.
There's also chef Emmanuel's signature Manjimup Marron complemented by buttermilk and perilla, chef Allen's Seafood, with tofu, fresh beancurd, and spinach, chef Emmanuel's Busan Abalone with scallop and courgette, and chef Allen's Shizuoka King Crab with egg custard, roasted cabbage, and crab jus.
There's also a collaborative creation by both chefs: Galbi Beef complemented with napa cabbage and wild leaf. Another collaborative creation features Acorn Noodle, served with blue lobster and sesame.
The meal concludes with a sweet treat by chef Emmanuel — Tulameen Raspberry with baba and lemongrass, and a collaborative assortment of Mignardises.
The meal in Singapore starts at 7pm and is priced at $488++ per person.
Guests who prefer a window seat can pay $558++ per person and this includes a glass of 2011 Champagne Agrapart et Fils, Mineral, Avize Grand Cru, Blanc de Blancs.
On the other hand, the meal in Seoul has two timeslots — 6pm and 6.30pm. It costs KRW650,000++ (S$602++) and is inclusive of wine pairing.
In response to AsiaOne's queries, Emmanuel shared that he and Allen began speaking in May and while both chefs were based in different cities, their conversations "flowed easily".
He said: "There wasn't any grand plan at first — just two [chefs] who respected each other's work and wanted to explore what could happen if we came together in the kitchen. What really drew me in was Allen's deep respect for ingredients and his sensitivity to detail. That’s something I value deeply in my own cooking as well."
Emmanuel also shared that while he and Allen come from different backgrounds — with his rooted in modern French cuisine and Allen's in South Korea — they both care about "balance, clarity, and storytelling" through food.
"So this collaboration wasn't about showing off. It was about creating something meaningful, something that spoke in both our voices but still felt like one complete experience."
When curating the menu, both chefs had a sense of the kind of story that they wanted to tell with the menu.
They would send each other photos, notes and ingredient ideas, and while some things "came together very quickly", others they refined over time.
And while the collaboration is only going to be for one night in each city, Emmanuel hopes there will be more of such projects in the future.
"I think for both of us, this was never meant to be a one-off. It was always about exchange. Not just of ingredients or techniques, but of perspectives — of stepping into someone else's space, understanding their team, their culture, their rhythm," he said.
"As chefs, we can sometimes get caught up in our own kitchens, but collaborations like this remind us why we cook in the first place — to connect, to learn, to share. I hope this is just the beginning of more to come."
