Spotlight Series – Restaurant JAG & The Lounge Bar

Quisine’s Spotlight Series takes an inside look at the food and beverage industry by speaking with the folks who know it best – restaurant owners, chefs and managers. This time around, we get the inside scoop on Restaurant JAG and the Lounge Bar.

Chef Jeremy Gillon is co-owner of restaurant JAG and the Lounge Bar. We spoke to him about the restaurants, his inspirations and much more.

Check out some of our other spotlight series articles

Spotlight series – Yakibabar

Spotlight series – La Salsa

What made you choose this line of work? What/Who inspires you?

I was not the most amazing student in school, but always had a fascination towards cooking. My mum was a great cook, she would always play the perfect host in our family kitchen and prepare delicious big meals for our family and friends. I always observed how cooking and food brought people together to create some memorable times, which had a big impact on me.

I wanted to make people happy and saw cooking as a great medium to achieve it but I did not immediately become a chef. Initially, I started as a cook at French Brassiere and never thought then that I would get into fine dining – but here I am! I enjoy creating new gastronomical experiences for my guests every day.

What do you feel your restaurant adds to Singapore’s dining scene?

Singapore’s vibrant fine dining scene has emerged as one of the world’s most exciting and competitive markets. The consumers here are constantly looking for new and unique dining experiences.

To thrive here is a definitely a tall order. One needs to really stand out and be confident of their offerings and that is where we are right now! Restaurant JAG brings a very distinctive concept of Omakase French Dining that is led by our herbs from Savoie, seasonal vegetables and then finally the protein. It’s a very delicate approach and all elements must come together with a perfect balance. We offer our diners a one-of-a-kind culinary experience by presenting them with various courses of expressions, depending on the time they have.

We then have their trust and our freedom in the kitchen to prepare a unique tasting menu revolving around discovering new herbs and seasonal vegetables.

What has been the biggest business challenge for your restaurant?

Well, being a fine dining destination in Singapore requires a pool of diners as much as it does the presence of fine dining restaurants. With diners being offered a large magnitude of dining options in Singapore, preferences of some have shifted towards more casual, convenience-led dining habits that focus more on affordability and ease of access.

This has definitely been a challenge, but having said that we are glad to have diners who seek more experimental dining experiences and appreciate the concept of fine dining and tasting menus. The need to educate the new diners is definitely something we are working on.

How has Quandoo helped in your restaurant operations?

Quandoo’s reservation platform has definitely aided us in connecting better with our new and existing customers. The association has helped us boost ourbusiness significantly and helped in communicating our unique offering and promotions to the right audiences.

Where do you see the future of dining out or the restaurant scene in general?

A lot of restaurants around the world are trying to use ethically-sourced and locally grown ingredients. That is definitely a trend that I think might go a long way. Plant-forward cuisine is trending in the food scene, while meatless and vegetable-focused dishes are certainly getting more attention from conscious diners.