Les Amis pays for staff to dine around the world – so they love their craft more
30 April, 2019
Running a restaurant is notoriously difficult business. Especially so in lean and competitive times such as these, in a spoilt-for-choice-food haven that is Singapore. Which makes the story of Singapore’s very own fine dining grand dame Les Amis all the more remarkable.
This year, the homegrown establishment – known for its impeccable service, who’s who clientele and fine French cuisine – is celebrating its 25th birthday.
Twenty-five silver years, that is, since stockbroker Desmond Lim together with his friends Dr Chong Yap Seng, chef Justin Quek and sommelier-turned-restaurateur Ignatius Chan opened Singapore’s first independent European fine-dining restaurant, right in the heart of Orchard Road.
In a time when high-end restaurants were only found in luxury hotels, Les Amis was the renegade breath of fresh air. And its inception, way back on Mar 15, 1994, ended up changing the face of high-end dining in Singapore forever.
For quarter of a century – over white linen tablecloths and polished silverware, enveloped in attentive table service and softly lit, hushed rooms – many a birthday, anniversary or proposal has been celebrated in Les Amis.
And what worked from the very start – exacting cooking techniques, refined, discriminating ingredients and a tremendous wine list the likes of which Singapore had not seen before – is still being served up at the restaurant to this very day.
Armed with two Michelin stars since 2016 (the year the awards were first given out locally), Les Amis is currently headed by French chef Sebastien Lepinoy.
It has cemented its place as one of Singapore's foremost fine dining institutions. And laudably so. Just ask any one from its well-heeled stable of regulars, new converts and overseas fans.
So what is the secret ingredient in Les Amis' recipe for success and longevity?
Lim, who serves as Chairman of the Les Amis Group, tells CNA Luxury it’s simply about a commitment to quality.
"Besides delivering top quality ingredients, the other is service," he said. "Not just professional (service) because that’s a given. But service with a certain warmth and sincerity."
"Not a snooty kind of service," he explained with a smile. "We want to give every one that walks through the door a special experience especially if you've come from a far."
Les amis (which translates to "the friends") indeed.
As simple and unassuming as it may sound, the genial 62-year-old knows exactly what he's talking about. After all, the Les Amis Group isn't just surviving 25 years in Singapore's F&B business, it's thriving.
To date, the group has grown from its single flagship establishment to 22 restaurant concepts (as of August this year) and 29 outlets in Singapore (as of June this year), offering everything from French and Japanese cuisine to popular pizzerias and a chain of Vietnamese noodle bars.
The group also has 30 overseas concepts including joint ventures and franchises in Hong Kong, Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia, with more expansion plans in the pipeline. Today, the group has within its portfolio a whopping 32 brands.
"Whatever we do, we want to deliver something very good, something of quality at every price point," said Lim. "We want to be proud at all levels."
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