AMI Patisserie is a haven for dessert lovers, but Makoto Arami wants you to know that sweet treats are one part of the experience. First launched in July 2021 as an online fine pastry shop, its debut physical concept is on the grounds of a colonial black and white bungalow on Scotts Road. Reminiscent of a Kyoto-style wooden townhouse, the standalone patisserie is a picture of zen.
Wooden coffered ceilings create a spacious feel for the cosy café, which sets the scene for a leisurely afternoon tea or brunch through an extensive menu of a la carte sweets, savouries, and viennoiseries. Arami takes pride in showing us the ceramic wares, specially made by his best friend for the patisserie. “The tableware are Shigaraki Yaki, a ceramic pottery style special to Shiga, my home prefecture. This is the first time they are showcased outside of Japan,” he says.
Symbolising their enduring friendship, these ceramic wares enhance the courses served in his Chef’s Table Discovery menu. The Piedmont Hazelnut Financier is presented in a glazed ceramic vessel with a ‘grain’ pattern, resembling a wooden box. Meanwhile, a purple bowl is used for the Nasu Brulee, to evoke the rich purple hues of an eggplant.
Presented in the patisserie’s Tsudoi dining room, whose name means “a friendly gathering” in Japanese, the multi-course menu is a pastry-led journey that reflects his life and childhood memories. Sweets are close to Arami’s heart. He’s the third generation to a family who runs a wagashi or traditional Japanese confection business that can trace its origins back to 1935. Growing up in Hikone, Shiga prefecture, he often woke up to the smell of freshly baked goods and saw regular customers who visited his father’s pastry shop.
“Seeing the happy customers, I realised pastries could bring so much joy to people. This made me want to also become a pastry chef. These early memories are the core inspiration for my creations,” he explains.
The first course, Signature Choux, is inspired by the first pastry that Arami made in the kitchen of his father’s shop, at the age of 15. Piped with an egg mayonnaise filling made with organic Japanese Mangetsu eggs, the choux recalls his childhood days of returning home after school to treats of fresh choux. The finishing touch of Schrenckii caviar adds a luxe feel to the modern iteration of an egg sando.
Tomato tarts might be a common sight on spring and summer menus, but Arami’s Shizuoka Tomato Tartlette is a beautiful stripped-down version that allows the juicy fruit to shine. Representing the tart is a single sugar cookie. It’s a nod to one of the first recipes he learnt in culinary school. This is topped with freshly cut slices of Amela tomatoes simply tossed in umami salt. I thoroughly enjoyed every bite.
A crowd-favourite thanks to its umami flavours, the Japanese Uni Brioche is pan-fried with brown butter until crisp perfection on all sides. Japanese flour is used as it has more gluten, giving extra structure to the brioche. What results is a decadent one-bite wonder of crisp, yet pillowy-soft brioche, topped with lime cream and Hokkaido Bafun uni.
Inspired by a Kyoto specialty, miso dengaku or chargilled eggplant with miso, the Nasu Brulee combines sweet and savoury flavours in a well-balanced manner. Binchotan-grilled morsels of eggplant lie atop a brûléed eggplant custard base that’s dusted with sansho powder for a bit of heat and served with a quenelle of soy and miso ice cream. It was sweet, savoury, and creamy all at once.
Pastries and desserts aside, Arami also does excellent breads. From the bread course, the Iwa Nori Escargot Bun is served with a side of applewood smoked and whipped unsalted Lescure butter with a little maldon sea salt on top. A showcase of his breadmaking skills, the bun’s delicate umami flavours whet my appetite for what was to come.
Like kaiseki and kappo meals, the Chef’s Table Discovery offers an intimate dining experience for the guests. “Each dish holds a story of my childhood and career. Besides finishing a la minute, plating, and presenting each creation at the dining counter, I am also able to interact more with my guests, chatting about any topic, be it my pastries, a shared love for food, or places to enjoy fish ball noodles in Singapore,” he chuckles.
Arami would like his diners to view pastries and desserts as something that can be enjoyed “anytime, all the time, whenever.” He wants you to think of them as a meal, rather than a snack or a finale, and certainly not an afterthought.
