COVID-19 and a new era of wine service in Singapore’s fine-dining scene
Since reopening for dining-in on Jun 22, fine-dining eatery Les Amis, like other F&B establishments in Singapore, has had to comply with restrictions concerning nutrient service operations in Phase 2. Apart from rubber distancing, wearing masks and taking the temperature of guests (the restaurant has installed a thermal temperature scanner at its entrance), the staff haven't had to change many of their procedures.
The restaurant has e'er limited its seating capacity to fifty guests per service.
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"We are blest with space in the restaurant: The altitude between the tables has always been more one metre. Our trolley service also ensures a distance between us and the guests," said Rajeshwaran Gopal, Les Amis' director of wines, adding that wine service is carried out on the trolley.
With the ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol afterwards 10.30pm, that three-hour multi-vintage Burgundy wine dinner plan isn't feasible now. Gopal and his team are prepared to "offer shorter dining experiences" to fit the fourth dimension constraint: A half bottle of wine – or wines by the glass – may be recommended instead of a total bottle. They'd also explain to guests that they may non have enough time to round off their meal with a glass of Port or sweet wine.
"The only thing that stands out is the mask: It's something we are yet getting used to because the main component of wine service is your communication [with the client], which involves using torso language. This ways we have to be more expressive, to recoup for the [lack of] facial expressions," said Gopal.
Similarly, at Fine art Restaurant – il Lido Group'south Italian fine-dining establishment at National Gallery – group potable manager Riccardo Nardone is particular most getting his masked team to utilise body language to enhance the wine presentation. For example, using gestures of the wrist to indicate to a diner to proceed with the tasting of the wine.
Art Eating house, which is presently beingness hosted at its sis rooftop venue Aura, is likewise working on an intuitive digital menu for food and wine, which will replace the PDF document that customers tin can download from its website. Guests will and so be able to scan the menu from their own mobile devices at the restaurant.
Browsing digital wine lists (and menus) – an idea which many fine-dining restaurants hither had hitherto been ho-hum to adopt – looks fix to be the new norm in a COVID-19 world. The days of the leather-bound vino list may well exist truly numbered.
At La Dame de Movie – Raffles Hotel Singapore's French eating house – guests can access the wine listing on their mobile devices past scanning a QR lawmaking.
"Virtually of our guests at La Dame de Pic prefer to scan our menus and wine lists on their own devices. It does not appear to be any less or more daunting when compared with reading a physical wine list," said Eric Li, head sommelier of Raffles Hotel Singapore. "Our sommeliers are ready to assistance those who might prefer recommendations or need some advice to heighten their gastronomic experience."
At Odette, wine lists are presented on iPads, which are handed to diners.
"Every bit traditional or concrete wine lists are challenging to sanitise and maintain, we've moved towards offer digital format wine lists on iPads, which are disinfected after each employ," said Vincent Tan, head sommelier of Odette. "With the shut guidance of our sommeliers, guests can notice our total wine drove and hands swipe through the list with boosted peace of mind.
"While prophylactic distancing and masks may make conversation more than challenging, we cannot allow the restrictions to compromise our power to serve our guests," he added. "It's critical to continue meticulous tasting and inspection of wines, despite the extra precautionary steps required to practise so in the process."
Gopal thinks that wine tasting during service, in which a sommelier samples the wine in a split up glass to ensure it is not spoiled before serving it to a guest, is a key aspect of vino service that should not be skipped in fine-dining amid the current precautions. "I am glad we can have off our masks to do a quick tasting to make sure the vino is in its optimum condition," he said.
1 affair is for sure – sommeliers volition eventually have to have on a more multi-faceted role, one that takes them across the catenary of their restaurant.
"Adaptive skills such as switching roles in the industry will be key for sommeliers to stay in the playing field," said Nardone. "We can no longer stick to the traditional way of serving vino. We must be versatile enough to pick up online vino retail and build our sales networks."
Tan expects sommeliers to have a more prominent online presence and remote access. "For instance, assuasive the customer to communicate with a sommelier before arriving at an establishment to get advice or recommendations, instead of having to rely just on face-to-confront interactions at the venue. [It's about] catering to the experience in advance."
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/experiences/wine-service-in-singapore-247791
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