It is usually after the hickory-smoked wagyu beef cheeks with truffle-mashed potatoes that diners at Iggy's in Singapore demand to meet the chef. By then, they have been dazzled by the savoury crab-meat soufflé, the cauliflower mousse, and the foie gras crème br?lée. Then, Akmal Anuar comes out. A local boy, he serves dishes that would not seem out of place in New York, Paris or London.

After the Miele Guide and Restaurant magazine anointed Iggy's the best restaurant in Asia last year, ahead of Joel Robuchon's Hong Kong outpost, this cosy European eatery at the Regent hotel has had its share of carping. Critics dismiss its truffle overload; and, honestly, does a wagyu beefburger require a white-truffle sabayon? But in this wealthy island-state with its abundance of good restaurants, few walk the tightrope between innovation and excess with as much finesse as Iggy's.

Singapore's high-end restaurants used to import chefs from Europe, Australia or Hong Kong to run their kitchens. This resulted in some good, albeit tortured, food as French chefs tried to duplicate winter dishes like beef au poivre in Singapore's tropical climate. Anthony Bourdain joked that the soul of Singaporean cuisine lay in its hawker stalls and rojak (mixed up) food.