Le Papillon ("the butterfly" in French) is a partnership between award-winning chef Anderson Ho and his brother Edmond Ho, Singapore’s top food photographer. The modern European, semi-fine dining restaurant is the realization of a dream the siblings have shared for over two years.

Located in the Red Dot Traffic Building, Singapore’s newest and coolest hub for innovation and creativity, the 1664 square foot restaurant has been consciously conceived as a showcase for local talent. The design savvy brothers (Anderson loves art and used to dabble in photography; Edmond is trained in graphic design) sought out young , boutique architecture and interior design firm, Kennel to create their vision of a simple, white, almost gallery-like space where Anderson’s food would take centerstage.

“I wanted everything to be very clean and simple,” says Anderson. “This way, when you sit down, it’ll be the food that you will look at."

The long, rectangular dining room accommodates 60 diners and is lined with comfortable banquette seating along one wall. A cosy, five-seat chef’s table offers window-side views of the kitchen while a ten-seat private room with its own entrance offers greater seclusion.

Le Papillon is dominated by a stunning 6.5 by 2.6-meter mural created by local artist, James Lim (Daytime LLP). Painstakingly hand-painted in subtle gradations of mocha, smoke and cream, it depicts the flight of a butterfly through the edge of a forest in a style which is at once whimsical, yet sophisticated.

However, the focus of the room undoubtedly remains the food on each diner’s plate. After over six years away from the restaurant kitchen, in a job that gave him the opportunity to travel and experiment at the stove, Anderson is thrilled to be back.

“I missed cooking,” he confesses. “What I’m doing here is simple, honest food; cooking that comes from the heart. I’ll have to admit that a great amount of effort goes into this sort of cooking. The oxtail takes six hours to braise, then I have to pick all the flesh off. Mushrooms have to be sautéed before they are combined with the flesh and wrapped in pastry. The pastry parcel is then pan-fried just before it’s served with tenderloin cooked to a diner’s preferred doneness. That’s a lot of work. But at the end of the day, a chef gets a sense of satisfaction from seeing the plates he sent out returning to the kitchen clean.”

Anderson’s gift lies in his ability to re-interpret classic dishes and flavours, breathing new life into them in terms of both taste and presentation. He devises unusual flavour combinations with delicate sensitivity, resulting in dishes that are pleasurable to eat, yet novel to experience. Equally central to his culinary distinction is his passionate belief in plating each dish to heighten its visual appeal. The chef frames each of his dishes with an artist’s eye and constantly aims to fashion gastronomic works of art that please both eye and palate.

Anderson’s fans will recognise his signature warm Caesar salad from his days as the chef at Fig Leaf restaurant. Other dishes that have quickly become favourites among diners are the marinated Meredith goat cheese with pesto on watermelon and pedro ximenez reduction; nage of white miso with scallop, prawns, clams and baby sea bream; pan-roasted grain-fed beef tenderloin with oxtail parcel, sautéed field mushrooms, seasonal greens and mousseline potato.

Le Papillon is open for lunch Monday to Friday, from noon to 2.30pm. The set lunch menu offers a choice of four appetizers and three main courses, plus dessert and coffee or tea. Dinner is served Monday to Saturday, from 6.30 to 10.30pm. On Mondays, guests are welcome to BYO (bring your own) wines.